Pretinha

Delma Gonçalves (born 19 May 1975), commonly known as Pretinha, is a Brazilian professional soccer coach and former forward. A longtime member of the Brazil national team, for whom she debuted in 1991, she played for clubs in Brazil, the United States and Japan before moving to Icheon Daekyo of South Korea's WK-League in 2009.

With the Brazilian national team, Pretinha participated in four World Cups; in China (1991), Sweden (1995), United States (1999), and China (2007). She has also played in four Olympic Games; in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008). She won silver medals from the 2004 and 2008 Olympic tournaments.

When the American professional Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) started in 2001, Pretinha and compatriot Roseli were assigned to Washington Freedom in the inaugural draft. Pretinha scored the only goal in the league's first ever match; a second half penalty kick at the Bay Area CyberRays. With four goals in her first five games Pretinha led the early season scoring charts, she finished the campaign with five goals having played in all 21 league games. At the end of the inaugural season Washington traded Pretinha to the CyberRays.

During her first season with her new club in 2002, coach Ian Sawyers handed Pretinha a deeper midfield role. In June 2003 she scored twice at Washington Freedom to salvage a draw for the CyberRays against her old club. The team's top-goalscorer, Pretinha missed the culmination of the CyberRays' 2003 campaign after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during an international friendly between Brazil and the United States in July 2003.

With the collapse of WUSA and the lack of structure in Brazil women's football, Pretinha was without a club while recuperating from her injury. She played in the Athens Olympics as a free agent, then joined Japanese L. League team INAC Kobe Leonessa in 2005. In March 2009 she joined Icheon Daekyo, becoming the first foreign professional to join the new WK-League in South Korea.

In China Pretinha featured in Brazil's last two group games; being unused in the 1–0 win over Japan then playing as a substitute in defeats by the United States (0–5) and Sweden (0–2). The Brazil women's national team did not play another match for over three years, until a sponsorship from Maizena corn starch allowed them to play in the 1995 South American Women's Football Championship. Pretinha remained in the squad, one of 10 Vasco players to be included, and scored six goals in Brazil's successful campaign.

At the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden, Pretinha scored in a 2–1 defeat by Japan. Brazil finished at the bottom of Group A, but qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics on account of England having no agreement to represent Great Britain. At the Olympics Pretinha was the joint-top goalscorer with four goals, as Brazil finished in fourth place after a 3–2 defeat in the bronze medal match by Norway.

Still playing for Vasco da Gama, Pretinha remained a key player for Brazil at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. A tournament preview on the SoccerTimes.com website pointed out she had scored two goals in each of her previous two games and called her: "a force at midfield or forward". She was a member of the Brazil team that participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and again finished in fourth place.

The knee injury sustained by Pretinha in July 2003 ruled her out of Brazil's squad for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. Despite being without a club, she was restored to the national team for the 2004 Athens Olympics. She scored in both the 1–0 semi-final win over Sweden and the 2–1 overtime final defeat by the United States, as Brazil collected silver medals.

She remained in the national selection for the 2007 Pan American Games, but was predominantly a reserve player. She was disappointed not to start the final, staged at Maracanã Stadium in her home city, but did come on as a late substitute. She was a substitute in the final, which Brazil lost 2–0 to Germany.

Pretinha participated at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She won another silver medal when Brazil lost the final 1–0 after extra time to the United States. That was her final contribution at national team level, until she was called up six years later, aged 39, for a friendly match in France.

International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 8 January 1995 Uberlândia, Brazil ?–0 13–0 1995 South American Women's Football Championship 2. ?–0 3. ?–0 4. ?–0 5. 14 January 1995 4–0 8–0 6. 8–0 7. 7 June 1995 Karlstad, Sweden 1–0 1–2 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup 8. 21 July 1996 Washington, D.C., United States 1–1 2–2 1996 Summer Olympics 9. 2–2 10. 23 July 1996 Birmingham, United States 2–0 2–0 11. 28 July 1996 Athens, United States 2–1 2–3 12. 6 March 1998 Mar del Plata, Argentina ?–0 14–0 1998 South American Women's Football Championship 13. 15 March 1998 4–0 7–1 14. 15 September 1998 Oneonta, United States 1–? 2–2 1998 Women's U.S. Cup 15. 2–? 16. 18 September 1998 Rochester, United States ?–0 11–0 17. ?–0 18. ?–0 19. ?–0 20. 19 June 1999 East Rutherford, United States 1–0 7–1 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup 21. 2–1 22. 7–1 23. 13 September 2000 Melbourne, Australia 1–0 2–0 2000 Summer Olympics 24. 23 April 2003 Lima, Peru 2–0 3–2 2003 South American Women's Football Championship 25. 25 April 2003 2–0 3–0 26. 27 April 2003 1–0 12–0 27. 2–0 28. 17 August 2004 Patras, Greece 1–0 7–0 2004 Summer Olympics 29. 23 August 2004 1–0 1–0 30. 26 August 2004 Piraeus, Greece 1–1 1–2 31. 18 July 2007 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8–0 10–0 2007 Pan American Games 32. 20 September 2007 Hangzhou, China 1–0 1–0 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup

Coaching career In February 2022 Pretinha became an assistant coach at her former club Vasco da Gama.