By: Andy Dong

The United States Women’s national team won its second World Cup title in 1999. This historic moment transformed women’s soccer.

The reasons why the game was such a big hit were due to many factors: it was played in the United States, the games were played in famous stadiums, and it was also widely broadcast. Therefore, 40 million people were watching when the US beat China.

The images of the victory are still remembered sharply today. People were celebrating, players appeared in vivid uniforms, but surprisingly, also a golden retriever.

The Air Bud series, in which a gifted dog is the star of many sports teams, launched a soccer movie in 2000. Not surprisingly, Air Bud saved the day by scoring the winning goal in a children’s soccer match.

The last six minutes of Air Bud: World Pup recreates the 1999 victory, with the exact same players too. Air Bud takes over as a goalie and saves the penalty.

“When the women won the World Cup, they were such a force,” said Robert Vince, an executive producer of the Air Bud franchise. “They didn’t just win it, they dominated it. They became an obvious choice for us. We also felt that there was a real opportunity to elevate the game for girls as well. It was just such a moment.”

Many teammates of the 1999 team were invited to participate in commercials and other chances to influence others.

Brandi Chastain, a member of the 1999 team, earned the nickname “Hollywood” due to her coolness in front of the camera and her desire to keep promoting the sport. She and some of her teammates were then further invited to film Air Bud.[ZG1]

Chastain reports that it was difficult to recreate the World-Cup scene. She says that she had to remember her feelings when she won in 1999. Scurry, the goalkeeper for the team, says that it took them three 8-hour days.

Scurry also says that the six buddies had different skill sets than others and that it might be disappointing to kids.

To Scurry, Air Bud was a way to help her introduce the 1999 victory to new generations who weren’t old enough at the time. She reports that kids still ask for her autograph solely because she was the goalie from Air Bud.

“These kids would know the players that have now taken the reins from us, that were in the crowd watching us play in 1999, but they wouldn’t have known the history of the 99ers or where that came from,” Scurry said. “That movie did a lot for the legacy of the 99ers for the younger generation.”.

Sources: ‘Air Bud: World Pup’ Keeps Winning Fans for the 1999 World Cup Stars – The New York Times