On Tuesday night, under the bright lights of the Maracana Stadium, Brazil take on Sweden for a place in the Olympic final of the women's football tournament.It is time for Brazil to go from hopefuls to heroines.In just about every sport throughout this Rio Olympics, the crowd support has been fantastic, from the fans booing judges at the gymnastics when a score is deemed too low to the partisan crowd cheering on Rafael Nadal against Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.In the football tournament, things on the men's side didn't quite start as the host nation would have hoped, with goalless draws against Iraq and South Africa. Luckily, the women's team, led by their inspirational captain, picked up the baton and showed what a Brazilian team was capable of doing.Marta Vieira da Silva, better known as just Marta, has bounced back from a poor FIFA World Cup in Canada last summer to capture the imagination of the home nation, something that never seemed possible in the past.Amazingly, it was illegal to play women's football in Brazil from 1941 to 1979,as the ruling military dictatorship declared that the game was incompatible with the female form.The current league system, the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino, was only founded in 2013. Sponsored by Caixa Economica Federal, the second-largest government-owned financial institution in Latin America, costs are covered, but sponsorship and media opportunities are scarce.Brazil's stars don't play locally; they can't. The financial reward is just not enough. Marta was discovered playing for Vasco da Gama 16 years ago, and after four years in Brazil she moved to Europe, joining Swedish side Umea IK.She has covered the globe playing the beautiful game, from Los Angeles to New York, with a 12-game spell for Santos squeezed in between. However, the majority of her formative years have been spent in Sweden. So it's fascinating that Sweden will be Brazil's opponents on Tuesday and the team standing in the way of Olympic gold.All eyes will be firmly placed on Marta during the semi-final. She is the talisman, the heart of the team, and with every game that passes, it seems that perceptions in the country are changing.Brazil put in a superb performance in the opening game against China. Winning 3-0, the goals were spread through the team, and Marta was involved in nearly everything they did well. Cristiane, not to be forgotten, scored the third in injury time, securing her spot as the all-time top scorer in women's Olympic football.The best was yet to come, as Brazil destroyed Tuesday's opponents in the group stage, 5-1. Sweden couldn't cope with the pressure, speed and ferocity of Brazil's attacks.Forward Beatriz was on fire, scoring twice. Marta set up Cristian for her second of the tournament and added two herself. Brazil were untouchable.With qualification secured, the last group game, played in the searing humidity of Manaus, ended 0-0 against South Africa, but it was job done for manager Vadao's scintillating team.Playing in the quarter-finals, things were much tighter for the host nation against Australia. The Matildas put up a fight, and Brazil, try as they might, couldn't find a way through. Lydia Williams' amazing save at the end of the game showed the levels of effort needed to stop the waves of Brazilian blue in attack.The game would go to penalties, and Brazil needed a hero. This time, it wouldn't be Marta, who missed her spot kick. Goalkeeper Barbara would step up, saving first from Katrina Gorry, then Alanna Kennedy to book Brazils place in the semis.Now, they set up a repeat of the group games against USA conquerors Sweden in front of what will be a packed Maracana stadium.Ive never even dreamed about it. I never thought I could play at the Maracana, the impressive Andressa Alves admitted to FIFA.com. Its going to be an amazing moment, and I dont think Ill be able to put it into words. The Maracana is the symbol of Brazilian football. Zico, Ronaldo, everybody... Ive got to be there to see what its like.Alves, who was excellent against China and then in the match with Australia, knows that they can't take too much from routing the Swedes last week:Swedens going to be a very tough match. It doesnt matter that we beat them 5-1 in the first phase. They played really well against the USA and theyll play really well against us.Weve got things clear in our heads. Why' Because the fans and the country are motivating us so much. Were working hard because the fans are infusing us with all this energy. Weve got a lot of people behind us and that makes all the difference. Ive never played in front of so many people.With every goalless performance the men had early on, the amazing displays from the women's team attracted more and more attention, leading to the iconic image of the little boy who decided he didn't want a No. 10 shirt with Neymar's name on the back, but rather Marta's.That would have never happened only a few years ago, and similarly, neither would a Brazil women's national team game being played at the most legendary stadium in the country.It gives me goose bumps," continued Alves."Its very exciting for me. The guys always get to play in front of 50 or 60,000 people, but we dont. Here, were getting those crowds everywhere. And now weve got the Maracana, where theres going to be even more."Before Marta, the star of the team was Sissi. She helped her country to a third-place finish at the 1999 FIFA World Cup, finished as joint-top scorer and picked up the Silver Ball trophy as the tournaments best player.She was the role model before Marta took over, but there is no jealousy or resentment between the stars of two different generations."I met her when I was playing for Vasco da Gama as a professional and she was in the youth ranks. You could tell even back then that she was a special player, different class, Sissi told FIFA.com:The fans think that there's competition between the two of us, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Our styles are totally different. She was born with a gift and I respect her hugely. Every generation has its icons and Marta is the best possible standard-bearer for Brazilian women's football right now.The great hope for these Olympics is that no matter what the men achievethey have also made the semi-finalsthis home performance provides the girls of Brazil with a number of role models to idolise and try to emulate.A successful womens team, perhaps finishing with a gold medal, could inspire the next generation of stars. It could provide Brazil with not just the next Marta, but the next Barbara, Rafaelle, Andressa Alves and Cristiane, plus an improved platform for that next generation to shine.That would be the real legacy from these Olympic Games.
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