The British head coach of the world champion US women's football team has valuable experience of leading her troops out at the Maracana Stadium for a tournament final.

Jill Ellis, then the USA's under-20 team coach, brought her young side to Brazil for the 2007 Pan American Games, and steered them to the final at the iconic Rio venue.

The Americans lost the match to a full strength Brazil side, but the memory of the occasion has remained clear for Ellis, who says she will share it, to urge her players on to 2016 Olympic glory in Rio.

‘Mecca of soccer’

“It's one of my all-time memories in coaching. We lost 5-0, but it was an amazing atmosphere, at the Mecca of soccer. It was a great experience for me as a younger coach.”

The USA team, which has won the last three Olympic titles and defeated Japan in the 2015 World Cup final, has been drawn in Group G with New Zealand, France and Colombia for Rio 2016.

The top two teams from the three groups, along with the two best third place teams, qualify for the quarter-finals on 12 August. The semi-finals are on 16 August and the final is at the Maracana Stadium on 19 August.

Ellis, who has been coaching in the USA for 28 years at all levels, won the 2015 FIFA world womens coach of the year award – also known as the Ballon d´Or, and was an assistant on the USA team which won the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

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Ellis says her parents are the biggest influence on her career. Her father John Ellis, a former Royal Marines commando, coached football worldwide and had a stint leading the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

“My parents came to the Ballon d'Or award, they cried as they were so proud. My mum grew up in England, and never dreamed a female could have a career in sport. They’ve been very supportive, my biggest fans, I owe so much to them.”

Ellis with fans during the final at the 2015 World Cup in Vancouver (Photo: Getty Images/Kevin C.Cox).

Ellis is dreaming of a return to the Maracana at Rio 2016, but says Brazil, with home advantage and a fantastic crop of young talent, will be very tough to beat.

“They will make it hard for any team. We're starting to see with certain teams, they refresh, with more youth, otherwise you can´t stay at the top. Brazil have done this.

‘Teams are going to be coming after us at Rio 2016,’ says USA football legend Carli Lloyd

“It would be incredible to make the podium. It's a lot of travel for visiting teams though, a very tough competition, and women's football is getting better and better. With Germany, Australia, Brazil, France and ourselves, there are so many good teams. No team has won the World Cup and then the Olympic title, so it is a challenge for us.

“We are very excited to go to Brazil again, and to go to a country that loves football. The stadiums will be full, it will be very exciting.”