Ex-USWNT Manager Pia Sundhage Named Brazil's Women's Coach
Brazil has hired former U.S. women's national team head coach Pia Sundhage as its new women's national team coach, replacing Vadão, who was let go following the 2019 Women's World Cup. Sundhage has been hired with an eye on leading Brazil at the Olympics–something she's won twice with the USA.
Sundhage coached the U.S. from 2008–2012, which included a second-place finish at the 2011 Women's World Cup in addition to her two Olympic gold medals. She ended with a 91-10-6 record before stepped down to take over her native Sweden in 2012. She coached that team until 2017 before taking over the Swedish Under-17 team in 2018. She earned a silver medal with Sweden in the Olympics in 2016–which included a famous win over the USA in penalties in the quarterfinals–and finished with a 20-8-11 record.
Vadão took over the Brazilian squad for the first time in 2014 and coached through 2016. At the 2015 Women's World Cup, he led his squad to the round of 16 and earned a fourth-place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games. He then returned after 10 months in 2017 and led the team to his second Women's World Cup. This year, Brazil reached the round of 16, before losing that match to France 2–1 in extra time.
Brazil qualified for the 2020 Olympics by virtue of its triumph at the 2018 Copa America and will compete in Japan next summer.
"I'm very happy for this opportunity. Brazil is a fantastic football country, full of talented players whom I look forward to getting to know and work with," Sundhage told Svensk Fotboll. "The national team is in an exciting phase right now - you need, at least to some extent, a change of generation, while you have qualified for the Olympics next year."
