RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Brazilians are a step away from a shot at Olympic gold, and nothing could make the host nation's fans happier.
Women's soccer has not traditionally been popular in Brazil, but Marta and her teammates have been capturing hearts as they've traveled across the country en route to a semifinal match against Sweden at the Maracana Stadium on Tuesday.
Some fans have even replaced Neymar's name on their No. 10 jerseys with Marta's.
"We are aware of the pressures," Brazil coach Vadao said through a translator on Monday. "The result has to be a gold because that's a need for women's football.