Tonight,the USA and China will meet for the first time in 16 years at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-finals. Anyone who watched the 1999 final match between these two teams will never forget that game.
Played in sunny Pasadena, California in front of a record crowd of 90,185, fans on both sides watched the grueling 120 minute, scoreless match as it progressed into penalty shots. When Brandi Chastain kicked in the winning goal, US soccer fans celebrated a great World Cup victory.
Mia Hamm, the legendary forward of this amazing team, went on to a career which inspired a generation of young women to take up the sport.
In 1998, at a promotional, soccer event held at Harvard stadium, Mia met the famous Boston Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra. She won the penalty shoot-out, 4-3, but he won her heart.
A few years later, after Hamm had divorced her first husband, Nomar made his move and things progressed very nicely.
The couple has been happily married since 2003 and are parents to twin girls. Maybe we'll see another future soccer or baseball legend, but whichever sport is the home favorite, I'm sure the entire Hamm-Garciaparra clan will be watching and rooting for the USA women's team in tonight's match.
