Breakers’ Rafinha World Cup Bound
- Updated: June 5, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
It turns out that Alyssa Naeher won’t be the only Breakers player taking the global stage this summer.
Midfielder Rafinha received a late call from Brazilian National Team coach Vadão to represent the country at the upcoming Women’s World Cup after defender Erika suffered an injury.
“Obviously, we’ll miss her, but I’m tickled to death for her,” Breakers coach Tom Durkin said in a team release on Friday. “We were about to move her up into a striker role, and I’m pretty sure that’s where she will play for Brazil.”
The 26-year-old midfielder has played six games for the Breakers this year, and serves as the club’s set piece specialist.
At the National Team level, she scored both goals in a 2-1 win over South Africa in the bronze medal match of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia. She was also a member of Brazil’s 2008 U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad in Chile.
But according to Durkin, it was Rafinha’s time spent with the Breakers this season that made her a strong candidate for making Brazil’s World Cup roster.
“The national team’s coach (Vadão) was over the moon with the form she showed, her fitness and the improvements she made from a physical standpoint while she was with the Breakers,” Durkin said. “So, she has really benefited from playing in the states and in this league, we couldn’t be more proud of that.”
Brazil will kick off its World Cup campaign on Tuesday when they face Costa Rica.
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