Sereias da Vila and their first Libertadores

Guilherme Guarche, from the Memory Center

On October 18, 2009, the Sereias da Vila made history by winning the inaugural Copa Libertadores of Women’s Football. The generation led by Marta and Cristiane sent viewing figures for the women’s game soaring and packed stadiums across Brazil, including, of course, Vila Belmiro for the grand final.

The Sereias represented Brazil in this first-ever edition after winning the Copa do Brasil in 2008. The tournament featured ten teams—one from each CONMEBOL member country—and was hosted in three cities in São Paulo state: Santos, Guarujá, and São Paulo.

Drawn into two groups, the teams played each other once, with the top two in each group advancing to the semifinals. Santos made their title credentials clear from the outset: they won every match in the opening stage, including crushing 12–0 and 11–0 victories, with star striker Cristiane scoring five times in each of those games.

In the semifinal, also a single-match tie at Pacaembu, Santos faced Colombia’s Formas Íntimas. More than seven thousand Santos fans turned out to cheer on the Peixe. Dominant from start to finish, the Sereias lived up to their billing as favorites with a dazzling display, dispatching the Colombian side 5–0 with goals from Maurine, Cristiane (2), Aline Pellegrino, and Marta.

The grand final pitted Santos against Paraguay’s Universidad Autónoma, who also boasted a perfect record. With tickets in high demand, Vila Belmiro welcomed more than 14,000 fans on a historic Sunday morning.

Despite the absence of the suspended Cristiane, coach Kleiton Lima fielded the following lineup: Andréia Suntaque, Aline Pellegrino (Pikena), Carol Arruda, Janaína, and Dani; Ester, Fran, Maurine, and Érika (Suzana); Marta and Thais (Ketlen).

The string of emphatic victories continued in the final. In the 13th minute, Maurine opened the scoring with a header. Shortly afterward, Queen Marta doubled the lead with a perfect free kick. In the second half, the Peixe’s physical and technical superiority unleashed an avalanche: four goals in just 12 minutes, scored by Érika (twice), Fran, and Thais. Marta then pulled off some stepovers and set up Suzana for the seventh, before Dani fired a beautiful shot into the top corner.

To put the finishing touch on the 9–0 scoreline, young Ketlen, just 17 years old, took a pass from Marta and slotted the ball into the net. In that moment, the teenager scored one of the most important goals of her career, paving the way to becoming the Sereias da Vila’s all-time leading scorer. An everlasting triumph that cemented Santos Futebol Clube’s status as the great pioneer of women’s football in Brazil.

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