Overbeck: Being a member of the Women's National Team and playing for the Women's National Team, obviously you feel a great sense of pride.

ABC Sports: Explain your relationships with the other players on the team.

	Captain Carla Overbeck celebrates on the field after the U.S. defeated China on July 10, 1999 to win Women's World Cup '99.

Overbeck: I think the players on the team are and will be my friends for the rest of my life. You know, a lot of us have played together for 12 years. And with having a son, you know, they love him just as much as I do. You can't find better people than my teammates on the National Team.

ABC Sports: What were your feelings as you stepped out onto the field for the final game, the National Anthem played and the jets flew over?

Overbeck: The feeling obviously of playing for the (National) team is, very special and spectacular. We walked out onto that field in front of 90,000 plus people. 95% of 'em were cheering for our team and you feel a sense of pride. When the jets were flying over, I got goosebumps. And during the singing the National Anthem, just know your friends, your family and every single soccer-loving person is either in the stadium or watching from home. As a player it just doesn't get any better than that.

ABC Sports: Can you explain the confidence you guys did have versus didn't have and psyched up, you were?

Overbeck: Going into a game of that magnitude the pressure was kind of off of us. We were kind of expected to promote the tournament while still continuing to do well in the tournament. Once we got to the final it was like, OK, let's play this game for us now. We've done everything else for everybody, this one's for us. And just knowing that each person instills confidence in the person standing next to you, whether it's from the bench or on the field.

You bring confidence within yourself because if you do make a mistake on the field there are ten other people out there that can clean up for it and will clean up for it. That makes you feel good about yourself and your team. And brings confidence when you're going into those big games like that.

Overbeck: Everyone talks about the game. Either they saw it on TV or they were there. It was a battle. Every time we play against China we know we are in for a battle. They obviously are very organized on the attack and on the defense. I think we are the same and it was just two great teams going after it. At the end of regulation you're going, Oh come on, we need to score a goal in one of the overtimes. When it went into penalty kicks you knew you just have to be confident, knowing we practice these things and we're gonna stick 'em. As a player you want that responsibility. You want to be the one out there taking a penalty kick.

ABC Sports:Can you describe the pressure when you walked on the field for the penalty kicks? What was your perspective? How were you feeling inside?

Overbeck: After overtimes were over, the coaches got us together and they read a list of names. They read the first five and then I think they read the number six too. They were going to decide on seven, eight, nine and ten. No one knew that they were taking it, they were, I guess they had been jotting down in practice who made and missed and was confident with their kicks. I was the first one. Just kind of walking on the field we were reassuring each other saying, We can win this, we can do it. It's weird because I was first on our team. I was the second kicker, the Chinese went first and then I went. Just walking up to the penalty spot, I don't remember really. I remember walking up but I don't remember anything until after my ball went into the goal. You just are in this zone. I mean you want the crowd to be crazy and everything during the game but, when I was walking up there it was silent. I remember doing one thing. Gao Hung, their goalkeeper, just tried to make eye contact and psyche you out. So I just kept thinking do not look at her. Afterwards, I was so excited.

ABC Sports: Can you explain the crowd and how you guys felt right as Brandi put the ball into the right corner?

Overbeck: First of all, I don't like penalty kicks. I think it's a bad way to win or lose. So I was having a hard time watching. I looked up at the point where Bri (Scurry) made that big time save. That was huge for our team. I think it gave the remaining kickers confidence to make theirs. As soon as we knew Brandy's shot was going in the back of the net we just went nuts. I rushed right toward Bri because I wanted to let her know that basically she won the game for us with that huge save. I wanted to get over to her as quickly as I could. And then mayhem broke out. We were jumping around and the fans were going absolutely nuts. We were giving away our shoes, socks and our shinguards. We wanted to make sure that the fans knew how much we appreciated them. That was by far the best soccer moment in my life and I think every single person on the team as well.

ABC Sports: What kind of influence did Billie Jean King and other women like her have on you and your teammates?

Overbeck: Obviously we would not be in a position where we are today if it weren't for the Billie Jean Kings that have come before us. When we were having problems with our federation she was an integral part of our contract negotiations. She basically said, believe in what you're fighting for and don't back down. We can't thank her enough as a team and obviously as individuals for being a role model like that to look up to and help us through those hard times.

ABC Sports: How do you think your game has and will make an impact on the next generation of women?

Overbeck: As far as our team making an impact, it's funny 'cause you don't realize what you've accomplished and what you've done until you get feedback. Good or bad. And in answering our fan mail that's what I think is great is you open up these letters and these people are just pouring their hearts out to you. They tell you how either, you have impacted them in a positive way or you have made them play soccer. As a mom I've gotten letters from mothers saying because of you I have picked up soccer. I didn't think I could play with kids and have a career. It doesn't get any better than that. To have people come up to you on the field while you're signing autographs, taking pictures, doing the fan kind of thing and just tell you what impact you have had on their kids' lives or their lives. It makes it all worthwhile and that's why we do it.

ABC Sports: Did you have role models growing up?

Overbeck: I was from Dallas. I grew up in Dallas and so Roger Staubach was a big role model of mine. But obviously, you know, women can't play football. Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, my mom was a big tennis player and so I watched tennis a lot and followed tennis because of her. But in my sport we had nobody. And that's why I think it's so important for us as a national team, for the WUSA as a league to get out there into the public and the communities. We need to work with these kids because when we were growing up we didn't have role models to look up to in women's soccer. And so we understand that's very, very important.

ABC Sports: And what has this game done for you, not the game of soccer but the World Cup Final? As a person? athlete? spokesperson?

Overbeck: The game against China in the final just has opened my mind up to a lot of different things. Obviously we're busy on the road now a lot, speaking and traveling. But at the same time I think all my years with the National Team, not just that single game, brought our team so close. You learn about life. It's not just a game, it's about making friends, being a good person, being a good teammate and goal setting. The sport of soccer just teaches you so many important things for life.

ABC Sports: Where do you think the sport of soccer is going in general for women and girls?

Overbeck: The sport of soccer is continuing to grow. Obviously with The WUSA starting up there are opportunities out there for young girls. Whether they're in high school or in college. There are opportunities for them after college. They can aspire to be like someone playing in the WUSA, someone playing for the women's National Team. There are so many opportunities out there now for young girls.

ABC Sports: Can you explain how you feel that this game was considered one of the most significant games in sports history?

Overbeck: People do say it was one of the most significant games in sports history. As a player, as an athlete on the field, as part of that team, I can't even express it in words. I go back to the people that were involved in the game. I don't think the fans realize what they do and how much confidence they instill on the people out there on the field. I thin America won not just the team won that day. Every single person was a part of that game, whether it was in the stadium or watching on TV. They won and looking back on it you still meet people going through their airports that says, I was there, I was watching on TV and oh my God, you guys are awesome. I hope they realize they were out there on the field with us. They were as, as big a part of the game as the players playing it.