Defending champion Brazil's dominant first half secures spot in Copa America Femenina final
Amanda Gutierres opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Giovana Queiroz doubled the lead two minutes later and six-time player of the year Marta converted on a penalty kick in the 27th for the Brazilians, who have won the past four editions of the Copa America.
Gutierres added a goal in the 65th off a free kick, giving her five for the tournament. She's behind only Paraguay's Claudia Martinez, who has six. Dudinha finished off the scoring in the 86th.
Brazil will play for the championship next Saturday against Colombia, which progressed to the final by edging Argentina 5-4 on penalty kicks on Monday. The match will be played at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, in the capital Quito.
It will be a rematch of the final of the 2022 Copa America Femenina that was played in Colombia and that Brazil won 1-0.
The 39-year-old Marta, who has played in six World Cups and six Olympics, has 120 goals in 205 games with Brazil.
The Brazilian women have won eight of the nine editions of the Copa America and are considered the best team in South America. Their best finish at the World Cup was runner-up in 2007 and they have reached the Olympic final three times, including in Paris 2024, where they lost to the U.S.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
20 minutes ago
- USA Today
LSU football's Zavion Thomas named to Paul Hornung Award watchlist
LSU football's Zavion Thomas was named to the Paul Hornung Award watchlist on Thursday. The award is presented annually to college football's most versatile player. Former LSU playmaker Odell Beckham earned recognition in 2013 after contributing as a wide receiver, kick returner, and punt returner. Thomas, rostered as a wide receiver, also serves as a return specialist. The senior earned a spot on the AP's preseason All-SEC second team for his success on special teams. In 2024, he averaged 26.4 yards per kick return and even scored a touchdown. Before joining the Tigers in 2024, Thomas recorded two standout seasons as a return specialist at Mississippi State. He accumulated 365 yards between kick and punt returns in 2023, finishing the year with 891 all-purpose yards. He increased that number to 993 all-purpose yards last year. Thomas will face increased competition in the wide receiver room as LSU brought in multiple experienced Power Four pass catchers from the transfer portal. He caught 23 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns last year. Thomas has been working with the first group so far in training camp and LSU will look to get Thomas involved in different ways in 2025.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Generational swimming talents Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky clash in Olympics preview
In one of the most consequential non-Olympic races in years, all-time swimming great Katie Ledecky could face an unprecedented challenge Saturday from Canadian teen Summer McIntosh in an event the American has owned for more than a decade. The pair will compete in the 800-meter freestyle final of the swimming world championships, in a race that'll be streamed live on Peacock at 8:21 p.m. local time in Singapore (8:21 a.m. ET) "This will be the biggest race of this century, men or women, from outside of the Olympic format," three-time gold medalist and NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaine s told NBC News. "I don't know how you can get bigger than this." Gaines called the Ledecky the greatest female swimmer of all-time and McIntosh the best contemporary performer, saying both judgments are "not even close." The 28-year-old Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals on her mantle at home, nine of them colored gold. McIntosh, 18, took home three golds and a silver from in Paris last year. "Katie is the greatest of all time, absolutely, and it's not even close," Gaines said. "(McIntosh) is world swimmer of the year at the end of the year, regardless of what happens in the 800 (on Saturday). She's still the world swimmer of the year by far, nobody's even close." Both swimmers cruised through their qualifying heats Friday afternoon to formally qualify for Saturday's final. Ledecky will be in Lane 4 on Saturday, with McIntosh in 3 and Australia's Lani Pallister in 5. The grind of this long meet doesn't seem to be bothering McIntosh. "Honestly, I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to this morning," she said after her 800 heat. "I've been recovering really well. I mean, we're on Day 6? So I feel like this really promising." On the line in this millennial vs. Gen Z battle is Ledecky's death grip on the 800 free. Her domination of the race predates former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent residency at 24 Sussex and former White House occupant Barack Obama's second term. The Maryland native and niece of New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky took 800 gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, 2016 in Rio, 2021 in Tokyo and last summer near Paris. She's the only woman to win the same individual event at four Olympics, in any sport. The only other swimmer to pull off such a four-peat was American legend Michael Phelps, who took the 200 individual medley in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Ledecky has also won the 800 free six consecutive times at the world championships dating back to 2013. But Ledecky's air of 800 invincibility was dented last year when McIntosh, then just 17 years old, touched the wall first at at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 8. McIntosh opted against swimming in the 800 in France to concentrate on other events as she took gold in 200 butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley to become one of the breakout stars of last summer. The Toronto native and daughter of 1984 Canadian Olympic swimmer Jill Horstead is committed to swimming the 800 in Los Angeles and Saturday's splash against Ledecky could serve as a tantalizing preview of that potential Olympics clash. Ledecky has shown no signs of slowing down. Earlier this week, she scooped up gold in the 1,500 free and a bronze in the 400 free won by McIntosh.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Drake Maye Looking For Balance As Patriots' Dual-Threat Quarterback
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye totaled 2,276 passing yards and 421 rushing yards during his rookie season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Drake Maye hopes to remain a passer longer in 2025. The former No. 3 overall pick hopes to keep eyes downfield when outside the pocket. Whether it be by air or by ground, he hopes for explosive plays. But putting the defense under duress can also put the quarterback under duress. The New England Patriots are managing that fine line. 'I think it's an even balance of gaining an extra hat,' Maye said of the team's philosophy with his scrambling following Thursday's training camp walkthrough. 'Having the quarterback be able to run the football, you get an extra number and you make it 11-on-11 instead of 10-on-11. I think it's always useful.' That numbers game had a hand in Maye's rookie season in Foxborough. Across 13 appearances, including 12 starts, the North Carolina product turned 54 carries into a pair of touchdowns and 421 yards under previous offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Among quarterbacks around the league, the lone rushers to finish ahead of him were Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, Anthony Richardson, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson. 'I think, at the end of the day, I'll make some plays kind of off schedule anyway,' added Maye, who is now under the watch of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. 'But mixing in the quarterback run game is something I'm open to, and I think it's always tough when a defense has to cover that and keep that in mind.' A long of 41 yards was logged by Maye. Just 14 yards on resigned run plays were, however, according to Pro Football Focus. There was reason for caution. Maye entered the NFL's concussion protocol last October against the New York Jets and was cleared in time to face the Tennessee Titans as the calendar turned to November. He later entered the blue medical tent to be evaluated for head injury in December versus the Los Angeles Chargers, yet returned to the field after missing one series. A right hand issue also surfaced on the injury report late in the year. The dual-threat quarterback was sacked 34 times by January while completing 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards. Fifteen touchdowns were thrown. Ten interceptions, too. He moves forward in a quarterback room featuring veteran backup Joshua Dobbs and undrafted free agent Ben Wooldridge. 'We don't need to run over every player on defense, nor should we try,' head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters during his Wednesday press conference when asked about signal-callers stressing defenses with their legs. 'It's critical that those plays are available to us, and we do a good job of picking and choosing the appropriate time. And then, when they do have the football in their hands, they have to, one, be able to secure it and be able to protect themselves and use the rules to their advantage. 'Being able to give themselves up is something that's critical, and I get that a lot of these young players, they feel like they're fearless, and that's great. But we just have to make sure that we're making great decisions.' Playing fearless while also playing for another down, Maye understands that 17 games are needed. 'I think that's important,' the 22-year-old Pro Bowl alternate said. 'I faced that in college my first year. I was really kind of running around, doing some stuff I probably shouldn't have out there with pads on. I think just taking care of my body and being smart, knowing when it's third down or near the end zone. Like, I'm 6-5, 230 pounds, go get something.'
