Germany may have shut out the Brazilian women in successfully defending its second successive Women’s World Cup final, but the Brazilian team’s remarkable campaign — highlighted by the 4-0 shalacking it gave the U.S. women in the semifinal — could prove to be a watershed moment in the history of women’s soccer. It certainly went a long way toward legitimizing the sport in a macho culture.
Even Dunga, the men’s national team coach used the women’s performance as an example of the kind of dedication he wants to see when Brazil begins World Cup qualifying later this month, singling out Marta, the world’s best player, for her willingness to work for the team.
As Tim Vickery, writing for SI.com, says, Brazil’s women may have lost the final, but “they’re coming home with mission partly accomplished.” On Thursday night, hours after the Brazilian women beat the U.S. the Brazilian soccer federation (CBF) announced a new national cup competition for women. “It will be the starting point for the staging of a national championship of women’s soccer in the near future,” said the press release. Which is great, says Vickery, a women’s league would be great for women’s soccer, but it will certainly prove to be “an organizational challenge in a land where men’s soccer frequently operates at a loss.”