Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Sports

Brandi Chastain is famous for taking her shirt off, but not in the way most people would think. Chastain is one of the legends of Team USA Women's Soccer because in 1999, she converted on Team USA's final shootout to win the World Cup.

A woman taking her shirt off on national television is one of those "Where were you when she exposed her sports bra to the whole world?" type of moments. Don't ask me, because I was nine and girls still had cooties.

Instead, I asked some real women's soccer players who might relate to the legend, and I started with the head coach.

Women's soccer head coach Summer Perala was at soccer camp and had given the campers the afternoon off, just for the occasion. It was a good afternoon to have off.

That afternoon, those campers got to see the true passion, excitement and unexpectedness of the sport and its athletes. I mean, nobody expected her to take her shirt off since it's an uncommon celebration. Senior forward Rachel Hamilton said she prefers everyone to run to the corner of the field and celebrate together.

With the OVC Tournament beginning Thursday, there's the possibility that a game could come down to a shootout - after all, the Panthers have had five ties this season.

Hamilton said she couldn't see herself taking her shirt off following a game-winning goal like Chastain. Yet, the only reason she said she wouldn't is because it's getting cold outside.

Junior midfielder Sarah Rusk said she'd do it. In the case that it was the goal that won the OVC Championship, she said it would be hard to control her emotions.

Chastain got a lot of criticism following the incident, but Perala actually enjoyed watching it happen. She said that it was a moment of pure, raw emotion. Well, you can't get better than that.

Shootouts in general are fun to watch. Shot takers are almost guaranteed to score as long as they put a good foot on the ball. So, it can't be much fun for the goalies, like senior Jenny Williams or Gao Hung the Chinese goalie that gave up Chastain's goal.

Williams said she only gets a little nervous in shootout situations. Perala has been in some, too, as a player. As a high school freshman, she made one save in a shootout, but her team lost after its shooters missed two shots.

Perala knows all the tips and tricks. So, too, does Hamilton. Luckily for her, she won't be facing Perala in a shootout any time soon because she knows Hamilton's trick.

If the situation comes up in this weekend's conference tournament, it'll be out of the hands of Perala and up to one of her three goalies.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.

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