amicus
Literotica Guru
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- Sep 28, 2003
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“Dare To Dream!” The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team
Just to throw another curve ball at those who see the Amicus as the epitome of misogynism, I offer this in opposition as I have really always loved the ladies, ah, so I have.
I even coached my daughter, along with my sons, in little league baseball, because she wanted to play; and provided equipment and transportation to gymnastics class and winced when she fell on the beam.
Thus, I share this in some hopes others may have seen or witnessed: “Dare To Dream’.
I saw this HBO Sports presentation a month or so ago, took a few notes, saw it again yesterday and took some more notes:
“Dare to Dream” The Story of the US Women’s Soccer Team.
1991, defeated Norway, 2-1, ’91 FIFA, M&M, World Cup Championship!
1995 Sweden’s World Cup, Semi-finals, USA goes in with 3 wins, 1 tie against Norway. American girls called the Norwegians, ‘Viking Bitches’, over 6 feet tall, strong, athletic and mean, they defeated the Americans 1-0 and started a long lasting rivalry.
1996 Women’s issues with National Soccer Federation over men getting more money than women. Billy Jean King, (woman tennis star who beat Bobby Riggs in a match on national television), sought wage equality and equal treatment for the female players.
Nine top women soccer players went on strike, but former player Brandy Chastain broke ranks and worked with the replacement players. After the strike was resolved(watch the film) the US team went into the 1996 Olympics and went undefeated up to the semi-finals.
For the first time in history, 65,000 people watched as the US Team defeated China 2-1 to take the first ever Gold Medal ever won in soccer by men or women.
'Most of us who watch the Olympics never got the opportunity to watch this game as it was blacked out on television and not broadcast to a general audience.'
But the Media and Madison Avenue discovered one of the players, Mia Hamm; she did hair product commercials and ‘Nike’ discovered her and women’s soccer moved into the mainstream.
1999 World Cup, Women’s Soccer played in the United States on a large scale, for the first time. Games were planned for major venue’s, Giant Standium, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the advertising world came alert to signs of”: “Women’s Soccer Games Sold Out!” The hottest thing in sports at that time, the women’s soccer games drew more fans than the ‘Giants’ ever did.
USA 3 Denmark 0
USA 7 Nigeria 1
USA 3 North Korea 1
USA 3 Germany 2
USA 2 Brazil 0
The championship match was against China to whom the American girls had lost two out of three games during the preceding year.
At the end of regulation play:
USA 0 China 0
At the end of regulation overtime:
USA 0 China 0
The decision goes to what is called, ‘penalty kicks’, where each team pits one person kicking the soccer ball towards the goal with one goalie defending trying to stop it.
USA 1 China 1
USA 2 China 2
USA 3 China 2
USA 4 China 3
USA 5 China 4
USA wins the World Cup!
Mia Hamm who hates penalty kicks, made a point.
Brandy Chastain refused to make eye contact with the Chinese goalie and made a point.
One of the girls ripped her uniform shirt off, exposing a black brassiere and ran around the field in a moment of, ‘pure, raw celebration, like the men do…’ and was heavily criticized for the action.
The 1999 World Cup created the atmosphere and environment that enabled women soccer players to found a ‘League of Their Own.’ And women earned up to $120,000 per year in the sport.
However, the Women’s Soccer League, WUSA, folded just after the 2003 World Cup Championship. The USA Team made it to the semi-finals but was defeated by Germany, 2-1.
The 2004 Olympics were a special time for women soccer players as those who won the 1991 games, were celebrated by the younger players who were challenging for playing time.
It was mainly the urge to honor the 91’er’s that the US Team went all out in the Athen’s Olympics and defeated Brazil in the final game, in overtime, 2-1 to win the Gold Medal again, this time for the ‘91’er’s.
The program ended with a ‘farewell appearance’ by the 91’er’s, and was presented by HBO Sports.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Some of the scenes and memories shared by the players brought tears to my old eyes, if you have not had the opportunity to watch this production; it is well worth your time.
Amicus the inscrutable…(with elipses)
Just to throw another curve ball at those who see the Amicus as the epitome of misogynism, I offer this in opposition as I have really always loved the ladies, ah, so I have.
I even coached my daughter, along with my sons, in little league baseball, because she wanted to play; and provided equipment and transportation to gymnastics class and winced when she fell on the beam.
Thus, I share this in some hopes others may have seen or witnessed: “Dare To Dream’.
I saw this HBO Sports presentation a month or so ago, took a few notes, saw it again yesterday and took some more notes:
“Dare to Dream” The Story of the US Women’s Soccer Team.
1991, defeated Norway, 2-1, ’91 FIFA, M&M, World Cup Championship!
1995 Sweden’s World Cup, Semi-finals, USA goes in with 3 wins, 1 tie against Norway. American girls called the Norwegians, ‘Viking Bitches’, over 6 feet tall, strong, athletic and mean, they defeated the Americans 1-0 and started a long lasting rivalry.
1996 Women’s issues with National Soccer Federation over men getting more money than women. Billy Jean King, (woman tennis star who beat Bobby Riggs in a match on national television), sought wage equality and equal treatment for the female players.
Nine top women soccer players went on strike, but former player Brandy Chastain broke ranks and worked with the replacement players. After the strike was resolved(watch the film) the US team went into the 1996 Olympics and went undefeated up to the semi-finals.
For the first time in history, 65,000 people watched as the US Team defeated China 2-1 to take the first ever Gold Medal ever won in soccer by men or women.
'Most of us who watch the Olympics never got the opportunity to watch this game as it was blacked out on television and not broadcast to a general audience.'
But the Media and Madison Avenue discovered one of the players, Mia Hamm; she did hair product commercials and ‘Nike’ discovered her and women’s soccer moved into the mainstream.
1999 World Cup, Women’s Soccer played in the United States on a large scale, for the first time. Games were planned for major venue’s, Giant Standium, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the advertising world came alert to signs of”: “Women’s Soccer Games Sold Out!” The hottest thing in sports at that time, the women’s soccer games drew more fans than the ‘Giants’ ever did.
USA 3 Denmark 0
USA 7 Nigeria 1
USA 3 North Korea 1
USA 3 Germany 2
USA 2 Brazil 0
The championship match was against China to whom the American girls had lost two out of three games during the preceding year.
At the end of regulation play:
USA 0 China 0
At the end of regulation overtime:
USA 0 China 0
The decision goes to what is called, ‘penalty kicks’, where each team pits one person kicking the soccer ball towards the goal with one goalie defending trying to stop it.
USA 1 China 1
USA 2 China 2
USA 3 China 2
USA 4 China 3
USA 5 China 4
USA wins the World Cup!
Mia Hamm who hates penalty kicks, made a point.
Brandy Chastain refused to make eye contact with the Chinese goalie and made a point.
One of the girls ripped her uniform shirt off, exposing a black brassiere and ran around the field in a moment of, ‘pure, raw celebration, like the men do…’ and was heavily criticized for the action.
The 1999 World Cup created the atmosphere and environment that enabled women soccer players to found a ‘League of Their Own.’ And women earned up to $120,000 per year in the sport.
However, the Women’s Soccer League, WUSA, folded just after the 2003 World Cup Championship. The USA Team made it to the semi-finals but was defeated by Germany, 2-1.
The 2004 Olympics were a special time for women soccer players as those who won the 1991 games, were celebrated by the younger players who were challenging for playing time.
It was mainly the urge to honor the 91’er’s that the US Team went all out in the Athen’s Olympics and defeated Brazil in the final game, in overtime, 2-1 to win the Gold Medal again, this time for the ‘91’er’s.
The program ended with a ‘farewell appearance’ by the 91’er’s, and was presented by HBO Sports.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Some of the scenes and memories shared by the players brought tears to my old eyes, if you have not had the opportunity to watch this production; it is well worth your time.
Amicus the inscrutable…(with elipses)
