By: Giovanni Ngai
On August 2, 2023, Marta Vieira da Silva, a professional female soccer player, is giving a very emotional farewell to the Women’s Fifa World Cup, as this will be her last and final world cup. She played her very first world cup when she was only 17 years old, and now this is her last at 37 years old, with her team (Brazil) losing to Jamaica in Melbourne, Australia. Marta Vieira da Silva, or the name she goes by, Marta, is a professional female football player (soccer for those U.S. people) who has had a very successful career in football. So how did this superstar’s soccer career just end? Well, that is because her team lost.
The game that Marta plays is important to understand how they lost. Jamaica was ranked below Brazil, which meant that if they tied the game, they would advance into round 16 of the FIFA World Cup. The game was well played. Both teams had plenty of chances to score, but they failed to do so. Brazil in particular had six chances to score but failed each time due to Jamaica’s good defense. Jamaica’s goalie, Rebecca Spencer, made eight perfect saves to keep the score even. Both of them just kept going back and forth until time eventually ran out, which meant Jamaica won. The score was 0-0 at the end.
Losing a game, losing a career—that is what Marta is feeling. She has some inspirational things to say to future soccer players. “I want people in Brazil to continue to have the same enthusiasm they had when the World Cup started. To continue to support. Because things don’t happen overnight.” She even had a little interaction with a soccer player from the opposing team, Bunny Shaw. Bunny Shaw plays in the forward position and is an all-time Jamaican goalscorer. It just goes to show how much emotion one loss can bring. It’s not just any loss; it’s a soccer superstar’s career loss.
Marta Vieira da Silva, loved by many Brazilians, is saying an emotional goodbye to the World Cup. She even gets emotional a little bit at some point because who would not be sad that they just lost their last ever game that really matters, which also ended their career? Although she is still playing in other leagues like the Orlando Pride, if you still want to see her play, she will most likely never forget her journey with the Brazil National Soccer Team. How would you react if you put yourself in Marta’s shoes? What would you do, and how would you react? I am certainly sad because losing a game to end your career is a sad way to end an amazing legacy.
Links: https://www.eurosport.com/football/women-s-world-cup/2023/women-s-world-cup-jamaica-knock-out-brazil-sweden-breeze-past-argentina-to-top-group-g-to-set-up-cla_sto9726854/story.shtml
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/02/1191630255/brazil-women-world-cup-marta-legacy