The World Cup, which was hosted in the US, averaged close to 38, spectators per match, with a total attendance of 1. Television ratings were likewise historic, with viewership for several matches breaking domestic soccer records for channels like ESPN and ABC. The women on the team became overnight celebrities. Embarking on a well-received victory tour, their team bus had to travel with a four-motorcycle escort due to excessive fan interest. Richard Finn, who was the director of public relations for the tournament at the time, compared the frenzy to the Spice Girls, the Backstreet Boys, and the Beatles.
The team went home with a bronze medal after losing to eventual tournament winners Norway in the semi-finals and beating China PR in the third-place playoff. Most memorably during that tournament, Scurry was sent off in the 88th minute during a group game against Denmark, after the then year-old stepped out of the box with the ball in her hands in an attempt to kick the ball upfield.
The trivial error proved not to be costly for the US, and in fact, most look back now and laugh. But the incident did show a glimpse of just how young and inexperienced Scurry was at the time. Only one year later, Scurry proved that the silly errors were behind her, as she became the undisputed number one for the team and was able to help the USWNT bring home gold during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Then came the World Cup. Scurry had a fantastic showing, only conceding three goals in the entire tournament, one during a win against Nigeria in the group stages and two during a win against Germany in the quarter-finals.
Scurry managed to keep a clean sheet in the final against China PR, which consisted of 90 minutes of regular time plus two halves of extra time.
