Chloe Kelly winning celebration gone viral
It did not take the American Brandi Chastain long to connect the dots between 1999 and 2022. The visual of her celebrating a World Cup winning penalty kick from 23 years ago, removing the USA top, donning a black Nike sports bra and ridiculously ripped abs and screaming in front of a 90,185 record crowd at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena feel surreal to this day. A picture that was later described by an English leading in the world “The most iconic photograph ever taken of a female athlete”.
“When that moment happened, the celebration just organically occurred,” she had shared with Just Women’s Sports, revisiting the moment only a few days ago. “The stadium was just exploding with lights, and sounds, and the team, the hugs, and the laughter. All the emotions you can imagine rolled up into that moment happened…….everything changed.”
And so, when Chloe Kelly whipped off her England shirt on Sunday having scored the eventual decider at the Euro 2022 final in front of another record crowd under the Wembley arch, Chastain just had to tweet out loud.
“I see you @Chloe_Kelly98 well done. Enjoy the free rounds of pints and dinners for the rest of your life from all of England. Cheers!”
Back then, Chastain’s impromptu decision was also castigated by many. Kelly following suit in 2022 seems to have put a lid on those views.
While the former USA player may have inspired girls around the planet to take up the sport and be their individual selves, it was her time to feel inspired, having hung her boots 18 years back. 54 minutes after her initial tweet, she posted another.
Chastain and her team’s exploits at the 1999 World Cup helped shape not only the future of women’s football in US but also, the way women in sports were depicted and perceived.
At the Euro 2022 final, Kelly and her teammates played their part in unravelling a few more perceptions. Those who praised them for playing ‘nice’ football, diving less and not wasting time, were all made to watch as the Lionesses vehemently rammed through the several myths of women in football.
This is a team that had scored 106 goals in their last 20 games and remained unbeaten while doing so. The same team that turned every page in the football book of dark arts to defend one. Because, why not?
Kelly’s celebration was at the very heart of a team displaying that they could play and express themselves whichever way they wished to. Just like Chastain and co. had back in 1999.
Why did Chastain whip off her shirt?
Chastain’s move had a bit of personal history between her and the Chinese goalkeeper Gao Hong, who had “psyched her out” in a previous unsuccessful penalty earlier in the same year. “She got in my head and as I approached the ball. I was thinking more about her than about what I should be doing,” she had told reporters.
