Some 10 years later, this is well worth remembering

Remember the "sports bra incident?"

OK, now that I have your attention, can you believe it was 10 years ago this week that soccer star Brandi Chastain famously revealed her sports bra in a moment of sheer joy during the 1999 Women's World Cup?

Her goal on a penalty kick in the championship game gave the U.S. women a dramatic win over China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Chastain then fell to her knees, ripped off her shirt and threw her clenched fists in the air. It's easily the most enduring image from that event.

But what might be even longer lasting is the impact the 1999 Women's World Cup had on girls soccer in the United States.

Little girls all over the country suddenly had soccer fever more than ever before.

Brittany Klein, a midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars, was one of them. She was 12 at the time and living in a town not far from Pasadena.

Soccer was already her passion, but the hype and excitement of the World Cup took that to a new level.

"It had a big impact on me," said Klein, who remembers seeking out the autographs of World Cup players and even hanging out at some of the open practices the teams had. "I had heard of Mia Hamm, I knew there was a U.S. women's national team. But to see up close and personal that women could play at such a high level inspired me to set even higher goals for myself. Like, I wanted to play for that team."

That hasn't happened yet, but Klein has reached some of her goals. She played Division I soccer in college and now she's playing professionally.

How surreal it must be for her that, every now and then as a professional, she goes head-to-head against some of the very same players she grew up idolizing and trying to emulate.

World Cup heroes such as Tiffeny Milbrett, Briana Scurry and Chastain all play in the WPS, the same league that the Red Stars are in. On Sunday, all three of them will make a stop at Toyota Park in Bridgeview as the WPS stages one leg of its multi-city "Remember '99" tour.

Throughout the Red Stars' game against FC Gold Pride, Chastain, Milbrett and Scurry will interact with fans, sign autographs, take pictures and be recognized on the field.

A special collection of World Cup memorabilia will also be on public display throughout the stadium.

"It's hard to believe it's been 10 years," Chastain said. "But I don't think I've ever stopped thinking about the 1999 team or celebrating it because, since 1999, I think soccer has been changed dramatically.

"It's more on the radar, more kids are playing soccer than ever before, and the kids are so much better than I ever was in terms of their knowledge of the game and their exposure to it. It's awesome to see the impact the 1999 team had on a new generation of soccer players."

And on a brand new soccer league.

Because of the interest and momentum the World Cup team generated, the popularity of women's soccer reach an all-time high in 1999 and the WUSA, a women's pro league that is the WPS of today, was born.

"Without the '99 World Cup taking place in the United States, I have a hard time believing the fans would have been there for the WUSA," Kline said. "Having the World Cup here, and having the U.S. team do so well was crucial for women's soccer having a future here."

So where is the infamous sports bra that may have started it all?

It will be on display on Sunday with all of the other World Cup memorabilia, of course.

And make no mistake, Chastain doesn't ever hesitate to talk about it, even though she's gotten the bra question thousands of times already.

"A lot of people ask about it," Chastain laughed. "And it always starts out, 'I know you've heard this question before - '

"But I really don't mind talking about it. Ultimately, (the conversation) goes back to soccer, and that's what's most important."

Ticket deal: To celebrate the "Remember '99" event, the Red Stars are offering a special 99-cent ticket for Sunday's game against FC Gold Pride. The first person in a party gets the 99-cent ticket and all others will be ticketed at a discounted group rate.

The first 100 fans to take advantage of that offer will have their photos taken with Chastain, Scurry and the 1999 World Cup trophy.

Tickets are on sale through the Red Stars office by calling (866) WPS-2009 or by logging on to www.chicagoredstars.com.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com