THE FIRST WOMENS' WORLD CUP AND THE REST

 If you researched "Womens' Football", you would reveal a celebration dating back to the early 20th Century. Type in Dick Kerr to the search engine and unvail a long history.

The FA (yes the English one) banned Women's football in 1921, BUT the ladies kept the game alive with friendlies against France, Canada and the US, appointing themselves as World Champions from 1917-23. In 1937 playing as "Preston Ladies", our "national team" beat Edinburgh Ladies 5-1 to win "The Championship of Great Britain and the World! There would not be another official "Championship" for 54 years. Left: Team captains Alice Kerr for Dick, Kerr Ladies, right, and Madeleine Bracquemond for France, kiss before a match in 1920.Captains meet before kick off.

On November 16th 1991, The FA "lifted" their draconian ban on Women's football, as part time professional leagues were popping up around the World, notably in the USA, Italy and Japan. FIFA took note of the development and launched an Invitational tournament in 1988, which Norway won.

Three years later, the Women's World Cup, 1991, was launched with China's, Ma Li scoring the first tournament goal after 21 minutes, against Norway, in the first Group Tie. Norway lost 0-4 but went on to reach the Final, losing 1-2 to the USA at the Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou. watched by 63,000. 

After five tournaments, it is a pity that one of the best known images of success in this FIFA Womens' World Cup tournament came in the quarter-finals of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, when USA defender, Brandi Chastain, scored an own goal in the fifth minute for Germany. However, she redeemed herself by scoring the second equalizing goal for the U.S. in the 49th minute, finishing a corner kick that was taken by Mia Hamm. 

The match ended with a 3–2 win to the U.S. who advanced to the semi-finals against Brazil, which they won 2–0. 

Later on, Chastain (left) scored the deciding penalty against China in the 1999 Final, clinching the World Cup title for the U.S. in the Rose Bowl, Pasedena. Chastain celebrated by removing her shirt, exposing her sports' bra. This led to both praise and criticism from spectators and sports' commentators and the image of the celebration is considered a key symbol of women's athletics worldwide.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=849337259886023

Brandi Denise Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is an American retired soccer player, two-time FIFA World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold-medalist, coach, and sports broadcaster. She played for the USA from 1988 to 2004. In her 192 caps for the team, she scored 30 goals playing primarily in the defender and midfielder positions.