Andressa has spent about a quarter of her life as a professional or senior level player and the 21-year-old is not satisfied with what she’s achieved so far.
“I was usually the youngest player on every team I’ve played for and I’ve never really thought that age influences the way a player approaches the game,” the midfielder said. “My approach has always been to leave everything on the field and that hasn’t changed. I want to do my best and win with my teammates.”
The Roque Gonzales, Brazil native won the 2015 Pan American Games in Canada with her national team and finished second in the Algarve Cup earlier this year.
Dash head coach Randy Waldrum expects Andressa to make the final cut for Brazil’s National Team that will host the Olympic Games later this year. Waldrum recently lauded the midfielder’s progress and an improved element of her game.
“The one thing that has really impressed me so far is her effort in the offseason and this season to come back and do the work defensively. This league is very physical and it is a very athletic league. Sometimes, the foreign players have a tough time adjusting to that,” Waldrum said. “I’ve been very impressed with her defensively this year, the work she does on both sides of the ball has improved from the same time last year with her. I think that just shows her professionalism and her growth and what it takes to compete at this particular level.”
Waldrum added that Andressa’s development has made the transition to the National Women’s Soccer League less rigorous due to her international experience.
“Most players her age are still playing in college here in the U.S. and the moment they go into Orlando with twenty thousand plus, Portland or even here at home with the crowds that we have can be pretty intimidating for young players,” Waldrum said. “That experience with her national team, playing in youth world cups and other tournaments – she has been there and done that. It is very good to have that kind of experience at such a young age.”
Other clubs have noticed her progress and struggled to effectively mark the midfielder. Andressa has suffered 11 fouls this season which is tied for second most in the league. She suffered a career-high six fouls on April 29 in a 0-0 draw with Sky Blue FC.
“Every player has their own special quality that brought them to this team or to the league. I was brought here because of my skill and productivity in the midfield,” Andressa said. “The fouls and additional attention are part of the game, we understand that.”
The next team tasked with containing Andressa is the Orlando Pride on Friday night. The midfielder scored her first goal for the Dash against Orlando last April. As the two teams faceoff for the first time at BBVA Compass Stadium the midfielder emphasized the lessons the team learned from its first tango with Alex Morgan and company.
“That was a game that we expected to win,” the midfielder said. “Things didn’t pan out but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves since that game. We will be ready for a good contest on Friday night.”
