Nathy was called up by head coach Rilany Silva for the South American Women’s U-17 Championship. A starter in both matches played by the Brazilian National Team against Venezuela and Uruguay, the goalkeeper said there are no words to explain what it feels like to wear the Yellow Shirt in a continental competition.
"I can’t explain how happy I was, how grateful I am for the opportunity to come here and represent a nation. Since I was little, it has been my dream to represent this jersey. I have always done everything I could, and I will keep doing so, to step onto the field in the best way possible,” she said.
In an exclusive interview with CBF TV, she revealed that she used to play as an outfield player and, because her team needed it when she was little, she ended up becoming a goalkeeper.
Nathy during a Brazil Women’s U-17 training session in ParaguayCredits: Diana Carrillo/Staff Images/CBF
“It was very different, it wasn’t something I thought, ‘I want to be a goalkeeper.’ I played as a winger and the team needed a goalkeeper. I started training in goal and began to fall in love with the position,” she said.
Very communicative, Nathy is always talking to her teammates during matches. She explained how she manages to stay focused and deliver a good performance.
“The foundation of everything is stepping onto the field calm, with a clear mind. I always try to tune out everything that’s happening off the field so I can give my best and feel more confident to help the team.”
Lastly, the goalkeeper, who is from Goiânia, Goiás, highlighted what sets the Brazilian National Team apart in this year’s South American Championship.
“The group is very united and everything is going well. This group is very special, very skillful. We play with joy and boldness — Brazil is unique.”
For Nathy, the Brazilian National Team has a unique style of playing with joy and boldnessCredits: Diana Carrillo/Staff Images/CBF
The Brazil Women’s U-17 National Team returns to the field on Friday (1) for the fourth round of the South American group stage. Each group in the competition’s first phase has five teams, so one team sits out each round. In this case, Brazil will not play this Wednesday (29), when the third round takes place.
Friday’s match will be against Peru at 8 p.m. Brasília time at Estádio Ameliano Villeta in Paraguay. The game will be broadcast live on SporTV.
Brazil is coming off two wins — 2-0 over Venezuela and 5-3 over Uruguay — and is already in a strong position to qualify for the semifinals.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.