Overcoming these teams in 2021 was not easy. There was one team that maintained their invincibility that lasted 29 years, another that conquered the world, another two who, after winning everything in their countries and continents, now want to face each other and some such There were also those who eventually eliminated one. Fast forward to generations. In an Olympic year where individual talent usually stands out, 2021 was also marked by super teams in various sports and venues around the world.
Hey Globo Retrospective: The 7 Best Olympic Athletes of 2021
The ranking, prepared by journalists from Globo Sports, highlights the five best teams of the season. Major, these teams won great titles, broke records, broke fasts and shunned prejudices.
1 – Corinthians Woman
As in the GLOBO rankings, if there is one thing Arthur Elias’ team did in 2021, it was topping it. On the field, there were three titles: Libertadores, Campeonato Brasileiro and Paulista. In 42 games, Timo scored 143 goals, achieved an incredible 90% success and dominated opponents with a charming football that impressed with a combination of technical quality, tactical awareness and physical imposition.
Still on the field, there is also room for important positions, such as in Libertadores’ semi-final against Nacional (URU), when the club reported that striker Adriana had become a victim of racism. Later, when he scored two goals that closed the route 8–0, the players and coaching staff celebrated by clenching fists in an anti-racism protest.
Already out of four lines, record. In addition to the large number of viewers on open and closed TV – the Libertadores final, for example, Fox, which broadcast the match, led among sports channels with a peak of 1.3 on Ebop –, Fazendinha’s “Mines” scored 30,777. Fans took to the Neo Quimica Arena to watch the team’s impressive performance in winning the Paulista title against So Paulo on Wednesday night. The public broke records at a women’s football match in Brazil and silenced those who say “no one cares about women’s football”.
2 – Atletico Mineiro
The second team in the country to win the Triple Crown in 2021 – which became a triple in Gallo, thanks to rival Cruzeiro’s mockery, the feat achieved by the first team from Minas – Atlético-MG took off in the season. Kuka, directed by Hulk, who was the best player and top scorer in Brazil this season; Arana, on behalf of the Brazilian team and owner of four titles in the year; Cano, the decider in the final stage, and company, with the remainder, won the Brazilian championship title ending the 50-year hiatus of the Copa do Brasil and Mineiro.
But apart from the titles, Gallo also impressed with the strength with which he played inside Mineiro. Throughout the season, there were 43 games at home, with 36 wins and only one loss. Also, when the public was once again allowed into Belo Horizonte, Atlético fans put on a show. Records kept breaking round after round. With the title confirmed, Alvinegros thronged the streets of the city to remove the cries of “Bicampeo” from his throat, which had been imprisoned for so many years.
3 – United States women’s basketball team
It is extremely rare for this team to take third place. After all, they don’t know what it’s like to lose in the Olympic edition since 1992. In 29 years, there have been 55 unstoppable games. The women of the American Dream Team once again ravaged their opponents in Tokyo. Under the tutelage of Don Staley, the highest-paid black coach in women’s basketball history, and with all the coaching of legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi—each has five Olympic gold medals—and WNBA MVP, but an even more promising one. Jaa Wilson, the American women’s basketball team, won an Olympic gold medal for the seventh time in a row.
4 – Barcelona Women
If South America had only Corinthians, Europe only had Barcelona in women’s football in 2021. The Catalan team also won the Triple Crown in the season: it won the Champions League, the Spanish Championship and the World Cup for the first time in history. Queen. In addition, Barca have 38 wins in 40 games, scoring 179 goals against 16.
With such mass exposure, it is normal that the individual also stands out. The season’s greatest player, Spanish striker Alexia Putelas, won the Ballon d’Or award from France Football magazine. Besides him, Barcelona teammates Jennifer Hermoso and Leake Martens were also among the finalists.
Now, the champions of Libertadores Corinthians, number one in the rankings, are expected to face Barcelona in a potential Club World Cup, as in men’s football. In a recent interview with the Corinthians No GE podcast, Chris Gambre, director of women’s football at Timo, announced that he is in favor of the idea and that he will go to FIFA to try to make the project viable.
5 – Cruzeiro Volleyball
Unlike football, Cruzeiro’s volleyball team continues to flourish. Considered by many to be one of the greatest clubs in the history of the sport, Sada Cruzeiro once again shone in 2021.
Led by multi-champion player Filip Faraz, Cruzeiro’s team won the Campeonato Mineiro for the 12th time, the Brazil Cup in volleyball for the sixth time, and the Club World Cup for the fourth time.
