Three days after defeat Australia 3-1 at their opponents’ home, in Brisbane, the women’s football team returns to the field for a second friendly match against the hosts. This Sunday’s clash (1st), at 5:45 am (Brasília time), will be at the CBUS Stadium, in Gold Coast.
The stadium has a capacity for 28 thousand fans, and the expectation is for a full house, as the tickets on sale have sold out. Since last Friday (29) in Gold Coast, the Brazilians visited the CBUS Stadium pitch this Saturday (30), in the rain.
Among the players that coach Arthur Elias can count on on Sunday are three of the six Brazilians nominated for the women’s team of the season at The Best, an award granted by the International Football Federation (Fifa): goalkeeper Lorena (Grêmio) and the attackers Adriana (Orlando Pride, from the United States) and Gabi Portilho (Corinthians). They were part of the silver medalist team at the Paris Olympics, in France, as well as defenders Tarciane (Houston Dash, from the USA) and Rafaelle (Orlando Pride) and striker Kerolin (North Carolina Courage, from the USA), also candidates.
THE voting for the selection of the season takes place by website from FIFAafter free registration. The internet user first selects the goalkeeper and then chooses up to four defenders, four midfielders and three attackers.
In the previous game against the Australians, at Suncorp Stadium, only Portilho – who was 18th in the Ballon d’Or, awarded by the magazine France Football – started as starter. Lorena and Adriana entered during the match, replacing Natascha and Amanda Gutierres, respectively.
Natascha, in fact, was one of the four players who left Thursday’s clash (28) injured and which is a concern for the second game. The full-backs Fê Palermo and Yasmin and striker Marília also needed to be replaced. Defender Vitória Calhau, in turn, was sent off at the end of the second half.
Amanda Gutierres, twice, and Gio Queiróz scored for Brazil in Brisbane. Caitlin Foord scored for the home team. Another highlight of the Canarian victory was fellow striker Aline Gomes. One of the main revelations of the new generation, the 19-year-old player, sold to North Carolina Courage by Ferroviária in July for just over R$1 million, started a game for the first time as a starter for the main team and provided two assists.
“I was talking to Portilho before, at the beginning, when we were already on the field about to enter, that I was feeling a little strange, a little nervous. She told me to play my football, to be light, that if I made a mistake , they would all run for me, together. That comforted me a lot. So I thought: ‘I’m going to play football’. And everything worked out”, said Aline, in a statement to CBF TV.
A possible Brazilian lineup for this Sunday’s friendly: Lorena; Bruninha, Kaká (Isa Haas), Lauren and Fê Palermo (Yasmin); Laís Estevam and Duda Sampaio; Gabi Portilho, Aline Gomes, Amanda Gutierres and Adriana.
