Ary Borges hat-trick against Panama gives Brazil perfect start in World Cup
Ary Borges hat-trick against Panama gives Brazil perfect start in World Cup Reuters Mon 24 Jul 2023 14.22 BST 1 Ary Borges scored a hat-trick on her Women’s World Cup debut to help Brazil thrash debutants Panama 4-0 at the Hindmarsh stadium in Adelaide on Monday and get their campaign off to a winning start.
Brazil opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Debinha’s floated cross was turned in at the back post by Ary Borges, who looked close to tears as she celebrated. She then netted her second of the match 20 minutes, poking in a rebound after having a header saved by goalkeeper Yenith Bailey.
The Brazilians turned on the style in the second half as Ary Borges set up Bia Zaneratto with a backheel flick for the third, before the 23-year-old headed home to become the first Brazilian player to score a hat-trick in their first-ever World Cup match.
The result takes eighth-ranked Brazil to the top of Group F, after France were held to a 0-0 draw by Jamaica on Sunday.
Earlier, Popp scored twice as Germany thrashed Morocco 6-0 to launch their Women's World Cup title bid in style Monday, while Italy triumphed in a feisty encounter with Argentina thanks to an 87th-minute winner.
The lower-ranked teams at the first 32-team Women's World Cup have generally held their own so far, indicating a closing of the gap in women's international football.
But two-time champions Germany blew away Morocco -- the first Arab team at a Women's World Cup -- in Melbourne to record the biggest win of the tournament so far.
The Germans are among the favourites once again, along with holders the United States, England, Spain and France, and they showed why with a clinical performance in front of a near sell-out crowd of more than 27,000.
In their
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