(FIFA.com) Monday 20 August 2012
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Affected by the heat and overpowering humidity during their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup clash with Italy in Saitama on Sunday, Brazil were growing increasingly desperate to score so as to avoid kicking off the tournament with a defeat.
With an extra player on the pitch and the end of the game fast approaching, Caio Couto’s charges appeared nervous, hoping to be rescued by a piece of individual brilliance from one of their recognised stars. With 92 minutes on the clock, they finally got their wish, but the goal itself did not come from the boot of Thais Guedes, Beatriz or Ketlen.
Wearing No14 on her back, it was Amanda, a newcomer to the squad, who emerged as A Seleção Brasileira’s unlikely saviour. The midfielder, filling in at left-back following the substitution of Andressa, chose the perfect moment to make her mark.
Wearing No14 on her back, it was Amanda, a newcomer to the squad, who emerged as A Seleção Brasileira’s unlikely saviour. The midfielder, filling in at left-back following the substitution of Andressa, chose the perfect moment to make her mark.
Picking up a pass down the left-hand side, she flicked the ball over the head of an Italian defender, controlled it with her chest, and from the tightest of angles, fired a looping volley into the back of the net, leaving opposing goalkeeper Laura Giuliani with no chance.
Notably, it was the second eye-catching goal of the tournament’s opening match, both of which will doubtless go down as two of the competition’s finest. And just like her scoring counterpart, Elena Linari, who notched the first goal for the Italians, Amanda was barely able to describe her remarkable feat to FIFA.com.
“Well, it’s the kind of goal that just comes naturally,” joked the 19-year-old, smiling from ear to ear.
“The match was very tense, and we needed that result. When I got the ball, I didn’t really think about it that much. I just wanted to hit the target, and I finished it off well in the end,” she said, keen to stress the importance of the tactical adjustments made by Brazil’s coach.
“I started off playing in midfield, but when our full-back went off, he asked me to cover the left flank. I did, and it worked well,” continued the Foz Cataratas player.
Unforeseen opportunity
Amanda’s outstanding strike transformed her into the star of the day in Japan. She took part in the press conference usually reserved for coaching staff, and was the last player to reclaim her seat on the team bus, at which point she promptly received a standing ovation from her team-mates, who had been waiting patiently for her.
Amanda’s outstanding strike transformed her into the star of the day in Japan. She took part in the press conference usually reserved for coaching staff, and was the last player to reclaim her seat on the team bus, at which point she promptly received a standing ovation from her team-mates, who had been waiting patiently for her.
It is an unexpected turn of events for someone who, until recently, could not have imagined being part of the Brazilian U-20 squad or appearing on the world stage at Japan 2012, let alone scoring so spectacularly in her country’s opening encounter.
“This is just my second cap for the U-20 side – the first came in a warm-up match ahead of this tournament, after which they told me that I’d be part of the final squad,” said Amanda, who until early 2011 was still playing Futsal for Assai in the southern state of Parana.
“Then I was invited to join Renata Costa’s academy – she plays for the Brazil senior team. I did a bit of growing up there, and now here I am,” she explained.
Amanda, visibly delighted at Brazil’s last-gasp salvage operation, remains somewhat disappointed and concerned by certain aspects of her team’s play during their initial match. “There’s no doubt that our first-half display was quite a bit poorer than we were expecting. There just wasn’t the usual Brazilian rhythm,” said the young South American.
“Luckily, in the second half our coach got it right and we got back on track. I hope we can continue to head in the right direction,” she said. Against a formidable Nigeria side on Wednesday, Brazil may well find themselves in further need of Amanda’s inspiration.
Chung: We hope Japan 2012 will inspire youth
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David Chung, Chairman of the Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and FIFA Vice-President
On preparations in Japan We are ready for kick off and I would like to take this opportunity to firstly thank the JFA and the LOC for the excellent work and preparations. Japan is very experienced with such organisation especially with the FIFA Club World Cups and the 2002 FIFA World Cup™. We are all confident that once again we will enjoy a great tournament thanks to the professionalism of Japanese football.
Hopes for the tournament’s legacy We are hopeful that the tournament will bring more girls to football. Japan has confirmed its status in women’s football in Asia and we trust tournaments such as this will inspire the next generation. This tournament is also a positive move for FIFA as it underlines our solidarity towards Japan’s football family and, is a way of inspiring people affected by last year’s earthquake and tsunami and to leave a legacy in the country.
We are hopeful that the tournament will bring more girls to football. Japan has confirmed its status in women’s football in Asia and we trust tournaments such as this will inspire the next generation.
David Chung, Chairman of the Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and FIFA Vice-President
On aims for crowd numbers We are targeting 100,000 spectators as the first goal, but if we can achieve 200,000 that would be really good.
Tatjana Haenni, FIFA Head of the Women's Competitions On Japan’s assistance assuming hosting of the tournament We would like to thank Japanese football for taking on this event only in December and we are very confident this will be an excellent tournament.
On legacy events during the tournament It is really important to leave a legacy in the host country and for women’s football around the world. There are a number of different events around the country related to the tournament aimed at attracting young girls to play football and also, of course, to increase the quality. There are up to 20 festivals with up to 500 girls participating and I think that is a great initiative by FIFA and the JFA.
Miyagi youth inspired by Live Your Goals
(FIFA.com) Monday 20 August 2012
© LOC
Youngsters in Miyagi were the latest beneficiaries of FIFA’s Live Your Goals programme with the festival coinciding with the opening day of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012.
Live Your Goals, which aims at developing women’s football across the globe, is an essential part of the legacy programme for Japan. Launched in April, it is a supported by FIFA and is being implemented by the Japan Football Association.
Some 50 young participants took part in Miyagi, as well as 15 coach educators who will be able to develop their own football programmes and festivals in the future.
After some fun and enthusiastic football-related activities the young attendees were taken to Miyagi Stadium where they were able to witness some current local role-models in action, as the Young Nadeshiko overwhelmed Mexico 4-1 in their opening Group A match at Japan 2012.
“I enjoyed it very much,” said one enthused participant of the Live Your Goals event. “We had various kinds of small side games and ball activities. They were all very interesting and I enjoyed it very much. Especially I enjoyed the workshop on shooting. I like football very much but I could not play because we don’t have enough team-mates. So today I could make many new friends and it was very good occasion for me.”
Also on hand to open the festival, one of 20 taking place across Japan, were a number of dignitries including Junji Ogura, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee; Yoshio Okubo President of the Miyagi FA; Eiji Ueda, JFA Women's Committee Chairman and FIFA Instructor Monika Staab.
Participants and local media also witnessed a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the hosting of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and as recognition for the support provided to the local area, with the region being severely hit by last year’s Great East Japan Earthquake.
Energy levels and enthusiasm was also high amongst the coaches in attendance.
“I could learn about the various kinds of training and teaching methods by playing together,” said one local coach after the event. “I’m going to starting up a team in a few months, so I learned many things for that today. I could see many smiles and I’m very happy about it.
“I haven’t been coaching a team for three years and I have been learning by reading text books,” said another coach. “Today I participated in this programme, and now I feel like I could coach a team and touch the ball every day again. I had played in a team with hard training, but today, I found football is essentially fun.”
The FIFA Live Your Goals campaign launched in 2011 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Germany, with the aim of inspiring women and girls all over the world to participate in football, has also been launched recently in Azerbaijan and Costa Rica.
Click on the link for more on Live Your Goals
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