When the United States National Women’s Soccer Team (USNWST) won the 1999 World Cup, most remember the famous reaction by Brandi Chastain who, after she scored the winning goal in a penalty kick shootout, she ripped off her jersey in the celebration. What is not remembered as much is how the goalkeeper for the team, Briana Scurry, made an incredible save on one of the kicks from China that made Chastain’s winning moment possible. Scurry’s career was very successful, and she discusses that along with her personal life in this easy-to-read memoir written with Wayne Coffey.
I use the term “easy-to-read” because aside from possibly a few soccer terms, this is written in simple, conversational language. There is plenty of humor in snippets that may sound like “dad jokes.” No matter the topic, even during her darkest time when she had thoughts of suicide, Scurry writes with a relaxed and mostly even keeled mindset. It seemed amazing that she could discuss thoughts about jumping off a bridge into rushing water with the same process as she did about saves made during crucial international matches.
She also writes about social issues that one might expect, given that she is a high-profile Black lesbian athlete, but she does not step into any activism or strongly worded statements. If she has very strong beliefs, they were not present in the book. The best example is when she realized that she was gay with this statement: “…I was awakening to the reality that I was a lesbian and was totally at peace with it. There was no reason for me to issue some sort of declaration and have it notarized and counter signed.” She also has similar thoughts on racism as being Black, she experienced it and expressed her displeasure but stopped short of calling for strong measures.
The best parts of the book, as one might expect, is her memories of some of the better moments of her soccer career, such as the aforementioned 1999 World Cup along with two gold medals in the 1996 and 2004 Olympics. Goalkeepers have their own sets of training, conditioning, drills and camaraderie – and Scurry brings all of those to the reader with great recollections of game action, of interactions with teammates and opponents and the joys and sorrows of important wins and losses.
While the title might make a reader expect a book with very dramatic passages, this book really doesn’t have those – instead, a reader will go on a journey into the world of a goalkeeper who left her mark in international and American soccer and wants to share it all with the readers.
I wish to thank Abrams Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was an honor to receive an advanced copy of this. I remember watching Briana Scurry growing up.

It was a great read for soccer fans, but I do think that there are pieces in the book that are really in the weeds about the sport that wouldn’t be the most appealing. I would give it a 4 as a fan, but a 3 if I wasn’t someone who watched so much of the sport.

I also think this brings to light in a really articulate way the struggles that so many professional athletes face, but beyond just athletes, something too many people in our country face. The real struggle of post concussive syndrome and other TBIs is something we all need to talk about more and understand.

For anyone who grew up like me idolizing the USWNT, this is a must read. Regardless though, her story is such an important one for everyone to hear and understand.

Pretty typical sports memoir. Glad I read it because I was OBSESSED with the USWNT back around the time she was a member.

The 1999 Women's World Cup was one of the more formative moments of my life, so I was extremely excited to find out that Briana Scurry has a memoir coming out this summer. As memorable as Brandi Chastain's black sports bra is for her game winning goal, Scurry's save (putting Chastain in a position to actually win the game) is often overlooked or forgotten. This doesn't bother Scurry - in fact, I often find that goalies don't want or need the spotlight. ⁠
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This book was just fantastic! Athlete memoirs are my favorite genre, and it's even more enjoyable when it's a topic and an athlete I love and know.

Thank you #NetGalley and Abrams Press for the ARC in exchange for this honest review. Also reviewed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4388260696

My goalkeeper daughter and I met Brianna back in the 1990’s while we were volunteering for the NY Power soccer team. Brianna graciously stopped on her way off the field to chat with us about the challenges of being a keeper. My daughter treasured the handshake and autograph for many years.

Reading about her struggles both personally and healthwise was a good read and I learned things about her that I was not aware of. Definitely worth reading f you are a fan of Brianna’s and the women’s soccer team…
The only downside to me were the excessive editing errors that often distracted my reading.

But otherwise, a good read!

This was a decent athlete memoir and definitely worth reading if you're a soccer fan! The way she talks about weight and her weight gain was not great at times, but that was my biggest critique.

I was SO excited to see that this book exists and couldn't wait to read it.

In 1999, I met Briana Scurry as the USWNT was preparing for their World Cup run. The team had a training session in a suburb of Chicago, and my club team was invited to participate as part of a small meet and great. I was star-struck by all the athletes, but the moment that to the day stands out in my mind was my interaction with Briana Scurry. In my excitement of getting to meet the team, I grabbed a soccer ball to bring with for autographs. I was 14, and only could afford to play club soccer because I was on a "scholarship" with the team and my dad served as an assistant coach. The soccer ball I grabbed- well, let's say it was well loved. It had been used in plenty street games and had the scratches and pavement marks to prove it. When I handed the ball to Briana, her face lit up. She tapped her teammate sitting next to her and proudly showed off the ball saying "now this is a ball I'm proud to sign". She signed the ball and encouraged me to get over here and take a picture, where she held up my street ball with a big grin on her face. I'll never forget that moment, and will forever be thankful for how special she made me feel.

Scurry's memoir was both exciting to relive and hear in her own words the events leading up and through the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup. It was also heartbreaking to hear of the struggles she persevered through, especially related to her traumatic brain injury. This is an area of sports that needs more attention, and she is once again paving the way for others with her bravery in sharing her story. I greatly appreciated her vulnerability in sharing the way she did. I feel like that magnetic charisma that I was blown away by the one time I met her, and when I watched her play, shined through in this book.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who followed the USWNT and had the pleasure of getting to watch Scurry in goal. I'd also recommend it to those who are interested in athlete memoirs, stories about individuals overcoming obstacles, pioneers in female sports, and also LGBTQ advocacy.

THANK YOU to Briana Scurry for this book. Also thank you to #NetGalley, Wayne Coffey and Abrams Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.