Even before the Brazilian National Team began preparations for the Paris Olympics, coach Arthur Elias emphasized the importance of scoring goals in knockout matches that could pave the way for the team in the quest for the gold medal. This had not happened in the last three Olympic editions: 2012, 2016, and 2021. Now, the drought has been broken with a 1-0 victory over France in Nantes on Saturday (3).
In 2012, in London, the team faced Japan in the quarterfinals and was defeated 2-0. At the Rio Games in 2016, the team managed to advance from the quarterfinals to the semifinals, but only after a penalty shootout, having drawn 0-0 with Australia.
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Following that match in Rio, Brazil faced Sweden, and the game also ended 0-0. This time, the team was unsuccessful in the penalty shootout (4-3 in favor of the Swedes). Out of contention for first place, the team attempted to secure bronze in a match against Canada, but luck was not on their side: they lost 2-1 to the visitors.
In 2021, in Tokyo, the situation repeated itself in the quarterfinals with another 0-0 draw against Canada. Once again, they suffered a setback in the penalty shootout (4-3).
To avoid repeating these situations, Arthur Elias brought a varied lineup of attackers to France: seven in total, each with their own characteristics—Marta, Gabi Nunes, Gabi Portilho, Jheniffer, Ludmila, Kerolin, and Adriana. Additionally, he included Priscila among the four substitutes, who had started in the match against Japan in the group stage.
