Spanish naturalized Portuguese Pauleta was called up this Thursday, February 19, for the first time for the women’s national football team, as well as Daniela Areia Santos and Nádia Bravo, for the start of Group B3 of the League of Nations.
At Cidade do Futebol, in Oeiras, coach Francisco Neto announced the list of 25 players called up for the double journey with Finland and Slovakia, which marks the start of European qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
“We have been following Pauleta for some time. The naturalization process has been over for some time. Unfortunately, as a result of the injuries, she was unable to make her contribution before. She has different characteristics for her position and we feel that she will be able to bring different things to our game”, highlighted the national team coach, Francisco Neto.
Regarding the young Daniela Areia Santos and Nádia Bravo, Francisco Neto praised their good performances during the current season at Valadares Gaia and Sporting de Braga, respectively, in addition to the essential work carried out in the youth teams.
“Nádia has made her statement at Sporting de Braga and has enchanted us with her irreverence with the ball. This boldness creates a lot of satisfaction for us. We like this type of player with desire, desire and ability to take over a game. She plays very well with both feet and can bring that variability. Daniela, on the other hand, has had a very positive season and plays in a line of three or four defenders. She has done well in her career and now has the opportunity to come and help”, he explained.
Midfielder Andreia Bravo is on the list, but will be re-evaluated after leaving Sporting’s European Cup game on Wednesday with an injury.
Francisco Neto took advantage of the call to also make a first analysis of the opponents at this stage.
“Finland is right behind us in the ‘ranking’ and has a similar trajectory to ours. They participated in the final phase of the European Championship, have nine players in the English Championship and the majority outside their country. Slovakia also has players in clubs playing in European competitions. They will be two very difficult games, with very well organized teams and a very well defined game idea. We have to return to being a dominating team, taking over the game and without giving the leading role to our opponents”, he said.
Francisco Neto, aged 44, will complete 12 years serving the Portuguese women’s team next week, a milestone that “fills him with pride”, with the aim of returning to League A and qualifying for the 2027 World Cup.
“We have the ambition to compete in every game for the three points. Within the group, we are the highest rated team in the ‘ranking’. We want to return to League A and go to the World Cup to repeat the sensations we had in our first participation. It is important to start well at home. It is not decisive, but very important”, he highlighted.
The Portuguese women’s team concentrates on Tuesday for the double round, in which they will face Finland, on March 3rd, at 6:45 pm, at the Vizela Stadium, and Slovakia, on March 7th, at 4 pm, at the Cidade de Barcelos Stadium.
List of 25 summoned:
Goalkeepers: Inês Pereira (Deportivo da Coruña, Esp), Patrícia Morais (Sporting de Braga) and Sierra Cota-Yarde (AFC Toronto, Can).
Defenses: Beatriz Fonseca (Sporting), Carole Costa (Benfica), Carolina Correia (Torreense), Catarina Amado (Benfica), Daniela Areia Santos (Valadares Gaia), Diana Gomes (Benfica) and Joana Marchão (Servette, Sui).
Mid: Andreia Bravo (Sporting), Andreia Jacinto (Real Sociedad, Esp), Andreia Faria (Al Nassr, Ara), Dolores Silva (Levante, Esp), Fátima Pinto (Strasbourg, Fra), Francisca Nazareth (FC Barcelona, Esp), Nádia Bravo (Sporting de Braga), Pauleta (Benfica) and Tatiana Pinto (Juventus, Ita).
Advanced: Ana Capeta (Juventus, Ita), Carolina Santiago (Sporting), Diana Silva (Benfica), Jéssica Silva (Al Hilal, Ara), Lúcia Alves (Benfica) and Telma Encarnação (Sporting).
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