Greise Kelly hails Brazil's composure in reaching U17 World Cup quarters

Named Player of the Match for the second time at the U-17 Women's World Cup, Greise Kelly was one of the standout performers as Brazil advanced past Poland this Wednesday (28) in Morocco. After a 3-3 draw in regulation time and a penalty shootout victory, the forward highlighted Brazil's mental strength in overcoming the pressure and securing a place in the quarterfinals. For Greise, who captained the side in the match, the ability to handle adversity was key to Brazil's comeback.

"It was a match with a lot of pressure, both for us and for all the players. We knew it wouldn't be easy because we had studied our opponents too. But it's nerve-racking—it really puts your heart through the wringer," she said.

Greise opens the scoring for Brazil against Poland in the World Cup round of 16 in MoroccoCredits: Fabio Souza / CBF

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Greise also highlighted the team's composure, especially amid the twists and turns of the second half. After falling behind, Brazil managed to respond, take the lead and remain competitive right through to the penalty shootout.

"When you step onto the pitch, you have to be mentally present. I think Brazil have shown a very strong mentality because, when we went 2-1 down less than 15 minutes into the second half, it was a situation where we needed to control the chaos, and we did that very well. Personally, I handled the chaos really well. It's no coincidence that I was named Player of the Match," she reflected.

Greise during the match against Poland in the U-17 World Cup round of 16 in Morocco Credits: Fabio Souza / CBF

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Player of the Match

Her second Player of the Match award in four games marks another special moment for Greise in the tournament. Against Poland, the forward opened the scoring for Brazil and was actively involved in other attacking moves, including the goals scored by Marcelinha and Pepê in the match that ended 3-3 in regulation time. Greise also converted her penalty in Brazil's 8-7 shootout victory. The forward celebrated the recognition but made a point of sharing the credit with her national team teammates.

"I'm incredibly happy to receive this award for the second time. I think there's a lot of hard work behind it. It's not just about me; it's always about them too," she concluded.

Brazil now await their quarterfinal opponents, who will be decided in the clash between China and France this Thursday (29).

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