Brazilian legend Marta led her team in an exciting defense of the Women’s Copa América title on Saturday, defeating Colombia in a penalty shootout after a final full of dramatic twists that ended in a 4-4 draw.
Colombia took the lead three times, but Brazil responded valiantly, equalizing the match each time at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado. The most crucial tie came in the 96th minute, thanks to a goal by Marta, which forced extra time.
Marta scored again in the 105th minute, in a goal that could have been the winning one. However, Colombia showed great resilience and managed to tie again, taking the match to a penalty shootout, where Brazil won 5-4.
I think women’s soccer has been growing a lot. The trend is for it to be more competitive. Everyone here deserved a match like this. Congratulations to Colombia as well.
Amanda Gutierres, Brazilian player
Gutierres also commented on the importance of this triumph:
This means a lot. I think it’s the work of Brazil. It’s that never-give-up mentality. That’s a source of pride for Brazil. I think it means a lot to Brazilians.
