Brazilian soccer superstar
An easy laugh, dead serious about winning
Marta says the No. 1 thing she wants to give the Orlando Pride is a winning mentality.
Trying to read Marta on the pitch may be difficult for defenders, but deciphering the soccer legend’s thoughts is far simpler.
Her face, bronzed by a lifetime outdoors, is animated and expressive with eyes that crinkle around the edges for emphasis.
That usually happens because she’s laughing — such as during an interview when her Orlando Pride teammates broke out singing “Happy Birthday” to Danica Evans in the background. Marta clapped her hands and mouthed the words with a wide smile.
But, when asked what advice she can provide that her struggling team needs most, Marta’s eyes widened briefly before wrinkling as she brought her hands to her head and raked them down the sides of her face.
“We need to want to win the entire time; we need to always be trying to be the best we can,” Marta said through a translator. “I’ve been through so many competitions. I’ve won so many things and I lost some, too, but I have always been eager and hungry for the win. I’ve always wanted to be among the best. So, it’s this eagerness that I try to pass on to the team. It is important to maintain high standards in competitions like these, in big performances.”
The Pride (1-3-3, 6 points) remain near the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League standings, eighth out of 10 teams.