Marta on brink of first NWSL Championship title: Why patience is a virtue for Brazilian legend
The iconic no.10 has been with the team since 2017, but Saturday (23 November) marks her first Championship final.
Football
For the first time in the club’s history, the Orlando Pride are contesting the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship title.
Since their inception in 2016, it has been a topsy-turvy time for the Florida club.
Things seemed promising in 2017 with the arrival of the legendary Marta, who inspired them to third in the table and a Championship semi-final.
But that would be the first and last time the Pride made it to the play-off finals, their highest finish from then on being seventh.
This year, however, the tide changed in their favour – and while plenty of new names have graced the purple jersey, one has remained constant: Marta.
The Brazilian has been with the team through every up and down and is now reaping the rewards of their success.
After winning the NWSL Shield in a season that saw them finish top of the table, they are now looking to do the double by beating the Washington Spirit to the Championship title.
It would be a career first for Marta, whose patience at the heart of this side has finally paid off.
Marta: Synonymous with Orlando
Marta’s name will forever be in the history books of the NWSL, specifically when it comes to the chapter on the Orlando Pride.
Over the years she has become synonymous with the club, showing unwavering loyalty in the face of disappointment.
With the exception of 2017, and now 2024, the Pride have finished no higher than seventh, becoming a feature in the bottom half of the table.
A mix of poor results and a lack of silverware means that many have come and gone in search of glory elsewhere.
Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger, Sydney Leroux, and Steph Catley are all players who shared the pitch with Marta. All have moved on seeking greener pastures.
But the iconic no.10 stayed, now playing alongside many of the faces who have been inspired by her career trajectory.
“It’s something [playing with Marta] that to me, is a dream come true because I’ve always been looking up to Marta since I was young,” said striker Barbra Banda.
“Playing alongside her, it really motivates me – she always tries to encourage me to do right and to be the best.”
Defender Kerry Abello, idolised her captain growing up, even making a roundtrip from Chicago to the Bay Area to meet her after a game as an 11-year-old (she is now 25!).
“She has this childlike energy, I don’t know where she gets it from – she more energy than all of us have,” she told Equalizer Soccer.
“Just seeing how much she loves the game and how passionate she is – it is really inspiring.”
What makes the ageless star special to so many of these players, though, is the person she is off the pitch.
Her love for the club, and the people within it, make her a perfect ambassador.
“So many people talk about her for her soccer skills, she is one of the best players in the world – but I love Marta as a person,” teammate Carson Pickett said.
“The way she carries herself. She’s never bigger than the team when she absolutely could be.
“As a human, she just cares so deeply about people [and] that’s what I respect about her the most. I love being her teammate but I love being her friend more than anything.”
Marta’s best season in the NWSL?
There is seemingly a direct correlation between getting the best out of Marta and reaching the NWSL playoffs.
As the heartbeat of the team, everything goes through her – and when that is done effectively, things just come together.
It is something that has rung true this term, just as it did when the Pride reached their last semi-final, with Seb Hines getting the best out of her on the pitch.
With 11 goals and one assist, this has been her most successful individual campaign since that 2017 feat which saw her net 13 and create six.
Not only is it her best season numbers-wise in seven years, but it is also her third-best return domestically in her career.
Despite being 38, Marta seems to have found a new lease of life in Florida and that can be surmised in the goal she scored in their 3-2 semi-final win over KC Current.
Skipping past defenders, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home – it had all the makings of someone in the prime of their career.
“That was an incredible goal, just incredible,” Hines said of his captain’s contribution.
“Not many people can do that and she has worked so hard to get here. It’s just amazing to see this continued class and quality all year.”
Long dubbed ‘The Queen’, Saturday (23 November) could mark her crowning as the first Pride captain to win the NWSL Championship.