All Eyes on Marta?

She started traveling at age 14 when she joined the Vasco da Gama team in Rio de Janeiro. At age 18, she moved on to join the Brazilian National Team. Marta made her debut on the world stage at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, where she inspired the Brazilian National Team to a silver medal and later that year she signed professionally with the Swedish club Umea IK. On December 27, 2006, Marta had imprints of her feet taken at Estadio Rei Pele in Maceio and was inducted into the Alagaos Hall of Fame, an honor which followed the prestigious accolade of being selected as FIFA’s Women’s Player of the Year for 2006.

{Marta Q & A}

Tell us a little about how you got started in football as a young girl.

I used to play with the boys outside during the day when I was around 7/8 years old. I remember that sometimes I would miss school to stay playing with them, obviously without my mother’s or my older brother’s knowledge.

Although I have never had a soccer playing hero, I always have had an inspiration in my career, something that pushes you forward and makes you want to desire a little more and that has always been my family.
Has it been difficult living and playing in Sweden so far from home?

The weather, the language etc. - I was prepared to make sacrifices to improve myself as a player and I knew that the Swedish league and Umea IK would offer me this possibility. I am now more adjusted to the Swedish culture and I even speak a little of the language, so this already helps. However, being so far away from my family and seeing them very few times during the year still remains the hardest to digest.
What are your thoughts looking back on the 2004 Olympics when you lost to the U.S. in extra time in the gold medal game?

It is very sad for me, it actually leaves me quite upset and angry. When I think of that game, the dramatic ending of a very well fought game from both sides. Looking back I remember that we played a really good game and created some great chances to score. Unfortunately luck was not on our side and I think that had a great influence on the result. Nevertheless, you need to congratulate the opponent and look forward. I’m sure they would also have been angry if the result would have been different. Thankfully, I am still young and therefore can aim for the same or even higher results in the future.
Can you talk about the growth of women’s football in Brazil and do young girls look up to you as a role model?

Women’s football in Brazil is growing a lot on a participant level, however, they are still missing governmental and corporate support to help the sport to develop faster. After the Olympic result achieved in 2004, people started looking differently to the sport and after winning the FIFA award this year, I actually started being recognized on the streets which was quite weird, at first.

I understand that winning such a tournament or just reaching a better result than the Olympics would really make a change for women’s football in Brazil and that also gives me and my colleagues an extra push to fight harder on the pitch.
What are you looking forward to most at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China?

I believe that all teams dream of actually reaching the final match and from then on … anything can happen. You can’t reach a tournament like this thinking to reach the second phase, you need to have your mind set on winning it, especially when you fully trust your colleagues in the team. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it hard work? Yes. But … is it possible and worth fighting for? Definitely … yes.