Mother's influence and the best season of her career: Dany Helena talks about football and Flamengo
On the official website, the 2018 top scorer commented on her time at Mais Querido, the awards and the expectations for another year
By Mariana Sa - inFlamengo/Marinha returned to training last week and begins preparing for the start of the 2019 season, with a view to competing in the Brazilian Championship, the State Championship, and the World Military Games. After receiving an offer to join the Chinese soccer team, midfielder Dany Helena stayed with the World's Most Beloved and now only thinks about one thing: winning, winning, winning. The number 27 spoke exclusively to the official website about her soccer career, the country's top scorer award, and the year ahead.
"I played for several teams, and each one taught me something. I was very happy with all of them, and I'm pleased to have played for each one. Cresspom-DF was in Brasília, my home state, but it was a team I couldn't make it to the professional level with. I worked during the day and could only train at night two or three times a week. That's why I decided to leave. Everyone dreams of winning titles; I had this desire to play for bigger teams. I had the opportunity to play for Kindermann for six months and grew a lot. Then I played in the Women's Libertadores for Foz Cataratas, competing in my first international competition. Then I ended up at Iranduba, but I didn't perform very well. I ended up here at Flamengo and had the best year of my career, scoring more goals and being able to prepare better. The structure and professionals are very good, the club's name gave me a lot of visibility, and Marinha gives me everything, I have no complaints. Here we have everything we need to be high-level athletes. What matters is not just my performance, but how they prepared me to get to this point. The Navy, Flamengo, the professionals, the players. It was everyone's contribution that helped me stand out last year," Dany explained.
At 26, Danyelle Helena da Silva Lima is one of the few in the sport who can say that her own home influenced her to pursue a career in women's soccer. A native of Brasília, she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Márcia, who was also a longtime athlete.
"My mother was an athlete, and perhaps that's why she's always supported me. I have no complaints about that. My parents and family have always been very supportive, taking me to training. It's very gratifying to have that, because many people don't have that support because of machismo, because they think girls can't play soccer. I'm very happy to have them with me always, even from afar. They were supposed to come here this month, but they'll wait for the start of the Brazilian Championship. It's a privilege that few people in women's soccer have, but I managed to have it," said the player, who has a degree in Physical Education and was only able to truly invest in the sport after graduation.
Last season, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) held the first Brasileirão Feminino Awards. In a ceremony attended by the biggest names in men's football, the year's best players received their well-deserved recognition. Flamengo's and Brazil's top scorer, Dany Helena, received the Golden Boot, as well as the trophy for best forward of 2018. "It was a magical year for me. I was so happy because it was something I'd never experienced before. I'm so grateful to God for everything, for this opportunity. I had all the conditions throughout the year to get where I am. Winning these awards for Flamengo, one of the greatest teams in Brazil, is a huge honor. Many people heard about it, and I received thousands of messages. It was really cool. It was a wonderful year, and I hope to dedicate myself even more to having an even better year, achieving even greater things with the Manto," celebrated the midfielder.
Along with Lucas Paquetá, Renê, and Everton Ribeiro, Dany represented the Rubro-Negro on this important night for the national sport. "We're their fans, we follow men's soccer a lot. Seeing that you're being awarded alongside great stars from Brazil and around the world is an honor. My father went with me and was very happy to be there. It's a really cool atmosphere. Being awarded alongside people like that is a source of even greater pride. I hope to be there again this season, helping Flamengo win the Brazilian Championship title," she said.
For women's soccer, Queen Marta's presence at the Brasileirão Awards was a significant milestone. A few months later, another event further enriched the sport in Brazil: the return of striker Cristiane to the country, this time playing for São Paulo. "It's very good, especially for women's soccer. Normally these athletes play outside of Brazil, so we're fans, we get to see them play for the national team, but we don't have such close contact. I hope we can do well against big teams. Marta is a total inspiration; it was an honor to meet her. Cristiane is an inspiration because she's similar to my position. So it's very positive for the sport. The rule that all Série A teams need a women's team to play in the Libertadores helps even more, as it gives opportunities to many players who wouldn't otherwise have a place. I'm honored to be on a big team with a great structure," said Dany Helena.
Looking ahead to 2019, the season kicks off strong in March. "It's going to be a very difficult year, with a lot of hard work, but this team has consistently shown that there's no shortage of that here. There's no shortage of dedication, discipline, and desire. Last year we were missing a title, but we fought and fought hard. I hope this year we can win the Brazilian Championship, the Carioca Championship, and the Military Games, achieving the treble," said the number 27.
The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo women's soccer team relies on resources from its sponsors – Caixa and Avon – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and the State Incentive Law/State Secretariat of Sports, Leisure and Youth (Seelje) of Rio de Janeiro.