Ary Borges hit the primary hat-trick of this Women’s World Cup as Brazil crushed debutant Panama 4-0 in a scintillating opening to its marketing campaign on Monday.
Far harder challenges lie forward — it faces France subsequent — however this was a formidable begin for a Brazil facet which has featured in any respect eight earlier Women’s World Cups however by no means received it.
The fashionable victory in Adelaide despatched Brazil high of Group F after Jamaica surprisingly held France 0-0 on Sunday.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder Borges, who performs for Racing Louisville within the United States, was the undoubted star of the present, scoring three and establishing the opposite.
A continuing menace coming in off the best, she pounced twice from shut vary within the first half to go away Brazil in complete management on the break and Panama by no means seemed like getting again in it.
Some of the Panama gamers and followers have been in tears throughout their nationwide anthem, underlining what it means to them to be on the World Cup for the primary time.
But this was a debut they may most likely wish to neglect as Swedish coach Pia Sundhage’s Brazil placed on an exhibition of flowing, attacking soccer.
It racked up 5 makes an attempt on objective within the opening 10 minutes and the strain advised within the nineteenth minute when Borges nodded in unmarked on the again publish for a easy close-range header.
Six minutes earlier than the break she scored her second. Panama goalkeeper Yenith Bailey saved her preliminary downward header however the rebound went proper again to Borges and she or he slammed the ball into the online.
Any hope Panama had of getting again into the match was extinguished solely three minutes into the second half and it was the perfect objective of the match to date.
A fluid group transfer took the ball to the ever-dangerous Borges, who rolled the ball behind her together with her studs, permitting Bia Zaneratto to fireside into the again of the online.
Borges put the seal on a massively spectacular private and group efficiency by nodding in her third — and Brazil’s fourth — 20 minutes from time, the ball flying by way of the center of Bailey’s legs.
The 37-year-old ahead Marta, arguably the best ladies’s footballer of all time, got here off the bench for Brazil within the closing phases however must wait some time longer if she is to turn out to be the primary participant to attain at six World Cups.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com