“We really want to win it, it’s a title that we’ve had in our hands in the past but didn’t win because of small details,” said Marta to ESPNsocccernet. “For a long time now, we have shown we have a wealth of talent in our ranks. We’ve reached two Olympics finals and one World Cup final. Now, the time has come to win a title.”
Cristiane, Marta’s team-mate and strike partner, agreed with her captain and warned that Brazil must succeed this time.
“For the sake of Brazilian women’s football over the next few years, we simply can’t afford to go backwards. Now it’s time for us to win it,” she said. “We’ve already done so much to change the way women’s football is perceived and the backing it receives in Brazil: we’ve reached the final in the last three major competitions.
“But here in Brazil, particularly in footballing circles that have been spoiled with success over the years, nobody pays any attention to those results: they’re only interested in titles.”
In the group stage Brazil will have to play Australia, Norway and Equatorial Guinea.
