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After scoring the goal, Chastain famously fell to her knees and tore off her jersey in celebration. This celebratory gesture was immortalized on numerous magazine covers and caused a minor controversy in the United States, as this move revealed her sports bra, which would not raise an eyebrow today. In response to the debate over the propriety of her gesture, Chastain stated that the celebration was “momentary insanity” in celebration of “the greatest moment of my life on the soccer field.” THE BIG COMEBACK IN 2015 The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup was a make-or-break moment for the USWNT. Their reputation as the best women’s soccer team in the world was in jeopardy because they hadn’t won a championship in the World Cup since 1999. Since then, they had third place finishes in 2003 and 2007, and a second place finish in 2011. As a result, they wanted to come out with a win in this tournament to show that they were still the team to beat. The intensity of the situation was only magnified by the fact that they were set up to play Japan in the final, the team that had defeated them in the 2011 championship match in a penalty kick shoot-out win. As a result, they felt pressure in the tournament that hadn’t been there in the last sixteen years. They negotiated the three matches in group D, winning 3–1 against Australia, drawing 0–0 with Sweden, and beating Nigeria 1–0 to advance. That lone goal scored by Australia was the only one America gave up until the final against Japan. In fact, many experts claim that the United States couldn’t have won without keeper Hope Solo. During the tournament, she put on an athletic performance that is likely one of the best in World Cup history. In seven matches, she gave up just three goals and held her opponents scoreless for a Women’s World Cup record 540 consecutive minutes. In fact, the only goal she truly gave up during the final was a beautiful shot from Japan’s Yūki Nagasato in the twenty-seventh minute. The second goal for Japan was a blooper own-goal that happened in the fifty-second minute when a shot unexpectedly bounced off the head of American defender Julie Johnston. This deflection took Solo by surprise and snuck past her when the ball changed direction.

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