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Football is very masculine and, to me, a metaphor for war.

Football in Brazil is seen as a masculine sport, even with a lot of people accepting the female sport.

And of course in America you've got American football and baseball and all those other ball games, soccer has become a little niche that the women have kind of filled.

When the Olympics and World Cups come around, that's when you see the real outpouring of support that there really is for female football.

I think we're actually the only sport that has a mix of men and women competing together. The majority of other sports are separated by gender.

There's still prejudice and that resistance regarding women, not only on female football but in various activities. Men think that women are a bit fragile to perform some types of activities or don't have the ability and aren't strong enough.

While American football is very structured and linear and static - where everyone lines up, and there's a burst, and it happens - soccer is like the cosmos. It's like constellations. It's bodies moving in space. It's a very spherical game.

I think the concept of seeking fame and fortune in women's football in the States is a bit idyllic. Look at all the teams in America that have folded, and the leagues.

In terms of soccer, it wasn't really a thing that girls did. In England it more kind of Net Ball and Hockey and stuff like that in athletics. It's to each their own, really.

There's nothing masculine about being competitive. There's nothing masculine about trying to be the best at everything you do, nor is there anything wrong with it. I don't know why a female athlete has to defend her femininity just because she chooses to play sports.