Marta sets World Cup alight with classy show
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Shanghai Daily, July 5, 2011
Marta made the World Cup tournament her own for a day, scoring two goals and assisting on another to lead Brazil into the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Norway in Germany on Sunday.
The biggest star of the women's game brought samba heat to the rain-swept Wolfsburg stadium with stunning moves, speed, vision, finishing and even some rough play. The win puts the Brazilians alongside the United States as the biggest favorites for the title based on their play in the first week of competition.
"Thank God, Marta is Brazilian," coach Kleiton Lima said.
Brazil's performance took attention away from a huge refereeing blunder in the other Group D game, during which Equatorial Guinea defender Bruna carried the ball in her hands for a couple of seconds in her own goalmouth without being penalized. It didn't hurt Australia, which beat the African rookies 3-2 to maintain its shot at joining Brazil in the next round.
No one seems a match for Brazil in the group, and Marta finally wants to give her nation the biggest cup of all. While the men's team has won five, the women have done no better than finishing runners-up.
They are hot favorites now to top Group D, an added incentive for the United States to beat or draw with Sweden tomorrow and avoid having to play Brazil in the quarters.
"We would love to be champions," said Marta, hoping to be able to claim for their own one of those famed World Cup-winning stars on the jersey.
Norway, the 1995 champion, was totally outplayed and has sunk below Australia in the Group D standings on goal difference.
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