Brandi Chastain Hometown: San Jose, Calif. High School: Archbishop Mitty Last College: Santa Clara '91 Height: 5-7 Position: Defender Birthdate: 07/21/1968 Degree: Television & Communications

A two-time All-American, Brandi Chastain played a major role on the Broncos' 1989 and ’90 national semifinal teams. She then went on to international fame by helping the U.S. National Team win the inaugural Women's World Cup, bring home the first-ever Olympic women's soccer gold medal and capture a second World Cup in dramatic fashion. Chastain is currently preparing for a third World Cup appearance this fall.

The San Jose native attended the University of California in 1986, earning All-America honors as a forward while being named Soccer America’s Freshman of the Year after notching a 15-goal season. She sat out the next two seasons, after having ACL reconstruction surgeries on both knees. Chastain transferred to Santa Clara for her final two seasons. In 1989, she led the team to its first-ever postseason appearance, scoring 10 goals and leading the Broncos into the national semifinals and a final ranking of No. 3 in the nation.

Brandi Chastain scored with decisive penalty kick in the 1999 World Cup Championship match.

In 1990, she scored 22 goals and 50 points as the Broncos recorded an 18-1-1 record and the nation's top ranking. Chastain was named the ISAA National Collegiate Player of the Year, and was among the nation's leading goal scorers. Santa Clara entered the national semifinals for the second consecutive year, this time as the nation's only undefeated squad. She concluded her SCU career as the Broncos' third all-time leading goal scorer and currently ranks eighth on that list. Chastain’s prep career took place at Archbishop Mitty in San Jose, where she led the team to three consecutive state championships.

Chastain made her first appearance with the U.S. National Team in 1986, and was a member of the Women's World Cup Championship squad in 1991. In qualifying rounds that year, Chastain scored five consecutive goals for the United States in a match vs. Mexico, still a team record.

Though she played professionally in Japan in 1993 with the Shiroki Serena team, earning team MVP honors and becoming the only foreigner to be selected as one of the league's top 11 players that season, Chastain remained a prominent figure in U.S. Soccer, playing on the gold-medal-winning West team at the 1993 Olympic Sports Festival. Additionally, she competed along with former Bronco teammates Tamie Batista and Linda Tanner on the Sacramento Storm semi-pro team, winning the 1997 Western Regional Championship.

Chastain's biggest feats, however, were still to come. She returned to action with the U.S. National Team after a three-year hiatus, made the squad, earned a starting spot as a defender, and brought home Olympic gold as the U.S. Team claimed top honors in the first Olympic women's soccer competition at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Chastain made Olympic history in pool play against Denmark, earning an assist in the first-ever women's soccer goal. Additionally, she started and played every minute of the USA’s five matches.

In the summer of 1999, Chastain helped lead the United States to its second Women's World Cup title as she scored the decisive penalty kick against China in the championship match. It provided one of the greatest moments in the history of women’s sports, as she peeled her jersey off in celebration following her winning kick. She went on to play her 100th career game for the USA against Brazil in the semifinal of the World Cup, and won a silver medal at 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She now has more than 150 caps with the National Team.

Brandi Chastain plays for the San Jose CyberRays in the WUSA.

In early 2001, Chastain became one of 24 founding players of the newly-formed Women’s United Soccer Association and was chosen to play for the Bay Area CyberRays, San Jose’s professional team. It marked the realization of her childhood dream, of playing professional soccer at Spartan Stadium (home of the CyberRays), where she was an NASL season ticket holder and grew to love soccer. Chastain and three other former Broncos earned the inaugural Founders Cup Championship that season. In 2003, in honor of Chastain’s late parents, Lark and Roger Chastain, the CyberRays raised more than $43,000 to benefit Silicon Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, among a dozen charitable organizations.

Chastain entered the collegiate coaching ranks as a full-time assistant coach for the Broncos in 1994, helping to extend the Broncos' string of NCAA tournament appearances to 12 in a row, including a fourth consecutive trip to the national semifinals in 1999. She remained an assistant coach through the 2000 season.

She was named one of People Magazine’s 25 Most Intriguing People of 1999, while also being listed as one of Street & Smith’s 100 Most Powerful People in Sports for that year. She has appeared on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ and ‘Jeopardy’, while also throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field.

The 35-year-old Chastain resides in Santa Clara with her husband, Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith, and his 14-year-old son, Cameron.