Back from injury, Giovana Canalli hails fresh Seleção start v USA

Back from injury, Giovana Canalli hails fresh Seleção start v USA

Giovana Canalli is back with Brazil’s Under-20 National Team, and this moment carries special meaning. It marks the beginning of an important new chapter in her career after tearing a knee ligament in February of last year.

“I got injured, tore my knee last year in February. And this is my first call-up since surgery,” she celebrated.

Canalli made her return to the Under-20 National Team last Saturday (11), in the first friendly against the United States. The forward, who came on in the second half, is already turning her attention to the next match: Brazil will face the Americans again this Wednesday (15) at 4 p.m. Brasília time, at Riverside Stadium, inside the Kansas City Current sports complex.

Giovanna Canalli makes her return to the Under-20 National Team in a friendly against the U.S. at CPKC Stadium Credits: Fabio Souza / CBF

Personality from the start

Born in Fortaleza, Giovana showed personality from a very early age. While still in school, she started out playing with boys and had to deal with resistance.

“I started playing well, dribbling past the boys, and that caused some discomfort. Some parents didn’t like it and took me off the team.”

Her response was action. Determined, she went from classroom to classroom at school inviting girls to form a women’s team. The initiative worked and earned her first title.

“We created the team, and I won my first trophy as top scorer.”

Giovana Canalli in training at the Kansas City Current training center for the second friendly against the U.S. Credits: Fabio Souza / CBF

Move to the U.S.

Her family’s move to the United States when she was 10 opened up a new world for Giovana. If she faced difficulties playing in Brazil, in her new country she found structure and opportunities.

“When I arrived, I went to a public field and saw several girls playing. That changed my perspective.”

Giovana began competing with other girls and quickly developed. From there, she started her path through youth teams. The forward stood out and opened the door to Brazil’s National Team. Her first call-up came in 2023, when she was 17. Shortly afterward, Giovana had a dream debut, scoring a goal in a 3-1 win over Belgium in a friendly played in Spain.

Today, Canalli studies Economics and stands out playing for the University of Virginia women’s team, the Virginia Cavaliers women’s soccer team, which competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), one of the strongest leagues in U.S. college soccer.

Giovana Canalli during Under-20 National Team training for the friendly against the U.S. at the Kansas City Current training centerCredits: Fabio Souza / CBF

With a background shaped by both Brazil and the United States, the forward believes she brings an important edge on the field. Her experience in college soccer has directly contributed to her development.

“Soccer in the United States is very physical and intense, but Brazil’s game has more personality, more grit. Today I feel like I have that mix.”

Even with the balance between academic and athletic life, her goal is clear: “My focus is professional soccer, for sure.”

To reach the senior national team, she is betting on her own identity.

“I need to keep my personality, trust myself, and keep contributing to the team,” she concluded.

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