Team of Vadão was South American champion in 2018, but did not convince the Friendls against stronger teams
David Mabo
The Stade des Alpes in Grenoble (France) receives on June 9, 2019, the debut of the Brazilian national team in the Women’s World Cup against Jamaica. The eighth edition of the World Cup will bring together 24 selections from June 7 to July 7 in the country of the current men’s champions. And the Brazilian team does not appear among the favorites. Occupying only the eighth position in the FIFA ranking, Brazil was not a key-head in the draw and fell in the Group of Australia (sixth in the ranking), Italy (16th) and Jamaicans (53 ª). The position of the Brazilian national team in the ranking — we have not attended the top 4 since 2013 – has resulted in a theoretically more difficult key and is the result of a preparatory year in which coach Vadão passed without winning any of his main opponents.
In 2018, there were 13 official games. Only seven disputed by a non-friendly tournament: The Copa América feminine, disputed during the month of April in Chile. Against opponents below the Brazilian level, there were no difficulties: there were seven victories, 31 goals scored and only two suffered. The campaign included triumphs such as the 8 to 0 on Ecuador, a 7 to 0 on Bolivia, 3 to 0 in Argentina and 3 to 1 against Chile, which ended with the second overall place. The Heptacampeonato (of a total of eight editions) secured the spot at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the World Cup of France. “We went well in Copa América, but not in the friendly that came later,” acknowledges Aline Pellegrino, former and captain of the Brazilian women’s soccer team.
Among Friendis considered by FIFA, Brazil had five defeats in six games. In July and August, by the tournament of Nations, friendly competition organized by the American Federation, the selection played against Australia, future opponent in the Copa, Japan, which is the seventh ranked, and United States, which lead the FIFA ranking . He lost to Australians (3 to 1) and to American (4 to 1), but won Japan by 2 to 1. It ended in third place among the four competitors.
In the following months, three games. Defeat to Canada, which ranks fifth in the ranking, from 1 to 0 in September; Defeat to England, third placed, also by 1 to 0 in October; And defeat for the French, who occupy the fourth position, for 3 to 1 in November. “It is a moment of the modality in which there is a lot of good selection in front of us,” admits Aline, comparing with years when Brazilians rivaled the USA and Germany at the top of the sport. The balance of the year, finalized in the match against France, is that Brazil is left in the continental competition — in which it is traditionally superior — but it was no match for teams above their position in the FIFA ranking and favorites for the World Cup title next year.
The United States, Germany, England, Canada, Australia and the France-based country are the key-heads in the World Cup draw. With defeats for five of the six cited in 2018, Aline puts the Brazilians out of the favorite group. “We cannot charge victories over who today is closer to being champion. We have the best player in the world, but we’re not in the condition of a favorite. Creating expectation does not help. ” The former places France, USA, Australia and the Netherlands (tenth in the ranking) as the largest candidates.
“It is legal that Brazil does not carry the responsibility of the favorites”, alleviates the former, which recalls the conquest of Japan on top of the United States in the 2011 Cup, a result considered surprising, and the very trajectory of the Brazilian national team in 2007, When she played, to justify her point. “We weren’t favorites in 2007, but we ranked first in the group, took a light showdown on Wedn[3 a 2 na Austrália]esdays, made a good match in the semis an[4 a 0 nos EUA]d reached the final.” Brazil was runner-up that year, defeated by Germany 2-0 in the final. “Today is much more difficult. The number of teams and the level increased increasingly. ” The vice president was the best result of Brazilian history in the world, which also has a third place in 1999.
Vadão should go ahead of the selection at the World Cup. With unhighlighted tickets in men’s soccer by Guarani, Ponte Preta, Criciúma and Sport in the last five years, the coach was fourth in the 2016 Olympics with the Brazilian women’s team and returned to command in 2017, replacing Emily Lima. “He was chosen by a board of directors who knows his goals. It’s not just his responsibility, “says Aline Pellegrino. In the 13 games played in the current season, the goalscorer of Vadão was Bia Zaneratto, with seven goals, followed by Mônica Alves, Cristiane, Debinha (four goals) and Andressinha (three goals). Against the teams of the world’s top 10, only Bia, Debinha, Marta and Darlene scored once each.
Returning to 2017, Brazil suffered three defeats for the Australian team: 6 to 1, 2 to 1 and 3 to 2. The last victory against the Oceania team was also the last on a selection of the current top 6 worldwide: 3 to 1, before the 2016 Olympics. After the vice in 2007, the selection stopped in the quarterfinals at the 2011 World Cup and in the eighth of 2015. Considered the recent retrospective, the scenario did not improve for Brazilian women; In short, Vadão and his chosen will debut in Grenoble without the credentials of candidates for the first world title in Brazil in the category.
Source: www.brasil.elpais.com
