The U-17 Women’s National Team continues its preparation for the South American Championship in the category, and this time, it counts on a distinguished and experienced presence: Pretinha, former striker for the Brazilian National Team, now serving as a temporary assistant. She is with the team during the training period at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis (RJ), which runs until March 9.
With a brilliant career, Pretinha competed in four World Cups, finishing as runner-up in 2007. Her journey also includes the Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008. She won two silver medals (Athens-04 and Beijing-08). Furthermore, she made history in women’s football as the top scorer in the first edition of the competition (Atlanta-96), scoring four goals.
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“I was very pleased with the invitation. It’s been wonderful to share a bit of my experience, my life in football, to be able to help in some way. The preparation has been very good, and we are aiming for our goals, which are winning the South American Championship and qualifying for the World Cup,” said Pretinha.
The presence of the Olympic and World medalist is a significant reinforcement for the coaching staff led by Simone Jatobá. Pretinha will play an active role in the team’s development, offering her knowledge and perspectives to enhance the performance of young Brazilian talents before the continental challenge scheduled to take place between March 13 and 31.
“Pretinha’s presence with the U-17 team has been extraordinary. The athletes are learning, absorbing all the teachings they can get from Pretinha, both on and off the field. So I think it’s been an excellent experience for the athletes and for the staff. Pretinha is an extraordinary person to be around, and for the team, it’s been a very enriching experience, moments that we hope to repeat always,” stated coach Simone Jatobá.
In the competition, Brazil will face Venezuela on March 14, followed by a match against Peru on March 16. The third match will be against Colombia, closing out the group stage on March 18 with a duel against Argentina.
