I was reminiscing about the 1991 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team for two reasons:
1. Because the next Women’s FIFA world cup is coming up this summer of 2011.
2. Kristine Lilly who is a legend and hall of fame soccer player recently retired.
1991 was the first time that the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won the World Cup. They made so many headlines that everyone heard about them even far away in Argentina (I should know since I lived there). They made you want to see them play because they were so dominant. They dominated with their play. People talk of them because of their skill and talent. Yet, they weren’t trying to gain fame or recognition for themselves. All of the players knew that women’s sports could gain recognition and acceptance if they won the world cup and modeled equal rights in sports. I think they played better than human beings can play at soccer and at providing equal rights for women.
This team had the 91ers. They were the five players who were the leaders of that team (Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett). They were some of the greatest individual players in the game of soccer. They are referred to as the 91ers because all five of them were important parts of the first ever FIFA women’s world cup in 1991 in which their team won gold. They led their team to victory and raised future soccer players because girls everywhere started playing soccer because they wanted to be Mia Hamm or Kristine Lilly. Also, all of the team members advocated for women’s athletics and sports. This team would win two FIFA world cups and bronze medals in the other three world cups. They also won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Olympics. They helped their teammates carry the torch by teaching them how to work hard and play with passion. They taught younger players that they have to be advocates for women’s rights and equality in sports through their own actions and leadership.
After all this hard work and success, all of the 91ers (except Kristine Lilly) retired from the team at the end of their U.S. farewell tour on December 8, 2004. However, all five of them continued to help others and kept advocating for equal rights sports. Kristine Lilly recently retired on January 6, 2011. She played in all 5 world cups and played for the U.S. Women’s National Team for 24 years. She appeared for the United States in 4 different decades starting in 1987 when she was 16 years old for her first international appearance. She was the captain from 2005 to 2007 and is the leading soccer player, female or male, to represent her country in international games with 352 international appearances. She is second in goals and assists with 130 goals and 105 assists only behind Mia Hamm with her being number one in each of these categories. She is a 3-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year Award (1993, 2005, and 2006). She did not wear down with age since she contributed at a high level even when she was 39 years old in her last year of international soccer. She was the oldest player to score a goal at age 39.
It has been almost 20 years since this team won their first world cup and opened the eyes of people worldwide. Women could always play sports with great skill and athleticism. However, there wasn’t a team like this that showed that and opened up the opportunity for young girls and women everywhere to play the game of soccer. Their impact didn’t end at soccer. They created more opportunities, awareness, and equality for women to play sports. Members of the women’s Olympic basketball team admire the 1991 team and find inspiration in their actions. Much of the soccer team personally spoke about situations in which they had to play on a boys’ team because there was not a girls’ team growing up, about situations in which there was not enough acceptance and opportunities for young girls and women. They advocated for women’s athletics.
This legendary team had the greatest individual players ever and yet they also had the greatest teamwork. This teamwork is what made them so great. Their teamwork, great skill, and talent made them talked about in every region of the world. South America, Asia, and pretty much every continent of the world was taken by storm by U.S. Women’s soccer in 1991. This was due to the 1991 women’s soccer team. The 91ers are great for providing opportunities for women and girls to plays sports and for creating opportunities to enjoy playing sports that they love.