In the hot summer of 1999, the United States hosted world-class female soccer teams in the World Cup. Ultimately, no team could beat the U.S. on its own soil. When the 1999 United States Women’s National Team (widely known as the 99ers) hoisted their trophy to the crowd of 90,185 cheering fans, the world of women’s sports permanently changed.
The 99ers shed light on the potential that women’s sports had. The success of the World Cup led to improvements to the USWNT and the creation of what is now the National Women’s Soccer League or NWSL.
The 99ers are credited with a lot of the success we still see today with female athletes. Because of this, Netflix has decided to create a film sharing its story.
The film will closely follow the book by award-winning sportswriter JerĂ© Longman, titled “The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.” The film is currently in production, and much of the cast has been revealed.
key cast members
- Emily Bader as Mia Hamm
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Bader’s most recent project has been “People We Meet On Vacation,” where she portrayed Poppy. She has also worked on “My Lady Jane” and “Fresh Kills,” among other films.
- Zoey Deutch as Marla Messing
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Deutch is not only an actor, but a producer as well. Her most recent project is “The Threesome.” She also starred alongside Glen Powell in the 2018 film “Set It Up.”
- Emilia Jones as Julie Foudy
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Jones is a British actress who has had the privilege to portray an American great, Julie Foudy. Jones was in “The Running Man,” “Winner” and many more films and TV shows.
- Shaunette Renée Wilson as Briana Scurry
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Wilson is a brilliant actress with an impressive resumĂ©. Wilson is known for “Black Panther,” “The Resident” and “Billions.”
- Perry Mattfeld as Michelle Akers
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Mattfeld is known for the hit TV show, “Shameless,” and she is also known for her more recent show, “Chad Powers.” Mattfeld has an extensive resumĂ© under her belt, which allows high hopes for her portrayal of Akers.
- Annabel O’Hagan as Carla Overbeck
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O’Hagan currently has multiple projects in production. In the past, she has made her presence known on projects such as “Fallout,” “Rent Free” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” just to name a few.
- Lizzy Greene as Kristen Lilly
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Greene has been acting since she was a child. Though she has been recently recognized as Lauren Brigman in “Ransom Canyon,” many may also recognize her as Dawn from Nickelodeon’s “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn.”
- Isabelle Furhman as Joy Fawcett
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Furhman thrives in the genres of horror, thriller and drama. She has been in “The Hunger Games,” “Unit 234” and more. Her drama experience will be an asset during this project.
- Julia McDermott as Brandi Chastain
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McDermott does not shy away from impactful films, as she portrayed Carolyn Bryant in “Women of Movement.” She is also known for “Elsbeth” and “The Method,” among others.
- Alessandro Nivola as Coach Tony DiCicco
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Nivola is both an actor and producer who is known for “The Brutalist,” “American Hustle” and more.
This film will be such a gift to soccer and film fans alike. It is still in production, but keep an eye out for the final product coming to Netflix in 2027.