Women’s soccer may be viewed as secondary to their male counterparts throughout Latin America. Yet in recent years women have made great strides to become more involved in “the beautiful game.” Virginia Tovar of Mexico, for instance, enjoyed a thirteen-year career as a pro soccer referee despite the occasional insults from fans and players. The Brazilian women’s national team has emerged as one of the world’s top squads though sides from Argentina and Colombia have gradually gained regional prominence.
In a unique example of female inclusion in Latin American soccer, Nelfi Ibanez Guerra of Bolivia is using her experience and training in order to try to lead a Peruvian club into the Andean country’s first division:
The road for women in soccer has been bumpy; for example, the widely successful Santos women’s team of Brazil ceased operations months ago reportedly in order to pay for the salary of star male player Neymar. But that road continues without a dead end in sight for women who wish to participate in one of the world’s most popular sports.
Video Source – YouTube via AFP
Online Sources – ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America, Mujer Futbol, Golcaracol.com, tribalfootball.com
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