When Chloe Kelly scored the Lionesses’ decisive goal against Germany and threw her shirt away, it conjured up memories of American soccer player Brandi Chastain’s iconic World Cup celebration.
“I see you,” Chastain tweeted to Kelly after the stunning overtime goal. “Enjoy free rounds of pints and dinners for the rest of your life from all over England.”
In an interview with Sky News, Chastain, who took off her shirt after scoring the decisive penalty against China for the USA in the 1999 World Cup final, hailed the team’s “huge achievement” and said that he had “a big smile on his face.” when he saw Kelly running across the field in her sports bra to celebrate.
“I’ve been a huge fan of watching the Euros this year and just seeing the amount of talent at this tournament has been phenomenal,” he said.
“Knowing that 90,000 people sat at Wembley to watch women’s football is obviously a huge achievement for all these players and when I saw the celebration of course I had a big smile on my face and I thought how it was his life and everyone’s life. of these England players will change immediately brought me great joy.”
Image: Brandi Chastain (L) and Chloe Kelly (R) celebrate their goals by taking off their shirts. Images: AP/PA
Speaking about her famous victory celebration in July 1999, which became a defining moment for women’s soccer, Chastain said at the time that “there was mostly joy and acceptance” but some criticism.
But she said it “opened up a wonderful conversation about the importance, validity and need for women’s football to belong on the big stage.”
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Asked how the England women’s team can build on their win in the future, he said “being at the top is very difficult”.
“To win a tournament like they just did is incredibly draining and all-encompassing.
“So going forward it’s probably going to be as difficult as it was to win this game, but the fact that they’ve done it now is a feather in your cap that nobody can take away.”
He added: “That they can know it’s possible gives a lot of confidence going forward.
“And what it will have done for the countless tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of young girls in England is give them the dream that is possible for them.
“And now the future of the women’s league in England and around the world will see that what we’re doing is absolutely worthy and acceptable and now we can all move forward. So the win in England is good for everyone. It’s incredibly powerful. . “
Image: Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring England’s second goal
Chastain also gave her advice to the women’s team, telling them to move forward “with a lot of humility and spread the joy of teamwork and determination and hard work to get there.”
He urged them to “stay grounded and stay in the moment of hard work.”
“And I hope that each one of those players pauses and really takes in what they’ve accomplished because it’s really phenomenal, and I applaud each and every one of them and say bravo,” he said.
“As I said in the tweet I sent to Chloe Kelly and about the goal that Ella Toone scored, we see you and we see the greatness that you are. Keep doing and feeling like you are and showing the football world that you are. can play too” .