In The Journey to the Cup, The Athletic tells the stories of players and teams as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we track their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Ary Borges arrived in Louisville at the end of January. The first day she was in town, the local weather was 17 degrees Fahrenheit. Back in her hometown of São Luís in the northeast of Brazil? 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the attacking midfielder. Talk about whiplash.
“I’m better now that the weather is warmer,” Borges said with a smile through her interpreter, Maristela. “I feel I’m adapting very well to the city.”
When she’s home, the Brazilian spends as much time as possible with her family in São Paulo, where they currently live. When they get together the group troops back up to São Luís, where they have a property by the beach, to see the rest of the family. She often plays soccer there with her seven-year-old brother, who, like any Brazilian child, loves soccer. It’s quite a bonus that his big sister is a professional athlete and a national team player.
It’s evident that Borges misses her family; they haven’t had the opportunity yet to visit her in the U.S. The…
