May 16, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. - Rising junior soccer player Rafaelle Souza has been featured on an ESPNU Campus Connection feature about being an Olympic hopeful for Brazil in this summer's Olympic Games in London, England.

Souza, a native of Salvador, Brazil, is in the player pool to be considered for the Brazilian National Team's appearance in the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Souza, who started for the full National Team in March in a game against Canada, is one of 25 players in the pool who are in the running to be named to the 18-player squad that will compete in the Olympic Games. Brazil will hold a training camp in Rio de Janeiro from June 4-29 and at the end of the camp, the 18-member squad that will play in the Olympics will be named.

The 18-player team will travel to London the first week of July with the Olympics taking place from July 27 - August 12.  Brazil is in Group A with Great Britain, New Zealand and Cameroon.

Brazil is currently ranked as the fourth-best country in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings released in March.  New rankings will be released on June 1.  The Brazilians have won a silver medal in the last two Olympic Games in 2008 and 2004 and have not finished lower than fourth in their four Olympic appearances.  Souza has also played with the U17 and U20 Brazilian National Teams.    

In her first season at Ole Miss last fall as a sophomore, Souza led the team in goals (nine), assists (seven) and points (25) and ended the year one goal, one point and one assist away from breaking into Ole Miss' single-season record book for each category.  In 15 of the 16 games she played in, her shot on goal percentage was at least 50 percent and Souza finished the year tied for fifth in the SEC in game-winning goals (4), ninth in points (25) and tied for ninth in goals (9). 

A feature with Souza after her first start with the full National Team in March can be found by clicking here.