1999 WWC....An Incredible Month

Coach Manning here…I wanted to drop in and tell you a little about my brush with history. This month marks the 10 year anniversary of the 1999 Women’s World Cup. I am sure you have heard the story…the U.S. team defeats China in front of 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl. Brandi Chastain makes the winning penalty kick and proceeds to take off her shirt in celebration. The crowd and a nation go nuts and all kinds of athletic and social barriers for women are broken and models re-defined.


Well, the 1999 WWC had a great effect on my life. I am the coach here at the U of U because of it. I was in the middle of the storm from the time the winds started blowing until this very day. It was a great and powerful storm and looking back it still makes me smile to this day.
So, it’s 1998 and I am teaching math at Los Alamitos High School and coaching at a girls’ soccer club called the Southern California Blues. I had been coaching girls for about 5 years after my friend, Larry Draluck, asked me to help a bit with the club. Having been a graduate of Santa Clara University, I stayed in touch and used to go back and work camps in the summer.
Jerry Smith was the head coach at SCU and had turned the Broncos into a national powerhouse. His wife was the assistant coach…her name was Brandi Chastain. I saw Jerry at a youth tournament in May of ’98 and he asked if I’d like to come and help him with his team. Apparently, the U.S. team was going to Florida for a 6-month residency program to prepare for the 1999 WWC. Brandi would be gone for that time and wouldn’t be able to help him full-time anymore. Well, I took about 10 seconds to think about it …let’s see…a full-time job at one of the top programs in the country and an opportunity to learn about the women’s college game from the best…of course I would help!

So, here I was in the fall of 1998, helping to coach the Broncos. Brandi stayed as a volunteer and helped when she was in town. We had an incredible season…we were undefeated up most of the season and set an NCAA record for consecutive shutouts (17)…we lost a heartbreaker to Florida in the NCAA semi-finals.

After the season, we learned more details about the World Cup that would take place in the U.S. Some games would be played in San Jose and Palo Alto and the final would be at the Rose Bowl. We had some teams training at Santa Clara and I was a site manager for the Swedes, the Chinese, and the Russians…all who practiced there. It was great to see world-class players like Hanna Ljungberg and Sun Wen in person…even if some of the coaches got angry at me because the field was too dry!

I went to some early round games…Sweden, Japan, Russia, and China all played and the games were well-played and well-attended. We were also busy with summer camps and there was great excitement in watching games on TV with the campers. It was all very inspiring.
The U.S. was doing well and momentum was building. We would hold our breath for Brandi and the other players. In the quarterfinal game against Germany, Brandi accidentally passed the ball into her own net to give the Germans an early lead. We were so happy and relieved when she later scored and helped the U.S. to a 3-2 comeback win.

So the semi-finals were set and the U.S. would play Brazil at Stanford Stadium. We had a camp going on and would take all 275 campers to the game (a huge project). One of my great memories is that Brandi came by the camp to say hello to all. She was in the middle of this huge tournament. She was nursing a sore ankle. And yet took the time to drive over to Santa Clara to talk to some young people about the game. The commitment and mindset of those U.S. players was truly an incredible thing to witness. She walked in front of the crowd at camp with an electric “stim” machine and inspired and informed us all.

The next day we bussed over to Palo Alto and watched another thrilling U.S. victory (2-0) as goal keeper Brianna Scurry put on a world-class display….So it was on to Pasadena and the final against the mighty Chinese.

I called and ordered 4 tickets…I took my mom, my nephew Justin (8 years old at the time) and my cousin Julie. It was HOT that day…and there wasn’t a lot of action as both teams were organized and excellent from the back. I remember how much the game changed when USA midfielder Michelle Akers had to leave the game due to heat exhaustion. She is maybe the greatest female player ever and it was a pleasure to see her do her thing that day.
It got to penalty kicks…I remember captain Carla Overbeck taking one of the first for the U.S…she made it and did an exaggerated celebration, jumping all the way back to her teammates at the center circle. I thought that really gave the U.S. players confidence and helped them to relax. So here comes #5...the last kicker for the U.S….and it’s Brandi….I was nervous. My nephew had met Brandi a few times and was very excited for her. Brandi had taken a PK and hit the post in a game against China just 3 months earlier. So it took incredible determination and self-belief to step up that day. She also took it with her left foot…she is a natural right-footed player….WOW!

Well, the rest is history. An indelible moment in sports history and an unforgettable month. I got back to the office and we were overwhelmed with letters, phone calls and e-mails for Brandi…a small price to pay for watching a truly great accomplishment!

July 10, 1999...Ten Years Later

It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the “bra” moment…Yes, July 1999 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California…90,000 people and a nationwide TV audience glued to the field to watch 22 players from the U.S. and China…22 FEMALE players…It was a hot day and full of tension and drama. And it was definitely one of those moments…you knew it at the time…big occasion and one that will be remembered forever.

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times has written a fantastic article about that day and its lasting effect. He has two daughters who are now 20 and 14 years of age. And he talks about the 1999 Women’s World Cup and how it affected their lives. He makes a great point in that the world has not taken to watching women’s team sports they way some thought at the time…but it has given women everywhere, including his daughters, the role models and impetus to do great things…MUST READ…check it out by clicking here!

Stay Tuned....Lots more in store for Utah '09

We've been busy the last couple of weeks with some travel and camps and the blog has been down for a bit. But rest assured, we've got lots more in store as we turn the corner and head into a great 2009 season. The players are training and getting ready to report to preseason training on August, 4. And the first game at Ute Field vs. Utah Valley in on August 21.

We've got lots of great news and features to share, including the following:

• Great soccer lessons and information
• The completion of the brand new locker room for the Ute Soccer Team
• BIG news about the September 24 game vs. Utah State
• A brand new season ticket package and private club for Utah Soccer Supporters
• Team and player updates
• The 10th anniversary of the 1999 Women's World Cup
• New Under Armour gear and uni's for the Utes

Stay tuned for more as things unfold!

Learning in Defeat

It was certainly an exciting weekend of soccer in South Africa as the U.S. gave Brazil everything it could handle in the Confederations Cup Final, breaking out to a 2-0 halftime lead before falling (3-2) under a withering Brazilian comeback.

Playing outstanding teams in important games is the best way to learn. And, in spite of the loss, the U.S. can only be better off after this great experience...

Not only do you learn lessons, but you gain confidence from doing well and you are inspired by how close you have come to realizing dreams. Here is what a couple of the U.S. players said...

Landon Donovan said:

"You always hope to do the most learning when you win, but you probably learn more by losing. If we're smart and we take what we should from this game, we can progress; and that's what we're trying to do."

Carlos Bocanegra, the U.S. captain, echoed the sentiment.

"What we can take away from this is the confidence that we played so well against the big teams here," he said. "We showed that we belong. We're not just going to be a pushover in the World Cup when we come down here."

Toughest Soccer Schedules: Utes and U.S. Play the Best

We don't know yet if the U.S. will come out victorious on Sunday and take home the gold at the Confederations Cup. Hopefully, they will put together another great performance and beat mighty Brazil in the Final.

But, for sure, we know this....the U.S. will have played Brazil (South American champs), Italy (World Cup champs), Egypt (African champs), Spain (European champs) and Brazil again in a span of two weeks....WOW!


What a fantastic way to test yourself...you want to be the best, you should play against the best. The players on the U.S team will know first hand what it takes to be an elite player...and perform with your teammates at the highest level.

You want to be a great defender???
Imagine if you are a player such as U.S. center back Jay Demerit. You have now gone up against Kaka, Robinho, Torres, Fabregas, Villa, Gilardino, Toni and more! You can find out what you need to improve on and, just as improtantly, you can gain confidence with your successes...









Here at Utah, we take the same approach...we test ourselves each season against the very best. We feel it gives us a chance to see what we need improve upon....it also toughens us up for the late season conference games as well as the NCAA tournament...over the years we have played great schools like UCLA, Stanford, Portland, Santa Clara, Wake Forest, Florida, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Colorado, Texas A&M and more...We have won our share of those battles and it has helped us to become a strong program.

2009 will be no different as we have Santa Clara, William & Mary, Colorado, Princeton, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma State among our games...We love it!


So, here's to the U.S. and the Utes challenging themselves with the best competition available...and, hopefully, both can be holding up trophies to show for their hard work!

New Locker Room: What A Difference A Week Makes!

We have been super stoked about our new locker room....The transformation continues as we speak...Down in the lower floor of the HPER (Health PE and Recreation) building just below Ute Field, our new room was previously used by the world-famous Ute Ski Team. The athletic department has been generous to help us get a brand new place to meet, change and get pumped up for the games!

A couple of weeks ago we showed you pictures of an empty room...and look how fast things have changed! Already the walls have been painted, the lockers are in place and almost done and a brand-new carpet is on the floor... Check out the video. We will keep you updated as well.

The "Governator" Signs on for U.S. World Cup Campaign

Arnold Schwarzenegger is definitely a heavy hitter. Now, the Governor of California, Schwarzenegger was a former world-champion body builder as well as an "A-list" movie star.

The U.S. is making a bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. And the "Governator" is joining the cause. Here is what he had to say on the matter:

"Soccer is the world's most popular sport and California has been home to some of its most exciting games, and I am proud to be a part of bringing the World Cup back to the United States."


Arnold grew up in Austria and played soccer as a boy. It is said that his dad really wanted him to become a soccer player, but he chose the body building world.




It is common practice for causes to recruit celebrities and politicians to raise awareness, money and help get their message out.

This brings up an important question...who should the Utah women's soccer team enlist to help publicize our team and cause? Any local figures that could help do that? Robert Redford? Gov. Huntsman? Jim Boylen? We would love to hear some great ideas!