Dudinha eyes first U-20 World Cup: “Our aim is to reach the final” | OneFootball

The Women’s Under-20 National Team is in Poland for the final days of preparation before its debut at the World Cup in the category. Among the 21 players called up by head coach Camilla Orlando is midfielder Dudinha, who is eagerly awaiting the chance to play in a World Cup for the first time.

With the start of the tournament drawing closer, the team has been focusing on the final adjustments to be ready for the challenges of the group stage. For Dudinha, every call-up has been important for the team’s development and for making the group increasingly prepared for the World Cup.

“Our preparation is going very well. The coaching staff is always looking for what’s best for us, helping us with videos, one-on-one talks, and guidance that makes a difference in each player’s preparation. In training, we’ve been focusing a lot on ourselves, looking to improve our defensive system and further sharpen our attack, which is one of our main strengths,” she said.

“With every call-up, we’ve been improving and understanding better what we need to do. Now, with our full focus on the World Cup, we know we’ll have a tough group ahead of us, but we believe these matches will prepare us for the next stages. Our team is very close-knit and united, and we want to reach our ultimate goal, which is to play in the final and, consequently, win the trophy,” she added.

Dudinha stressed that Brazil’s goal is to reach the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World CupCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

BRAZIL AT THE WORLD CUP

The Women’s Under-20 National Team is in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, where it will play its three first-round matches of the World Cup. The team arrived in the city on Sunday (30), after beginning its preparations in Kraków.

Brazil, the top seed in Group B, will make its World Cup debut on September 5 against Tanzania. It will then face Canada on the 8th and close out the group stage against England on the 11th. All matches will be played at Bielsko-Biała Stadium at 10 a.m. Brasília time.

On Tuesday (1), the team led by head coach Camilla Orlando held gym sessions aimed at strength work and recovery.

The Women’s Under-20 National Team during a gym session this Tuesday (1)Credits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

DUDINHA’S FIRST WORLD CUP

The call-up for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup came with plenty of anxiety at home. While the player waited for the squad list to be announced, her mother followed social media in search of confirmation.

After a string of call-ups to the national team, Dudinha celebrated another opportunity to represent Brazil. For the World Cup, she highlights the unity of the group and its progress under head coach Camilla Orlando.

“My expectations for the World Cup are really high. We have a very united group and we’re learning more every day. Our expectations are good, and we really want to win this first match to build momentum for the next ones.”

Dudinha celebrated her call-up to play in her first World CupCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

JOURNEY

Dudinha’s journey in football began in the São José community in Madureira, Rio de Janeiro, where she grew up playing at a football school and on a small pitch near her home. What her mother initially saw as a way to take her a little out of the routine of the community ended up becoming a passion.

She played futsal for Madureira, where she played alongside boys, before joining Vasco, the club where she completed her entire youth development. She later moved to Fluminense, where she experienced an important period of growth and began to see football as a professional path.

The move to Ferroviária represented a new professional and personal chapter. For the first time, she had to stay away from her family, an experience that helped show her mother that her choice to pursue football was definitive.

“That’s when my mother saw that I really wanted to keep going in football, when I was away from home. At first, I was a little sad, and so was she, but she and my father gave me strength and always supported me,” she concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.