Brazilian Soccer Dreams Come True

By: Rich Fernandez - Bay Area Sports Drive Soccer

Email: rfernandez@bayareasportsdrive.com

BASD - April 26, 2009:  With the fold of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) after the 2003 season, many women soccer players through out the world lost the opportunity to play professionally in the United States.  Many began to explore playing soccer professionally in other countries like England, Japan and even Sweden once again.  Others decided to have kids, get into coaching  or just flat out retire from soccer.  Many of the US players who continued to play hung their post Collegiate soccer careers domestically on making the US Women’s National Team or even playing in leagues like the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL) which is more of a semi-pro atmosphere with professional players.  In Brazil it was no different, many players who had their sights set on coming over to the WUSA and playing here in the US had their hopes dashed as well.  So just like their American counterparts they chose to play for Brazilian Clubs, and even travel abroad to other countries to play in their professional soccer leagues as well.  However, with the talk over the last few years about resurrecting the WUSA or some other form of women’s professional soccer here in the US, kept many of these players hoping that the day would become reality.  Until that day came for the new league, they just had to wait and keep their dreams alive.

In September of 2007, a new women’s soccer league would be forming here in the US through the efforts of the Women’s Soccer Initiative, Incorporated.  That new professional soccer league would be called Women’s Professional Soccer or WPS for short and was set to launch in Spring of 2009.  Women as well as young girls from around the world now had something real in terms of women’s professional soccer here in the US.  Back in Brasil players like Formiga, Erica and Adriane now once again had a real opportunity to be drafted and play in the US as a member of one of the seven WPS franchises kicking off the 2009 inaugural season.  On September 24, 2008 the WPS held their International Players Draft and the San Jose FC Gold Pride chose Brazilians Formiga (First pick overall), Erica (First pick of the forth round , 22^nd overall) and later picked up Adriane as a Post Draft Discovery Player.  Also in that same draft they picked up Canadian Christine Sinclair (Second round, eighth overall) and Japan’s Eriko Arakawa (Third round). 

With the help of ‘The Queen of Brazilian Soccer’, Brazilian great Sissi interpreting for me, I had the opportunity to get to know the three young Brazilian members of the FC Gold Pride.  When I asked them how they felt once they were drafted into the WPS by the Pride, Erica was the first to respond, “I was very happy when the Pride drafted me because that’s what I’ve been waiting for, to play professionally in the US.  On draft day my dream was no longer a dream but something real.  I was really drafted and had a real opportunity, and that coming to play here in the US was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

For Formiga it was a long wait to fulfill her dreams to play professionally in the US, since she was all set to come and play in the WUSA just prior to it’s shutting down.  “I was and am very happy about this opportunity to come and play in the WPS.  I was suppose to come and play in the US when the WUSA was here but I missed that opportunity when the league stopped, but I’m very happy to be here and to have this opportunity after missing the WUSA”  Formiga explained. 

Back when Sissi was drafted to play for the WUSA’s San Jose Cyberrays, she was homesick three weeks into her stay and wanted to go back home.  For Sissi she was one of two Brazilians drafted by the San Jose Cyber Rays with Katia being the other.  There was no real plan on how to make the transition for Sissi and Katia smooth, so they really had it rough when they first got here.  After awhile Sissi began to become more comfortable with her surroundings both on and off of the field.  For these young Brazilian women on the Gold Pride, they have the luxury of having Sissi here to help guide them during their transition which was a luxury she didn’t have.

How has the transition been for these three young ladies?  For Formiga things have been going smoothly but one thing I talked to her about was how she looked somewhat uncomfortable out on the pitch, “I’m not having any problems with being here.  I’ve played in New Jersey before and lived in the US so it’s not a big deal for me.  On the field adjusting to the style of play is where I’m having to do most of my adjustments.  The difference in Brazil compared to here is that in Brazil we’re more creative with the ball and we let our natural soccer instinct take over.  We don’t have to make a decision on the field solely on what the coach had said, and in Brasil the coach gives us more liberty with the ball.    You’re correct when you say that I don’t look comfortable and I seem to hesitate but as time goes by I’m starting to catch on and feeling more at ease on the pitch.” 

For Erica the decision to leave Brasil and come to play in the US was hard, “Leaving Brazil and coming here to the US wasn’t an easy decision because I’m very attached and close to my family.  What helped me was that my mom said that this was the right thing to do, she encouraged and supported me in making my decision.  To leave Brasil and come and play professionally here in the US is a dream come true since I was a young girl.  Even though the language and culture are different and that is a difficult hurdle to overcome, my mom really supported and pushed me to come.”  Just like Formiga, Erica is finding things more complicated on the field than life off of the field, “I thought it was going to be more complicated off of the field but on the field initially is where I’m having problems understanding the language and being able to communicate with my teammates.  It’s getting better because I’m picking up words here and there but really it’s the formations that we’re playing here that are different from what I’m use to in Brazil.  During the game I can’t understand sometimes what my teammate is saying because of the language difference.  When they say something I have to process it in my head and then do it physically instead of just naturally reacting.  This processing of the language sometimes makes it look like we’re hesitating because we’re just not naturally flowing, but we’re working on it and I’m starting to pick things up so it’s just a matter of time.” 

Being the youngest on the team at twenty years old, Adriane had different challenges to deal with, “It was more difficult for me because I’m only 20yrs old.  In Brazil when we’re very young we always have the dream to become a professional soccer player and at 20yrs old I still can’t believe that I have this opportunity to play professionally here in the US.  My mom was very worried about me coming here since I’m her only daughter, she had many talks with Sissi and made her promise that she would look over and take care of me while I’m here.  Having Sissi talk to my mom made my mom feel better that I would be and away from her.”  How is Adriane handling the transition and new environment here in the US, “I feel the same as both Formiga and Erica, off the field is no problem, but on the field it’s the style and formations that are somewhat confusing at times but I’m working hard and learning each day on the field.”

Sissi shared her perspective and own experiences with us next.  “With Formiga having played in New Jersey before, I think it makes coming to the US easy since she already knew what to expect.  With Erica it’s just getting comfortable with the formations and gaining familiarity with the Flat 4 on defense.  What I like about her is that she’s always asking questions and that’s how you learn and I know she’s here to learn.  Like with Formiga in Brazil she knows when to attack, and attacking is part of her game where as here depending on the formation sometimes she might be a holding midfielder with two attacking mids in front, other instances she might be moved up to attacking mid where she is more comfortable so it’s basically learning what needs to be done in different formations and positions on the field.  In Brazil we switch positions on the field to cover for a teammate who might be taking the ball and attacking from their defensive or midfield position, we always have cover because we know each other so well when we play together.  In terms of culture, as Brazilians we can adjust quickly to the culture here but it’s on the field where the challenge is.  Right now it’s early for them, only with two to three games under their belt, but for sure they’re going to figure it out.  I think with what Albertin is trying to do they’ll catch up soon, but remember it’s the language that makes things more complicated.   It’s the same thing that happened with me, the first three months were crazy since our style is a little bit different but I think they’ll be ok.  You’ve got to remember that it’s the same thing when players from the US go and play in Brazil, there’s a transition and adjustment period they go through in learning and becoming comfortable with the style.”

For the Pride’s second game of the season and first ever road game against Sky Blue FC, Erica didn’t make the trip due to a fracture to her nose.  When I asked her about her nose she explained what happened, “It was against the Boston Breakers and I was going up for a header and the player was in front of me, so when I jumped up to go for the ball so did she and the back of her head hit my face and nose.”  At the time of the interview Erica’s status for the LA Sol game was in question, but Sissi outlined what was needed to get her onto the field, “She did fracture it on a header in the Boston game and didn’t make the trip to New Jersey.  She already went to the doctor and will probably wear a mask because the doctor will clear her to play only if she has the mask.  Without the mask if she gets hit again and that fracture gets worse she’ll need to have surgery.  So we’ll see what the doctor has to say after she’s got the mask.”  Erica did play in the LA Sol game and came in as a substitute in the fifteenth minute.

The first time you see the Brazilian trio of the FC Gold Pride there is one thing other than their unique soccer style that you’ll notice, their hair.  For Erica and Adriane their long ponytails that whip forward and back whenever they do a header makes it very easy to pick them out on the pitch, and with Formiga she has her signature braids.  When I asked them who does their hair before practices and games they all responded, “We do it by ourselves.” For Formiga she shared her secret on how she gets her hair ready each day, “The way you see my hair now is the way it is when I go to bed and wake up” she added while breaking out into laughter.  For Erica and Adriane it’s all about teamwork, “I’ll do the long braid for Adriane and I sometimes do my own, it just depends.  Sometimes like today, since its only practice, I’ll just put it in a bun and other days and especially on game day I’ll do the braid.”  When you’re at an FC Pride game and you’re not sure or can’t see the name or number of the player on the back of their jersey, just look for Erica’s, Adriane’s and Formiga’s unique ponytails and braids and you’ll know if it’s them or not.

Every young soccer player both male and female here in the US and abroad are in awe of how natural and smooth Brazilian players are with the ball.  Many players like Sissi, Pele, Renaldo, Ronaldinho, Marta and Kaka are poetry with the ball at their feet and make even the hardest moves in soccer seem so easy. 

FC Gold Pride Season Ticket Holder and San Jose resident David Sanchez asks, “How (in Brazil) do they develop their kids once they start to play soccer?  What do they focus on and what was emphasized back home when they first started to play soccer?  Many times here in the US and at the youth soccer club level, many coaches and parents sacrifice learning and development for winning.”  Sissi was the first to begin to explain, “In Brazil we have the same type of winning mentality as you do here in the US.  We always want to challenge ourselves to be the best.  We work hard to be one of the best and I know for sure that all of these girls feel the same way.  When you’re young like 11yrs old you can enjoy and have fun and just go out there and play soccer.  Most of what you see in terms of ability is just from playing and watching soccer, our coaches don’t teach us the moves we just do them.   Of course later when you get older you’re going to be under pressure and you already have to be focused and have a goal in your life if you want to make soccer your career.  What do you want to do, play for fun all of the time or get serious and focus on being one of the best and I know that’s how they all (Erica, Formiga and Adriane) think.  When we were little growing up in Brazil we didn’t have a chance or chances like the kids here have like ODP (Olympic Development Program) and things like that to help develop their game.  For us at a young age soccer comes natural and nobody taught us how to play, the coach helps us to understand things but not how to play soccer.  Now that I’m a coach people always ask me to teach them how to play, I can help them but I cannot teach them to be a soccer player.  People always ask them (Formiga, Erica and Adriane)  how do you make those moves or do something special with the ball, and it’s just something you cannot explain because it’s just a natural thing.” 

For Erica soccer up until the age of thirteen was for fun, “When I was 13 I was only thinking of playing and having fun.  It didn’t really matter where, I just wanted to play.  I had a dream to play for the Brazilian National Team but I wasn’t sure that my dream was really going to happen, it was certainly a dream come true.  It wasn’t until I was 15 that’s when everything changed and I finally realized that I could play for the Brasilian National Team and that I could start to make money and play for a club.  So at 15yrs old it all changed, before that I just wanted to play for fun.”

Up until the age of thirteen, Adriane saw soccer as a hobby, “At 13 it was a hobby for me and it changed for me when I was 16 and that’s when I got an invitation to go play for a team in Sao Paulo so I left my family.  That’s when I started looking at soccer like a job and a profession.  While in Sao Paulo I lived with different players and at that moment everything changed in my life because now I was going to be serious and be a professional soccer player to make money and help my family out.”

With Formiga it also started at around thirteen years old, “When I was 11 I really didn’t care about winning or worry about being a professional soccer player.  I really didn’t care and wasn’t really thinking about it.  When I turned 13 that’s when I started to take it more seriously and started focusing on what I needed to do to achieve and get to where I am today.“

Although they are all very young and are most likely strictly focused on playing soccer, current FC Gold Pride Season Ticket Holder and Gilroy resident Jasmine Fernandez asks “What do Formiga, Erica and Adriane want to do after they’re retired from Soccer?”

 “I want to get into physical therapy or sports medicine and basically stay in the area of sports” responded Erica.  Both Formiga and Adriane echoed the same response, that whatever they do after they’re done playing soccer they want to stay in a sports related career.  For Erica, she wants to go to college and finish her studies at a university when she’s done playing.  Back in Brazil both Erica and Formiga do some coaching and training but according to Sissi they’re still young and really aren’t focused on their after soccer careers as of yet, “I think it’s still to early for them because they’re so young, but I know that time goes by so fast.  I feel so old now when  I look at them and they’re twenty years old.  I met both Formiga and Erica when they were eleven and oh my gosh, like I said I feel so old.  After you get into your twenties, you blink your eyes, and before you know it you’re old!”   All three also said that it really didn’t matter where they would carry out their post soccer playing careers, if it was here in the US or back in Brazil.  

Of course we had to ask them who their favorite soccer players are and they really had much to many to list so we’re just going to mention a few.  For Formiga she mentioned Kaka and Lucio because of how physical he plays.  Both Adriane and Erica also like Kaka but also mentioned Renaldo.  One player Erica no longer likes is Messi because he made remarks that he doesn’t like women soccer players.

From disappointment in 2003 when the WUSA folded to euphoria on September 24, 2008 when they were drafted by the FC Gold Pride of the WPS, these three young Brazilians are living out their dreams.  With their minds made up around the ages of thirteen and sixteen to make soccer their profession, these young ladies made their dreams come true by becoming professionals and playing here in the US.  Even with differences in language and culture, there is no doubt in my mind that they will be a huge success here in the US.  They need to look no further than current Assistant Coach and fellow Brazilian Sissi for inspiration and a role model.  For someone who wanted to go home after three weeks in the US, Sissi has become a great success here in the US and has laid the path to great success here in the US for her fellow Brazilians. 

-Special thanks to Sissi for interpreting for us, along with the FC Gold Pride and Crystal Fukumoto for arranging the interview.