Kathellen Sousa

Kathellen Sousa Feitoza (born 26 April 1996), commonly known as Kathellen, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a centre back for Italian Serie A club FC Internazionale Milano and the Brazil women's national team. She is a product of the American college soccer system.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Sousa and the second or paternal family name is Feitoza.
Kathellen
Personal information
Full name Kathellen Sousa Feitoza
Date of birth (1996-04-26) 26 April 1996
Place of birth São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Internazionale
Number 14
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Monroe College
2016 Louisville Cardinals
2017 UCF Knights
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Bordeaux 33 (3)
2020– Internazionale 3 (0)
National team‡
2018– Brazil 7 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:35, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:11, 31 December 2018 (UTC)

Club career

As a young girl Kathellen loved football but mainly had to play futsal. She found opportunities for field soccer limited in her native Baixada Santista, especially after Santos FC's women's section was closed in 2012.

Kathellen applied for an athletic scholarship to the United States and was selected by Monroe College of the National Junior College Athletic Association. After two successful years with Monroe College she spent her two remaining years of college eligibility with Louisville Cardinals and UCF Knights, respectively, in NCAA Division I.[2]

She subsequently received an offer from FC Girondins de Bordeaux and joined the French Division 1 Féminine club halfway through their 2017–18 season.[3] In May 2018 she signed a two-year extension to her contract.[4]

After a successful 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup with Brazil, and an elite level performance against France, Kathellen was linked to many major European clubs, including newly promoted CD Tacón, due to become Real Madrid for season 2020–21.[5] Instead she remained with Bordeaux for a further season, then joined Italian Serie A club Inter Milan in August 2020.[6]

International career

Brazil women's national football team head coach Vadão called Kathellen up for the first time in June 2018, for a training camp ahead of the 2018 Tournament of Nations. As the tournament fell outside the FIFA International Match Calendar, some regular national team players were not released by their clubs, causing Vadão to consider other players.[7]

On 26 July 2018, she earned her first cap for the senior Brazil women's national team at the 2018 Tournament of Nations, appearing as a substitute for Daiane Limeira in a 3–1 defeat by Australia.[8][9]

A year later, Kathellen was subsequently called up by Brazil for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She started the preparation camp as the main backup for the experienced pair of centre backs Mônica and Érika. After Érika was forced out of the competition by injury, Kathellen was made a regular starter.[10] Despite being the youngest Brazilian player in the lineup for the Round of 16 game thriller against France, Kathellen delivered a major performance.

References
  1. "Start list" (PDF). FIFA. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  2. Júnior, Muniz (14 July 2018). "BR no Mundo: Kathellen Sousa" (in Portuguese). Blog De Bate e Pronto. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  3. "Kathellen Sousa : " C'est une chance unique d'intégrer les Girondins ! "" (in French). FC Girondins de Bordeaux. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  4. "Kathellen Sousa prolonge à Bordeaux" (in French). FC Girondins de Bordeaux. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  5. Gil, Aimara G. (22 July 2019). "El Real Madrid negocia con el Girondins por Kathellen Sousa" (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  6. "Kathellen Sousa signs for Inter Women". Inter Milan. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. Botta, Emilio (10 June 2018). "Zagueira "perdida" fora do Brasil chama atenção e vira joia na seleção feminina" (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. "Estreante do grupo, Kathellen vibra com convocação" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Football Confederation. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  9. Leme de Arruda, Marcelo (10 November 2018). "Seleção Brasileira Feminina (Brazilian National Women's Team) 2018" (in Portuguese). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  10. Favier, Patrick (22 June 2019). "Avant France – Brésil : Kathellen Sousa en première ligne face aux Bleues" (in French). Sud Ouest. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
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