Before leaving for the Women’s Soccer World Cup in New Zealand, the team from the corners was received this Monday by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in Belém, who conveyed a message of confidence and told them that it was “possible to do the impossible”.
“As if that were not enough, your qualifying phase is the most difficult of all. You have the champion and the runner-up. It seems on purpose, but I’m glad it’s like that. Your spirit is to do the impossible. and it is possible to do the impossible. We have done so in various circumstances. You already did, didn’t you go beat New Zealand in New Zealand? You went to do the toughest qualifying in the toughest conditions. Marcel recalled.
The Head of State also recalled that between the first time a Portuguese men’s team played an international match and the first women’s international match there was a difference of 60 years.
“They invited us to go there, it was difficult to find a team and we got 16 young people. It was a tie. We reached the final phase of the 1966 men’s World Cup, 45 years after the first international match. As women, we reached it faster, 42 years later, but a correction must be made, as for women, for ten years there were no international competitions, that is, they were not 42 years, they were 32. They did it in 32 years what they did the men in 45. They started later and did it faster, but there is more. How many men are there in Portuguese football today? About 210 thousand and there are 15 thousand women. The base of choice, from which to start, is completely different. Starting from 15,000 to get a team that reaches a final stage is much more difficult”, highlighted the President of the Republic.
In their respective speeches, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Gomes, and the national coach, Francisco Neto, thanked Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for the love and support shown.
“I couldn’t stop thanking the President of the Republic at this moment, after having received us in February, when we won our place in the World Cup,” recalled the head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
Moments later, Francisco Neto was convinced that the work done so far will motivate the pride of the national head of state.
“It is not only at this moment, the president has also been monitoring the growth of this team and we are sure that, on behalf of the Portuguese, he must also be very proud of what we have achieved”, dedicated the coach.
After the three speeches, the captains of the Portuguese women’s team, Dolores Silva, Sílvia Rebelo and Ana Borges, presented Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa with a shirt, a scarf and a ball, duly autographed by the entire team.
Next, the President of the Republic greeted the entire Portuguese entourage, took his characteristic selfie -using the player Kika Nazareth’s mobile phone- and joined the group for an official photograph while all those present sang the national anthem, ending with a message of encouragement for the Portuguese team that today leaves for New Zealand.
The national team debuts in a World Cup against the Netherlands, runner-up in the world, on July 23, followed by clashes with Vietnam, on the 27th, and the current holders of the scepter, the United States, on August 1.
In preparation, the Portuguese team faced European champion England, with a goalless draw (0-0), and defeated Ukraine in games played in consecutive rounds (2-0 on Friday, at the Estádio do Bessa, and 6-0 on Saturday). behind closed doors), to give confidence to the demanding Group E that will face the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, between July 20 and August 20.
Source: TSF
