Sovereign in America, the women’s team has the challenge of growing beyond the continent

It was with 20 goals scored and none conceded that Brazil won the women’s Copa America. The only difficulty was in the final, on Saturday night (30), against host Colombia.

The balance in the decision was more the result of the nervousness of the visitors in front of a full stadium, in Bucamaranga, than a technical parity between the teams. Debinha suffered and took the penalty that defined the green-yellow triumph by 1 to 0.

It was a solid campaign in the first challenge without Formiga, 44, retired, and Marta, 36, recovering from a serious knee injury. As the numbers obviously attest, the defense proved to be reliable throughout the entire tournament.

“It was impressive not to concede goals,” said coach Pia Sundhage. “Each throw of the ball is a goal that doesn’t go in. So, that has to be celebrated,” said Antônia, 28, who has established herself on the right flank and vibrated a lot with her tackles against the Colombians.

The title was celebrated effusively at the Alfonso López stadium. According to left-back Tamires, the team’s motto in the competition was “don’t take anything for granted”, which is why the tournament, even of lesser importance in relation to those to come, was highly valued.

The players did not stop to regret, however, the empty stands for most of the championship, little publicized in Colombia. The final had a full house, with around 28,000 spectators, but the average audience for the event was 6,889 people per game.

There is a clear contrast with the women’s Euro Cup, decided on Sunday (31). England’s 2-1 victory over Germany was watched by 87,192 fans at Wembley. It is the Euro record, including the men’s matches of the traditional tournament.

The general difference in technical quality displayed on European pitches is also undeniable. If they served to fuel the confidence of the players, victories like the one over Peru, by 6-0, were not exactly a test for the tough confrontations on the horizon of the Brazilian team.

The next toughest challenge for the green-yellow team is scheduled for 2023, between July and August. At the Oceania World Cup, Pia Sundhage counts on the evolution of youngsters who performed well in the Copa América, like Duda Sampaio, 21, and the stability of the more experienced ones, like Tamires, 34. The Swedish coach’s idea is also to return to to have Marta in the group.

In addition to tactical adjustments, Pia is concerned about seeing her athletes calmer. Three years ahead of the team, she is still surprised by the fluctuating emotional state of her teammates.

“Brazilian players play a lot with emotion, especially the younger ones. If the emotion goes up in a good way, that’s fantastic. But if the emotion shows that the team is getting down, it’s necessary to focus on the tactical part. For that, we need to have more experienced players and get used to having great opponents”, declared the coach.

If there were no major rivals at the Copa America, they will be waiting at the World Cup — and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Until then, Pia hopes for the full recovery of midfielder Angelina, 22, who has been playing well. In the final, she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in her right knee.