Three matches into their Olympic football campaign, the notion that Brazil’s women might yet drag themselves to glory in Paris — and finally banish one of the game’s most scratch-resistant curses — seemed fanciful. The group stage was bruising for Brazil . They started with an unconvincing victory against Nigeria and tanked against Japan , conceding twice in added time to lose 2-1.
They were then on the wrong end of reigning World Cup champions Spain ’s domination, the 2-0 scoreline no reflection of the technical chasm between the sides. Advertisement On an individual level, too, Brazil had been pretty well tenderised. Key players Tamires and Rafaelle were struggling with injuries.
Right-back Antonia played the final stages of the Spain game with a broken leg . Marta, the team’s eternal talisman , watched the second half of that match from the discomfort of the dressing room having been sent off for a reckless challenge on Olga Carmona. Her tears as she left the pitch strongly suggested that she thought her Olympic dream was fading away.
She cannot have been the only one. GO DEEPER Marta’s legacy is defiance, hunger and joy. But how will it end at the Olympics? Still, Brazil finished as the second-best of the third-placed teams, edging out Australia on goal difference — but few expected them to get much leverage out of it.
France awaited in the quarter-finals. The consensus view, even back home, was that Brazil were limping towards another big-tournament exit..