The Brazilian National Team made history on Saturday night (3) in Nantes. With a goal from Gabi Portilho at 36 minutes into the second half, Brazil defeated France 1-0 for the first time ever, securing a spot in the Olympic semifinals. The match was dramatic, with the referee adding 16 minutes of stoppage time. The Brazilian players excelled on the field and managed to hold onto this historic result.
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BREAKING A TABOO
The two countries had faced each other 12 times, with seven European victories and five draws. The French team had won the last five encounters against Brazil. The last draw occurred in 2016 during a friendly match.
SEMIFINAL ON TUESDAY
With this victory, Brazil will face Spain on Tuesday (6) in Marseille at 4 PM (Brasília time). Marta, who was suspended in Nantes, may return to the team. The other semifinal will be between Germany and the United States.
This marks the sixth time the Brazilian team has reached an Olympic semifinal—Brazil has two silver medals from the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games.
LORENA IS A WALL
Right at the start of the game, goalkeeper Lorena showed that defeating Brazil would not be easy. At 11 minutes, Delphine Cascarino was brought down in the box by Tarciane, resulting in a penalty. Lorena stretched out and saved Karchaoui’s penalty kick. This was the sixth penalty saved out of the last seven taken against her.
RAFAELLE, 100 GAMES
Captain Rafaelle completed 100 games with the Brazilian National Team in Nantes. Just before the delegation left the hotel for La Beaujoire Stadium, CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues presented her with a commemorative jersey for her centennial match. On the field, she stood out with solid defense, disarming the French attackers. She had to leave the game early in the second half after stretching to clear the ball from Karchaoui.
BRAZIL ALMOST SCORES AT THE START OF THE SECOND HALF
Just before Rafaelle was injured, the team nearly opened the scoring. In the first minute, Jhennifer headed the ball wide after a beautiful cross from Yasmim.
ARTHUR ELIAS MAKES CHANGES
Due to Rafaelle’s injury, Tamires entered the game. Subsequently, coach Arthur Elias substituted Kerolin and Angelina in for Gabi Nunes and Duda Sampaio.
WINNING GOAL
At 36 minutes, Gabi Portilho opened the scoring. She capitalized on the indecision of the French defenders, entered the box, and shot with no chance for the opposing goalkeeper.
MORE CHANGES
Immediately after the goal, the coach brought in Ludmila to replace Jhennifer. Then, Lauren substituted Thais Ferreira.
GABI PORTILHO ALMOST EXTENDS THE LEAD
At 44 minutes, Gabi Portilho nearly scored a second goal. She intercepted the goalkeeper Picaud’s clearance, entered the box, and hit the French post.
LORENA HELD ON TO THE RESULT
The referee added 16 minutes of stoppage time, making the game dramatic. The team used their experience to hold onto the result. Goalkeeper Lorena made crucial saves in the final minutes.
