Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva

Infobox Football biography
playername = Cristiane
fullname = Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva


height = Height|m=1.68
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|5|15
cityofbirth = Osasco, São Paulo
countryofbirth = Brazil
currentclub = Corinthians
clubnumber = 11
position = Forward
years = 0
0
2005–2006
2006–2007
2008–2008
2008-
clubs = São Bernardo
Clube Atlético Juventus
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
VfL Wolfsburg
Linköpings FC
Corinthians
caps(goals) =
nationalyears = 2003–
nationalteam = Brazil
nationalcaps(goals) = 038 0(25)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva (born May 15, 1985 in Osasco, São Paulo), better known as Cristiane, is a Brazilian women's football player. She currently plays for Brazilian club Corinthians.

Career

Cristiane started her career at the local football clubs São Bernardo and Clube Atlético Juventus in São Paulo. At the age of 15, she debuted for the Brazil Under-19 team and took part in both the 2002 U-19 Women's World Championship in Canada and the 2004 U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand; Brazil finished fourth in both tournaments. [http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=648398.html Cristiane: Power and commitment] . "FIFA.com". November 29, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008.] In 2003, Cristiane scored one goal during one appearance as a substitute, when Brazil successfully defended their title at the Sudamericano Femenino. [ [http://conmebol.com/competiciones_evento_reporte.jsp?evento=1078&ano=2003&dv=B&flt=A&id=14&slangab=S Sudamericano Femenino - 2003] . "Conmebol.com". April 27, 2003. Retrieved February 19, 2008.] She was also part of the squad for the 2003 Women's World Cup, appearing as a substitute in all four of Brazil's matches.

Cristiane had her international breakthrough at the Olympic football tournament in Athens 2004. [ [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=509/edition=7894/news/newsid=93891.html Cristiane, the angel who came off the bench] . "FIFA.com". August 23, 2004. Retrieved February 19, 2008.] Brazil reached the final, which they lost to the United States, but still achieved their biggest international success until then, by winning the Olympic silver medal. With five goals, Cristiane was honored as the tournament’s top scorer.

In February 2005, Cristiane transferred from Atlético Juventus to the German women's Bundesliga club 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam. During the 2005-06 season she won the Bundesliga title and the German cup competition with Potsdam, although she was often used as a substitute and had difficulties to adjust to the physical play in Germany. In the following season she was transferred to the league rival VfL Wolfsburg, where she scored seven goals during the 2006-07 season, [http://www.vflwolfsburg.de/50116.html Gelingt der Anschluss an die Spitzengruppe?] . "VfL Wolfsburg". Retrieved February 19, 2008. de icon] but her problems to adapt to the style of play in Germany continued. In August 2007, Cristiane did not renew her contract in Wolfsburg and returned to Brazil to support the newly created Brazilian cup competition, the Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino. [ [http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=663125.html Cristiane: It's an honour] . "FIFA.com". December 17, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008.]

Cristiane was the top scorer at the 2006 Sudamericano Femenino with 12 goals, even though Brazil competed with a weakened team and only finished second behind Argentina for the first time after four consecutive title defenses. In 2007, she scored eight goals at the Pan American Games, hosted by Brazil. In the final, the Brazilian national team defeated the United States Under-20 squad before a crowd of 68,000 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2007-07-28-1953406844_x.htm Pele congratulates Brazilian Pan Ams star Marta] . "USA Today". July 28, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008.]

At the 2007 Women's World Cup Cristiane was voted the third-best player of the tournament. She scored five goals and she was the second best scorer of her team next to her strike partner, Marta. Brazil reached the Women's World Cup final for the first time which they lost to defending champions Germany. Cristiane came in third for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Professional_Soccer King Kaka and Marta crowned] . "FIFA.com". December 17, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008.]

In February 2008, she signed a five months contract until the Summer Olympics with the Swedish Damallsvenskan club Linköpings FC. [ [http://dandal.webblogg.se/1202846253_linkping_signs_cristi.html Linköping signs Cristiane and Daniela] . "Damallsvenskan Newsblog". February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2008.]

On 21st August 2008 in the Beijing Olympics, Cristiane was substituted in what looked like a repeat of the 2004 Olympics Women's Football final in that Brazil once again lost to the USA team in the final to end up with the silver. The match ended 1 - 0 after extra time.

On August 28, 2008, Cristiane joined Corinthians to play in Campeonato Paulista.cite web | title = Corinthians contrata Cristiane para time feminino | url=http://www.estadao.com.br/esportes/not_esp232554,0.htm | accessdate = 2008-08-30 | date = 2008-08-28 | language=Portuguese | publisher=Estadão ] On August 30, 2008, during her debut as a Corinthians player, she scored her first goal for the club, helping her team beat São José 3-1 for the Campeonato Paulista.cite web | title = Cristiane marca na estréia pelo Corinthians | url=http://oglobo.globo.com/esportes/mat/2008/08/30/cristiane_marca_na_estreia_pelo_corinthians-548022510.asp | accessdate = 2008-08-30 | date = 2008-08-30 | language=Portuguese | publisher=O Globo Online ]

On September 24, 2008, the Womens Professional Soccer rights to Cristiane were acquired by the Chicago Red Stars. [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Professional_Soccer Red Stars draft 4; will they sign?] ]

Honours

National team
* Runner-up at the Women's World Cup: 2007
* Gold medal at the Pan American Games: 2007
* Silver medal at the Summer Olympics: 2004 and 2008
* Sudamericano Femenino: 2003

Club football
* Bundesliga Champion: 2006

Personal achievements
* Third place FIFA World Player of the Year award: 2007
* Third-best player at the Women's World Cup: 2007
* Top scorer at the Sudamericano Femenino: 2006
* Top scorer at the Summer Olympics: 2004 (where Brazil lost 1 - 2 to eventual Gold winners USA) and 2008 (Brazil lost 0-1 to USA in the final).

References

External links

* [http://www.fifa.com/womenworldcup/teams/team=1882881/players/player=190362.html Profile at FIFA.com]
* [http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/videos/player.html#id=663053 Video of an interview at FIFA headquarters in December 2007] pt icon
* [http://www.linkopingfc.com/index.php?playerid=43 Profile at Linköpings FC] sv icon
* [http://www.ffc-turbine.de/portraet.php?id=49 Profile at her previous club, 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam] de icon