After 185 appearances, including six World Cups and six Olympics, Brazil great Marta said farewell to international soccer on Saturday.
Olympic gold eluded her to the end.
At the age of 38, Marta had said ahead of the Paris Games that it would be her last major tournament with the national team. There was to be no perfect ending for a player who has been a flag-bearer for the women’s game — a 1-0 defeat to the United States in the Olympic final consigning her to silver once again.
It will have been an all-too familiar feeling for the six-time world player of the year. The U.S. has proved a frequent roadblock to her international ambitions.
Add Paris 2024 to Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. On all three occasions, Marta and Brazil were beaten to gold by the Americans.
Three silvers are the pinnacle of her achievements in international soccer, along with a runner-up medal at the 2007 World Cup. For all her brilliance — scoring a record 119 goals for her country — she never managed to deliver a major international title.
But she came mighty close.
How her teammates would have loved to have gotten her over the line in Paris at the end of a troubled tournament for Marta, personally.
There were tears of anguish when she thought her Olympics had ended with a red card against Spain in the group phase. Tears of joy when watching on from the stands as Brazil eliminated host nation France in the quarterfinals and frustration again when an appeal to have her suspension reduced was overruled and she missed the semifinals as well.
There were emotional scenes again as she embraced Brazil coach Arthur Elias in the middle of the field at the end of Saturday’s final, and she was applauded as she exited the stage.
Marta says it is time to hand over to the next generation and Brazilian soccer looks like it is in a healthy place after its run in France.
Her teammates did her proud in her absence to give her one last shot at gold, and it was perhaps indicative of her waning impact that she was left out of the starting lineup against the U.S.
Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Ludmila have underlined Brazil’s attacking depth.
And that trio helped Brazil dominate the chances in the first half against U.S. — but couldn’t replicate the cutting edge that had seen them blow away world champion Spain in the semifinals.
In the 61st it was Marta time. With Brazil trailing to Mallory Swanson’s goal minutes earlier, Elias sent for the national icon.
Cheers rang around Parc des Princes in appreciation of the soccer great. There was a gasp of anticipation after her first touch and again when she stood over a free kick outside of the box late on.
It was Adriana, however, who came closest to an equalizer, when her header was saved by U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher in stoppage time.
As the full-time whistle blew, it signaled the end of Marta’s pursuit of international triumph.
She was quick to console teammate Angelina around the halfway line before sharing embraces with members of coaching staff.
She congratulated the U.S. players and joined her teammates in showing appreciation to the fans who had longed to see their hero take gold.
An Olympic journey that had started when she was just 18 years old in Athens, ended with another final, another medal. Just not the one she was so desperate to get her hands on.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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