Rosana dos Santos Augusto’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Rosana dos Santos Augusto (born on 7 July 1982), commonly known as Rosana, is a Brazilian football left back or left winger who plays for the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League. She has previously played professionally for teams in Austria, France, Norway and the United States. Since making her debut for the Brazil women’s national football team in June 2000, she has won over a century of caps. She has participated in four FIFA Women’s World Cups and four editions of the Olympic Games.

Club career

Rosana played for several years in Brazil before moving to Austria in 2004. There she played as a left winger for SV Neulengbach. In 2005–06 she was the ÖFB-Frauenliga’s top goal scorer, with 26 goals.

At the 2008 WPS International Draft Rosana was selected by Sky Blue FC of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). In her first season she scored five goals from a central playmaking role. Team-mate Yael Averbuch questioned Rosana’s defensive capabilities: “for some reason, whenever we meet about defending, the usually quite fluent Rosana no longer speaks or understands English!”

She signed with French UEFA Women’s Champions League title holders Olympique Lyon in September 2011. From February 2011 until September she had been back in Brazilian football, playing for Centro Olímpico.

In summer 2013 Rosana joined ambitious Norwegian club Avaldsnes. She recommended that the club’s owners also sign her compatriot, Debinha, at the same time. In one-and-a-half seasons in Norway, Rosana became a key player and captain of the team.

Rosana played for São José in the 2014 International Women’s Club Championship. She scored in the Brazilian club’s 2–0 final win over English wild card entrant Arsenal Ladies. She agreed a return to the United States, with National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team Houston Dash, in December 2014.

Before Rosana could play for Houston she was included in an 18-month residency programme intended to prepare Brazil’s national team for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada and the 2016 Rio Olympics. She finished the 2015 season back in Norway with Avaldsnes, and scored in the Norwegian Women’s Cup final, which Avaldsnes lost 3–2 to LSK Kvinner FK. In January 2016 Rosana joined French club Paris Saint-Germain. She returned to Brazilian football with São José in August 2016.

International career

In June 2000 Rosana made her international debut in Brazil’s 8–0 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup win over Costa Rica at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pennsylvania. As an 18-year-old she played at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where Brazil finished fourth after losing 2–0 to Germany in the bronze medal match at Sydney Football Stadium.

At the 2003 South American Women’s Football Championship, Rosana scored Brazil’s third goal in a 3–2 win over Argentina which ensured qualification for that year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. At the final tournament in the United States she performed well and scored as Brazil upset Olympic champions Norway 4–1. Sweden defeated Brazil 2–1 in the quarter-final.

Rosana was a member of the national team that won the silver medal at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Football Tournaments. She was a substitute in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, which Brazil lost 2–0 to Germany. At the tournament Rosana and teammates Marta, Cristiane and Daniela were nicknamed “the fantastic four”.

In Brazil’s victorious 2007 Pan American Games campaign, Rosana twice scored from free kicks, against both Canada and Mexico. This led to comparisons with contemporary male footballer Ronaldinho.

At the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Rosana scored Brazil’s goal in a 1–0 win over Australia and the second in a 3–0 win over dispirited Norway. Brazil then lost a controversial quarter-final on penalties to the United States after a 2–2 draw. Rosana had been substituted out for Francielle with five minutes of normal time remaining.

In an interview with FIFA.com ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, Rosana still regretted the manner of Brazil’s World Cup defeat the previous year. At the Olympics, Rosana and Brazil lost their final group E game 1–0 to hosts Great Britain before a record crowd of 70,584 at Wembley Stadium. That meant a quarter-final against World Cup holders Japan, who eliminated Brazil by winning 2–0 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

At the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, Rosana appeared in one of Brazil’s four matches, starting the 1–0 final group game win over Costa Rica.

International goals

Personal life

Rosana was both Minas Gerais state and national champion in kung fu.