It might seem like the US women's soccer team [1] (known as the USWNT) has been dominating the field for eons — and you're not wrong to think that they've made a mark on the sport — but in truth, the team has only been in the international field for a couple of decades. Afterall, the first women's world cup only happened in 1991.
While the US team has had its ups and downs (it's soccer!), it has also been part of more than a handful of memorable moments in soccer history. It's hard to narrow down to just a few highlights of some of the sport's biggest names, from Mia Hamm to the current crop of talented athletes [2] who are ready to lead the team at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup [3] this Summer in France, but that's just what we've done. While you wait for this Summer's tournament to start, revisit some of the brightest moments of the US women's team.
The US Soccer Team Wins the First Ever Women's World Cup
FIFA did some test runs in earlier years to see if a women's edition of the World Cup would be feasible and popular enough, and in 1991, it held the first official tournament in China [5]. In the inaugural tournament, the US took home the trophy with a 2-1 win over Norway in the final, foreshadowing the team's years as power players.
The US Women's Soccer Team Wins the First Ever Olympic Gold Medal
Women's soccer wasn't always a banner event at the Olympics like it is today. In fact, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta marked the Olympic debut for the sport. The US women's soccer team led the way through the tournament, ultimately coming away with the first women's soccer Olympic gold [7] after defeating China with a score of 2-1 in the final. Over 76,000 fans watched the game from the stadium, a record-setting crowd for women's soccer at the time.
The US Women's Soccer Team Wins Its Second World Cup in 1999
The defining era of Team USA's women's soccer began in the late 1990s with the dream team featuring legends like Mia Hamm [8], Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, and more. The World Cup was hosted by the US, where interest in the sport was just growing, with the US women's team proving all soccer naysayers wrong, drawing in sold-out crowds en route to a sport-defining tournament victory [9].
The US Women's Soccer Team Wins Its Second Gold Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
After years of defining women's soccer in the US, the "Fab Five" of the epic late-'90s [11] announced they were closing out their careers. Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett, and Julie Foudy announced that their final tournament would be the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and they definitely went out with a bang, finishing with yet another gold medal [12].
The final match against Brazil served as a bridge between the old and new generations in Team USA's soccer history. As the legends of years past ended their careers, the game-winning goal was scored by a young new player named Abby Wambach [13], who would go on to lead the next generation of American soccer stars.
The 2011 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals Marks US Women's Soccer Team's Comeback
After the sky-high successes of the '90s, US women's soccer saw a drop in wins, barely qualifying for the World Cup in 2011, but in the quarterfinal match for the tournament, against Brazil, the tide finally turned. Abby Wambach scored a goal in extra time [14] that sent the US through to the next round, later securing them a silver-medal finish that revitalized American women's soccer.
A Last-Minute Save Gives Team USA Its Fourth Olympic Gold Medal
It was called the "save heard 'round the world" for good reason. With only five minutes left in the gold medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics between Japan and the US, Japan's Mana Iwabuchi tried to score a goal, but Team USA goalie Hope Solo made an epic, seemingly impossible save [16] that went viral and turned her into a superstar around the world.
After 16 Years, the US Women's Soccer Team Wins the 2015 FIFA World Cup
After a sixteen-year drought, the US women's team won their first World Cup since 1999. During the final against Japan, not only did a win emerge, but a new star: Carli Lloyd completed a hat trick [17] leading the team to a 5-2 victory. With this win, the new generation of USA women's soccer cemented itself as power players.
