Brazil, led by the infamous Marta who is arguably the best Brazilian footballer of all time — and one of the best female soccer players to ever grace the field — needs to fight back after they let in too many goals in the game against Japan. Brazil came into the tournament ready to wow the world and bring the heat as they always do.
Instead, they let their foot off the gas and Japan capitalized, winning 2-1 in one of the group stage games that may see Brazil go home before their tournament has even begun.
Brazil vs. Japan in the Olympics
Japan beat Brazil 2-1 in the group stages in the Paris Olympics this past Sunday, leaving Marta and her Brazilian counterparts in a tough position to be heading out of the group stages. Marta has tried to help her entire squad, and the country, realize that the tournament is far from over if they can rally and regain the confidence they had coming into the Olympics on the first day.
Marta made her 200th appearance for her country in the second group stage game, but two errors late in the game saw Japan stay focused, score during key moments, and bring back two goals at the end of the match to shock the nation. What makes it even worse is that both of these goals were in stoppage time, showing just how critical that lapse in concentration was for the Brazilians.
If they had won the game, they would be sitting pretty in the group. Now, after dropping three points, they have moved down to third place in Group C. Brazil faces off against Spain, who has already made the quarterfinals with two cruise-control victories against Japan and Nigeria. They are the reigning world champions after winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year — and their dominant performances show why.
Plus, with players like Bonmati and Putellas, they are going to be very hard to play against. The only thing that Brazil can hope for is for the rest of their starting 11 to give other players minutes since they have already qualified for the next rounds. If that is the case, there is a chance that Brazil could take on their ‘substitutions’ and potentially upset Spain so they have a chance of making it through to the quarterfinals, too.
Marta urges her team to focus and keep their eyes on the prize. “We could have been here celebrating a win, but instead we have to remain focused. But it’s not over yet. We have to give it everything as a group. That is football. Anything can happen. Nothing has been decided,” she said.
Brazil vs. Spain – Looking Forward
Brazil faces off against Spain tomorrow to determine Brazil’s fate in the Olympics. Brazil has numerous talented players on their squad, such as Tarciane, Marta, Kerolin, Thais, and Yasmin. Tarciane is a young center-back who has already made a name for herself in Europe and the NWSL, having just signed for the Houston Dash in the U.S. Pro League. Kerolin is a 24-year-old phenomenon who stood out in the World Cup and has made appearances for Madrid CFF and North Carolina Courage in the NWSL.
Other veteran players, like Marta, have been around the game for decades, showing their dominance and impact on the game.
On the other hand, Spain has a handful of players who are simply world-class. Putellas has won the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year and Bonmati has won the Ballon d’Or. It will be hard to push those two off the ball and win, but Marta is determined that her team can do just that.
For More Great Content
Total Apex is an all-encompassing content producer. We provide heavily detailed articles every day on entertainment, gaming, sports, and so much more! Check out all our great sports content at Total Apex Sports. Check us out on our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
