Delma Gonçalves (born 19 May 1975), commonly known as Pretinha,In a June 199

with

Grant Wahl Grant Wahl (December 2, 1973 – December 10, 2022) was an American sports journalist and soccer analyst for CBS Sports, a senior writer for ''Sports Illustrated'' and a correspondent for Fox Sports, based in New York City. He was also the aut ...

, Pretinha said her nickname means "little black girl" and that the reference to skin color is not considered problematic in Brazil. is a Brazilian professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and former

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

. A longtime member of the Brazil national team, for whom she debuted in 1991, she played for clubs in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

before moving to Icheon Daekyo of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

's WK-League in 2009. With the Brazilian national team, Pretinha participated in four

World Cups A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

; in China (1991), Sweden (1995), United States (1999), and China (2007). She has also played in four

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

; in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008). She won silver medals from the 2004 and 2008 Olympic tournaments.

Club career

As a child, Pretinha had played football with her brothers on the streets of Rio. She joined her first club Mendanha Futebol Clube at the age of 14. After being elevated to the Brazil national team, she was signed by the female section of

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

. At the time of the 1999 Women's World Cup in the United States, Pretinha was earning around $3,400 per month from her contract with Vasco. When the American professional

Women's United Soccer Association The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first Women's association football, women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000 in sports, 2000, the league began its first se ...

(WUSA) started in 2001, Pretinha and compatriot Roseli were assigned to

Washington Freedom Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Germantown, Maryland, that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's Uni ...

in the inaugural draft. Pretinha scored the only goal in the league's first ever match; a second half

penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...

at the Bay Area CyberRays. With four goals in her first five games Pretinha led the early season scoring charts, she finished the campaign with five goals having played in all 21 league games. At the end of the inaugural season Washington traded Pretinha to the CyberRays. During her first season with her new club in 2002, coach

Ian Sawyers Ian Sawyers (born 2 May 1962) is an English football manager. Sawyers attended Carnegie College, a division of Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England. He played professional soccer for the Rotherham United club. Sawyers became Director ...

handed Pretinha a deeper

midfield Midfield is the part of a sports field that lies approximately in the center. In American football, association football (soccer) and field hockey, it is the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region. In ...

role. In June 2003 she scored twice at Washington Freedom to salvage a draw for the CyberRays against her old club. The team's top-goalscorer, Pretinha missed the culmination of the CyberRays' 2003 campaign after tearing the

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...

in her right knee during an international friendly between Brazil and the United States in July 2003. With the collapse of WUSA and the lack of structure in Brazil women's football, Pretinha was without a club while recuperating from her injury. She played in the Athens Olympics as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, then joined Japanese

L. League The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football Women's association football, more commonly known simply as women's football or women's soccer, is a team sport of association football when played by women o ...

team

INAC Kobe Leonessa INAC Kobe is a Japanese football club from Kobe, founded in 2001. INAC stands for International Athletic Club while Leonessa means Lioness in Italian. In 2006 INAC Leonessa was promoted to the Nadeshiko.League, where it has played since 2020. ...

in 2005. In March 2009 she joined Icheon Daekyo, becoming the first foreign professional to join the new WK-League in South Korea.

International career

When the

Brazil women's national football team The Brazil women's national football team (Portuguese: ''Seleção Brasileira Feminina de futebol'') represents Brazil in international women's football and is run by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). It has participated in eight ed ...

were preparing for the inaugural

1991 FIFA Women's World Cup The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national association football teams. It took place in Guangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991. FIFA, football's international gove ...

, they played a training match against a Liga Desportiva de Nova Iguaçu (LDNI) select team containing a 16-year-old Pretinha. Brazil won easily but Pretinha excelled to the extent that she was added to the national team panel for the World Cup. The aeroplane journey to

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

was the first time that the young Pretinha had travelled outside the state of Rio. In China Pretinha featured in Brazil's last two group games; being unused in the 1–0 win over

then playing as a substitute in defeats by the

(0–5) and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

(0–2). The Brazil women's national team did not play another match for over three years, until a sponsorship from Maizena

corn starch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...

allowed them to play in the 1995 South American Women's Football Championship. Pretinha remained in the squad, one of 10 Vasco players to be included, and scored six goals in Brazil's successful campaign. At the

1995 FIFA Women's World Cup The 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, the second edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, was held in Sweden and won by Norway women's national football team, Norway, who became the first European nation to win the Women's World Cup. The tournament fea ...

in Sweden, Pretinha scored in a 2–1 defeat by Japan. Brazil finished at the bottom of

Group A Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles w ...

, but qualified for the

1996 Atlanta Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

on account of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

having no agreement to represent Great Britain. At the Olympics Pretinha was the joint-top goalscorer with four goals, as Brazil finished in fourth place after a 3–2 defeat in the bronze medal match by

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. Still playing for Vasco da Gama, Pretinha remained a key player for Brazil at the

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national soccer teams. It was hosted as well as won by the United States and took place from June 19 to July 10, 1999, at ...

. A tournament preview on the SoccerTimes.com website pointed out she had scored two goals in each of her previous two games and called her: "a force at midfield or forward". She was a member of the Brazil team that participated in the

2000 Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

and again finished in fourth place. The knee injury sustained by Pretinha in July 2003 ruled her out of Brazil's squad for the

2003 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial championship of women's national soccer teams organized by FIFA. It was held in the United States from September 20 to October 12, 2003, at s ...

. Despite being without a club, she was restored to the national team for the

2004 Athens Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

. She scored in both the 1–0 semi-final win over

and the 2–1

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...

final defeat by the

, as Brazil collected silver medals. She remained in the national selection for the

2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Com ...

, but was predominantly a reserve player. She was disappointed not to start the final, staged at

Maracanã Stadium Maracanã Stadium ( pt, Estádio do Maracanã, standard Brazilian Portuguese: , local pronunciation: ), officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium is part o ...

in her home city, but did come on as a late substitute. As an experienced 32-year-old veteran, she was called up for her fourth World Cup in

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

. She was a substitute in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

, which Brazil lost 2–0 to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Pretinha participated at the

2008 Beijing Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

. She won another silver medal when Brazil lost the final 1–0 after

extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...

to the United States. That was her final contribution at national team level, until she was called up six years later, aged 39, for a

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Coaching career

In February 2022 Pretinha became an assistant coach at her former club Vasco da Gama.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Navboxes , title= Brazil squads , bg= #FBEC5D , fg= #008000 , list1= {{Brazil squad 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup {{Brazil squad 1995 South American Women's Football Championship {{Brazil squad 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup {{Brazil women's football squad 1996 Summer Olympics {{Brazil squad 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup {{Brazil women's football squad 2000 Summer Olympics {{Brazil squad 2003 South American Women's Football Championship {{Brazil women's football squad 2004 Summer Olympics {{Brazil squad 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup {{Brazil women's football squad 2008 Summer Olympics 1975 births Living people Brazilian women's footballers Women's association football midfielders Footballers from Rio de Janeiro (city) Olympic footballers of Brazil Olympic silver medalists for Brazil Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 2007 Pan American Games 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup players Washington Freedom players Olympic medalists in football 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup players 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup players 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup players Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics INAC Kobe Leonessa players Expatriate footballers in South Korea Brazil women's international footballers San Jose CyberRays players Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States Expatriate women's footballers in Japan Nadeshiko League players Women's United Soccer Association players Brazilian expatriate women's footballers Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Japan Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in South Korea Expatriate women's footballers in South Korea WK League players Pan American Games medalists in football Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games CR Vasco da Gama (women) players Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil