FC Gold Pride announced Friday that it has released veteran and 1999 World Cup hero Brandi Chastain.
The move comes after an active month of transactions for the Bay Area team that saw the additions of Camille Abily, Kelley O’Hara, and most notably, four-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta. Releasing Chastain signifies a changing of guard for the squad that finished in last place in Women’s Professional Soccer in 2009.
“Brandi has the heart and spirit of a champion,” FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya said. “This was a tough decision, but one that was necessary for us to construct the roster for the coming season. She is a great leader and we wish her the best as she moves forward with her career”
With the announcement, Chastain’s incredible history in the Bay Area comes to a close. That history began at Santa Clara University, continued on in the WUSA with the San Jose (Bay Area) CyberRays, and ended in storybook fashion with FC Gold Pride. Chastain is one of the last of the Golden Girls of 1999 still active in WPS, and appeared in just 10 games (starting five) in 2009.
The announcement does not officially spell the end for Chastain, but it is hard to see the 41-year-old cracking a roster in the suddenly talent-saturated WPS.
Now, FC Gold Pride moves forward with a completely new looking team. As Montoya said, it is a team that will be expected to win immediately.
Check out the full release here.
