U.S. national team defender Brandi Chastain and Brazilian star Sissi have signed to play with the California Storm of the Women's Premier Soccer League, a Division II outfit headquartered in California.
They will be joined in Sacramento by San Jose CyberRays teammate Keri Sanchez.
The trio were lured to the WPSL after the collapse of the WUSA, the Division I league that has planned a series of ''festivals'' for June and is looking to relaunch in 2005.
Chastain, who played for the Storm as recently as 1997, is coming back from a foot injury suffered during the Women's World Cup. She is expected to take part in the U.S. women's national team's pre-Olympics residency, and how that will impact her duties with the Storm is uncertain.
Sissi, the Silver Ball winner at the 1999 Women's World Cup, is retired from the Brazilian national women's team. Sanchez joined the CyberRays last year after playing for the Boston Breakers.
''In attempt to continue my growth as a player, and with the suspension of the WUSA, I felt that it was important to find the best training and playing environment when I was not with the national team,'' Chastain said in a statement. ''The Storm has been a team and environment that helped me find my way back to the national team before the 1996 Olympic Games, so I will always consider myself a member of the Storm family.''
Said Sissi: ''I am so excited this league exists for women to play in the United States.''
The California Storm has won two WPSL titles and lost in last year's title game to the Utah Spiders.
The Storm and CyberRays have enjoyed a close relationship. Storm coach Albertine Montoya served as CyberRays head coach Ian Sawyers' assistant last year, and the WUSA team has signed two Storm players, including forward Kim Patrick last season.
The WPSL is one of two national Division II leagues, along with the USL-affiliated W-League, which is headquartered in Florida.