SAO PAULO (AP) — It was the 100th minute of a physical and tense game in the quarterfinals of the women's Olympic soccer tournament. Sweden was moving the ball dangerously down the right flank when, out of nowhere, a Brazilian player came sprinting to make a perfectly timed sliding tackle.
The player was 38-year-old Miraildes Maciel Mota, known simply as Formiga, or 'ant' in Portuguese, a nickname that she picked up because of her tireless and hard-working style of play.
It was another typical piece of defense from the veteran midfielder, who was all over the field on Friday to help Brazil defeat Sweden on penalties and stay on track to win its first gold medal in women's soccer.