Brittany Tagliareni has won her first game of the 2019 World Games in a hard-fought match against Belgium's Lies Gielis, daughter of late European football legend Marc Gielis.
Watching intensely was a large crowd of Team Belgium supporters and Brittany's parents and hometown coach, who traveled to the Middle East from Florida, USA, to show their support.
The score, 2-0, doesn't reveal the struggle for every single point: neither Brittany nor Lies were interested in giving ground at any moment.
Lies Gielis, 29, is a multisport veteran of the 2011, 2013, and 2015 World Games. Both she and Brittany will move ahead to final matches that could bring a gold medal.
See a quick video clip below as Brittany stops for a brief chat about at windy Zayed Sports City and check back for more updates as final results come in! Cheer by sharing this story! #Cheers4Champions