FC Gold Pride forward Marta was voted the Women’s Professional Soccer Week 12 Player of the Week by the Northa American Soccer Reporters.
Last week, Marta scored two goals in the 2010 WPS All-Star Game and then lit up the Atlanta Beat defense Saturday by having a part in three of FC Gold Pride’s goals in a 4-0 win over Atlanta. Marta assisted Christine Sinclair’s opening goal – the fastest in league history just one minute in – and scored two of her own in stylish fashion to earn the weekly honor.
During her stay in Atlanta for the All-Star Game and Saturday’s league match, I had the chance to chat with the four-time FIFA World Player of the Year about the mid-season showcase and her quick thoughts on next year’s Women’s World Cup in Germany. Thanks to Vilmar “Vava” Marques for translating.
What was training with all these other All-Stars like? It looked fun out there.
Yeah, it is fun. We wanted to have fun and we wanted to keep that and show that to the fans that it is a fun game to play and we want to enjoy the game and translate that to the field.
Even though you are all from different teams, what was the chemistry like out there with each other? You all know each other fairly well, right?
Even though we play against each other we know each other. It is fun to be over there and be on the same team. So, it’s something that everybody looks forward to. Maybe we are not training day-to-day with each other but everybody is at such a high level that when everybody comes together it’s just a fun thing.
What do you think of the KSU Soccer Stadium that the All-Star Game is in? It has to be nice to see for the league and it has to be nice to see that it is gold and black.
It is fun just to come in here and watch this and see this stadium and to see the view, you feel like you try to play. And I wanted to play. And then to see this on the women’s side in the same structure that they have on the men’s side, it’s important to solidify the women’s side just like the men’s side.
We are a year away from the Women’s World Cup and a lot of these All-Stars will be there. What are you looking forward to as the Women’s World Cup approaches?
It’s good because some of those players are going to be playing against so you get to know them a little bit and then when you play against them with the national team you know a little bit about them, so it helps a little bit. But also, it gets back to enjoying what you are doing right now and having fun.
Was it nice to get to tell Albertin what to do at the Pick ‘Em event?
Yes. Pick this one!
Marta takes a shot in the All-Star Game (Credit: Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com)
