Marta’s golden dreams in dust
Print Edition
BRAZIL striker Marta, generally considered the greatest women’s footballer of all time, wanted nothing more than to win an Olympic gold in front of a home crowd at the Maracana to cap her career.
That hope was dashed in Rio on Tuesday when Sweden beat Brazil 4-3 in the semifinals in a penalty shootout after a match dominated by the home side.
The crowd chanted Marta’s name throughout the game and her runs from the right-wing towards the goal caused Sweden a lot of trouble.
It was not enough. As Lisa Dahlkvist fired in the winning penalty, Marta could only sink to her knees in the center circle. A Brazilian official knelt with her, hugging her in consolation.
Later she chatted with fans before heading into the dressing room, where all the Brazilian team were in tears.
“The disappointment is great and we had many opportunities in the game, but we did not get a goal,” the Brazil captain said. “The pain is as great here (in the dressing room) as it is outside.”
The 30-year-old, who plays for Swedish club Rosengard, could be nearing the end of a distinguished career. She was voted world player of the year five times in a row between 2006 and 2010.
Nicknamed “the Queen”, and, less chivalrously, “Pele in Skirts”, she has scored over 100 goals in 109 internationals.
Even with her skills, major success has eluded the Brazilian women’s team. It won silver at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, and was runner-up at the World Cup in China in 2007.
Speculation is now rife that Marta will retire soon but she did not want to talk about it on Tuesday. “I don’t want to think about this now,” she said.
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