She was also part of two Olympic gold-medal winning sides (1996, 2004) and earned a silver medal in 2000. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Hamm also played a vital role for two Women’s World Cup winning teams in 19, converting a penalty in a shootout in the latter final. She won the Fifa women’s world player of the year the first two years of the award in 20. Hamm, who made her international debut at 15 in 1987, earned 275 caps while starring for the USA. Regardless, her skill, vision and innate scoring ability made her the most dangerous and the best-known women’s player of her generation. It certainly didn’t hurt that Hamm was bolstered by a talented supporting cast, some of whom have made this top 20 list. If they managed to force her outside, she would deliver a lethal, spot-on cross to a teammate on the far side. If defenders allowed her to run inside, she would go to goal. Pacey and skillful, she was nominally a forward but often played like a midfielder. Hamm, who finished with a world-record 158 international goals when she retired in 2004, was a double threat. Savannah Hernandez is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.Mia Hamm (left) wrestles with China defender Bai Jie at the 1999 World Cup final. I hate that it had to be this way, but this is what she’s been fighting for, is for us all to be able to play this game and play it well and get the recognition.” “She’s a trailblazer for us women,” Jamaica forward Cheyna Matthews said. She was subbed off in the 81st minute, making way for a fresher, younger teammate to take up the challenge. Marta came off the bench in Brazil’s first two group-stage matches but returned to the starting lineup against Jamaica. They lost to France 2-1, setting up a must-win situation against Jamaica in their Group F finale. The Seleção started off strong in their tournament opener, beating Panama 4-0. I’ll stay with the good times, with the work that’s been done so far.” Winning or losing, it makes no difference. “We started it together and ended it together. “I always said that the World Cup wasn’t just about Marta, the World Cup belonged to the national team,” she said. She feels like she’s leaving it in better shape for the next generation. On the eve of what became her final World Cup game, Marta shed tears as she recalled what it was like two decades ago when she started out. Women’s football in Brazil doesn’t end here,” she said. She’s also reassured there’s enough support for women’s soccer to keep the game growing. Marta knows there’ll be critics who’ll have plenty to say about Brazil’s performance here. It’s football, we tried from start to finish, we tried to score but the ball didn’t want to go in.” “Especially because it was their first World Cup and it’s just the beginning - I won’t play in another World Cup, but they will have other opportunities,” she said. She saw her younger teammates looking for inspiration, and knew she had to dig deep. Marta admitted she started getting sentimental as she looked at the moon in Melbourne, trying to summon a way to create or score the goal that Brazil needed to keep progressing at the World Cup. Marta “is a woman who will continue to inspire not only my generation, but (new) generations.”īrazil failed to advance out of the group stage for the first time since 1995, and Marta couldn’t capitalize on the chance to become the first player, woman of man, to score in six World Cups.īut her pending retirement means neither that, nor a Women’s World Cup title, will be a part of her remarkable legacy. “Her legacy continues, it doesn’t end here,” Brazil’s Ary Borges said.
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