July 10, 1999. It’s 107 degrees on the soccer field in Pasadena, California, at third-ever Women’s World Cup. The US Women’s National Team is stuck in a scoreless tie against China.

Just a few years earlier, these teams were playing in stadiums that looked like they belonged to the local high school. Now? They’re playing in front of 90,000 screaming fans, desperate to see the U.S. come out on top.

Today, the U.S. Women’s National Team puts the finishing touches on one of the most iconic tournament runs in American soccer history. How was this team able to vault women’s soccer to a level most would have thought impossible? And how has the sport changed in the 24 years since?

Special thanks to our guests: Julie Kliegman, copy chief for Sports Illustrated; Kristine Lilly, former USWNT midfielder; Briana Scurry, former USWNT goalkeeper; and Amy Shipley, former sports reporter for the Washington Post.

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