As a child Juliana played street football with her brother, sometimes telling their disapproving mother that she was only taking part as the referee. At 10 or 11 years old she joined a team of footballing models run by the Flash Book modeling agency, which already contained Milene Domingues.[2][3]
She progressed to playing for Saad Esporte Clube at 14 years old,[4] then joined São Paulo FC where she won state and national titles.[5] She was disappointed when São Paulo FC closed their women's section in 2000:[6]
It was very sad, after Sydney the clubs closed their doors; sponsorships disappeared, and therefore the promoters of the championships. Our best players went to the U.S., and female football was almost extinguished here.
She returned to Saad EC in October 2006, following a spell in the United States which had been disrupted by a foot injury.[9]
Juliana also represented Palestra, Corinthians, Vasco, São Bernardo and Jaguariúna at club level.[10] While playing for the latter in a training match against boys in April 2007 she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which curtailed transfer negotiations she had been undertaking with English and Spanish clubs.[11]
In 2008 Juliana captained Corinthians and was unhappy when the club subsequently disbanded their women's section in March 2009.[12] The disappointment brought about her playing retirement from football.[13]
At the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Juliana was among eight players of Brazil's 20-player squad who were contracted to São Paulo FC.[16] She became a regular starting player as Brazil came third.[2] She was also a member of the Brazil team that participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and finished in fourth place.[17][18]
Juliana retained her place at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, in a much-changed Brazil squad.[19] She was the captain and ever-present as Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-final by Sweden.[20] She was still the national team captain for the 2004 Athens Olympics.[2] She played in the 2–1 overtime final defeat by the United States, as Brazil collected silver medals.[21]
Juliana characterised herself as a ball-playing but tough zagueira (transl. central defender), like Mauro Galvão or Carlos Gamarra.[23] She had started out as a midfielder, before being retrained as a defender by her Saad, São Paulo FC and Brazil coachZé Duarte.[10]
Having returned to fitness, Juliana was disappointed to be left out of Brazil's squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She felt the decision was a reaction to opinions she had voiced during her commentaries.[13]
References
^"Juliana Cabral". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL Medien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
