Less than two weeks before blowing out the candles and celebrating his 38th birthday, Martenone of the most influential and decorated players in the history of women’s soccer, returned to the field throwing crosses to her teammates in search of a breakthrough and arguing with referees over fouls and yellow cards.
As Orlando Pride As midfielder Summer Yates would say, Marta is extremely passionate and intense on the field. Even if it’s during a closed-door preseason practice in March at home against the Florida State Seminoles, the reigning 2023 NCAA champions, with a roster that included some teenagers who could one day become NWSL stars.
“She was here and she was like, ‘Wow, that’s a card. That’s a foul,'” Yates recalled. “Just crazy, and we were like, ‘Okay, this is a preseason.’ [game].’ But we know we must take a step forward. “We need to have the same drive as her.”
It has been a special year for Marta as she had the opportunity to end her Olympic career with a silver medal after an inspired Brazil team without her services defeated Spain to reach the final against the United States. Back in Orlando, he is in the final year of his contract with the Orlando Pride and preparing for Saturday’s NWSL Championship game against the Spirit of Washingtonin what could be her last chance to lift an NWSL championship trophy for the first time in her storied career.
“Everything he does is very influential and so is his overall vibe,” Yates said. “I think she wants this [Championship] more than anything, and coming up short in the Olympics really pushed her even further. “She just has a crazy drive right now.”
You can watch the NWSL Championship on Saturday at 8 pm ET only on C.B.S. and Supreme+.
Marta has had a profound impact on the game. In addition to playing on the world’s biggest stages, he has inspired others both through his play and his outspokenness off the field. Her profile is extensive, and although Spirit and Pride are rivals this week, Marta’s influence can be felt on both sides of the ball in the build-up to Saturday’s big game.
On Saturday, she’ll take the field for the first time in the United States with her mother in the stands, and it will be by far the biggest reason Orlando has turned a string of mediocre seasons into perhaps the best NWSL run in history. history. However, even for her that transformation is difficult to explain.
“Sometimes it’s crazy to find an explanation, like ‘How?’ “I think for me it’s special because it’s the answer I try to find every year because since 2017 I’m the only player still on the team and I ask myself: Why am I still looking to do something special here, you know? Marta said in an exclusive interview with CBS before Saturday’s title game.
“In my life there was always something crazy. The first time I won the [award for] Best Player in the World, of course I was much younger than I am now, but I did it five times. [in a row]Then he took a break and won it after eight years. It’s been eight years here with Orlando and it’s the first time we’re going to a final. It’s a coincidence, but I don’t know. It’s an answer for me, for me. Why am I still here? Why am I looking to build something special for this team?
“I don’t know if I will be here next year, but I am already very happy with what I have given to the club and the players.”
It may be a mystery to Marta, but to her teammates, and even her rivals across the field, the answer lies in her legendary status.
Instrumental to Orlando’s rise
Her teammates are quick to point out exactly how she has taken them to the top of the table, as the team broke the NWSL record for most points (60) and most wins (18) in a single season. At one point they went on a record 24-game unbeaten streak and she finished the regular season in fourth place in the race for the golden boot with 11 goals. His best moment so far came in the semifinals, when he turned back time with a solo effort from near midfield that left two Kansas City defenders and the goalkeeper in the dust. Not bad at all for someone 38 years old.
Orlando’s rise to prominence has been years in the making. Head coach Seb Hines was interim in 2022 and the club narrowly missed the playoffs in 2023. They brought in general manager Haley Carter, bolstered the coaching staff and brought in more international talent, including Zambia forward Barbra Banda, who finished second in the race for the golden boot with 16 goals, and her Brazilian compatriots Adriana and Refaelle. Including Marta, the Pride has a handful of Brazilian players on the roster, each of whom is inspired by her friend and compatriot.
However, the Marta effect goes beyond her teammates on the Brazilian team. Yates has had an excellent sophomore season after being selected in 2023. Fourth on the team in goals scored (four goals behind her fellow veteran), the sophomore credits Marta for helping her develop during the season.
“I think last year was tough when we were up and down winning and losing games. But I think from day one, Marta brought that different vibe. She was very determined and had that belief in all of us, and we just followed that, so I think that was the most important thing. His passion is so influential to us,” Yates said.
Legendary ‘Respect’ towards an enemy
Several players come into the championship match after a busy summer in which they already went head-to-head with the Brazilian during the Paris Olympics. Washington Spirit and USWNT defenseman Casey Krueger was on the field for the final minutes before the whistle blew on Marta’s Olympic run.
“She’s the legend. I mean, there’s no other way to put it,” Krueger said. “Playing against her is an honor. It’s really, really special to be able to share the field, even on the other side. Just playing against her and seeing what she’s done for the game, what it means to both of us.” “On and off the field, he’s been incredible.”
Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan was part of the USWNT’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad, and although she will miss the NWSL championship with an ACL injury, the Spirit co-captain is doing her part to ensure that your team is ready for the game. against such an icon of the game. Part of that is giving him respect.
“I think we respect her a lot and we know what she’s about, but you don’t want to show her too much respect. [on the pitch]. “So, I think in that element, the way you respect her is by making things very difficult for her, and I think we’ll prepare that way,” Sullivan said.
“She’s a fun presence, she likes to talk trash, she likes to make it interesting, but she’s intense, but she’s having fun and she’s been an incredible example for all of us, and I hope to ruin her party.” [On Saturday]”.
An icon for generations to come
When they’re not face to face, Sullivan notes that Marta’s impact on the game can be found everywhere and across generations, including her 17-year-old teammate Chloe Ricketts. The young player signed with the Spirit at age 15 and is one of the league’s promising young talents.
“I remember Chloe Ricketts saying, ‘Oh, I really want a photo with Marta’ last year. And then I was able to do that and, seeing [Marta] Interacting with Chloe in that way was really cool,” Sullivan said.
“I think for most of the players in the room, she’s been playing for a while and is obviously one of the most popular players in the world. A player who paved the way for what we could be, and not just that she could be.” be, but what we could all do. What the league could be, and what women’s football could be. She was always someone who. [you] I would see it in a highlight video and she was always very happy. And then playing against her it’s like, ‘oh, I’m playing against this legend’ and she’s an incredible player,” Sullivan said.
While Brazil and the United States have a rivalry on the international stage, that also includes other Latin American countries, including Colombia. Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos reflected on the growth of the Colombian team while facing Marta in various friendlies and international tournaments.
“In South America we’ve had our battles. She’s definitely hit me on the head here and there,” Santos joked.
“Marta is a legendary player in women’s soccer. You know, I’ve had first-hand experience with the potential that she has, and always has had. She stands out. A true standout player who, out of nowhere, can create moments that will end the game, just when you thought nothing was going to happen. “She’s amazing and she’s a reference point for me.”
‘A challenge and an honor’ to compete against
Spirit forward Ashley Hatch has been a part of the US women’s national team squad since 2022, helped the team qualify for the 2023 World Cup and has played against Marta in NWSL competition since 2018. The attacker will a double responsibility during the final: scoring for the Spirit and limiting Marta’s impact on the game. She sees the occasion as a challenge and an honor.
“I think if you’re at this level, you want to compete against the best players, and I think it’s an honor for all of us to step on the same field as her. Obviously, we respect her, but we also want to beat her. So, I think it’s a combination of “All those things, but I think playing against an incredible player like Marta, it brings a lot more excitement to the game for us as players, also for the fans,” Hatch said.
“We have to respect her as our opponent. And I think, in 10 years, every time I pick up my kids, [I can say] ‘Yes, I played against Marta in a final!’ I mean, she’s been in this league for a while and I feel like we all always admire and respect her when we play against her and also when we watch her. So I would say it’s a combination of both.”
NWSL Championship Broadcast Schedule
All Eastern Time
Saturday November 23
Attacking Third pregame show, 6:30 pm (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
Attacking Third pregame show, 7:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
NWSL Championship: Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
Attacking Third post-match program, 10:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
Sunday, November 24
NWSL Skills Challenge, 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. (check local listings) (CBS, Paramount+)
