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Sports of The Times: How a Fax Helped Rewrite Women’s Soccer in the U.S.

BRICK, N.J. — To get an idea of how long Christie Rampone has played on the United States women’s national team, let her tell you how U.S. Soccer first invited her to try out for the squad.

“I didn’t get an email or a phone call,” she said. “I’m so old that I got a fax!”

That was back in 1997, two years before the United States women — including Rampone — won the 1999 World Cup and ignited a soccer craze in this country.

That was before Rampone was named to five World Cup teams.