April 7, 2017, marked the beginning of a six-year journey for the greatest of all time. The five-time world Player of the Year, Marta, decided to take her talents to Central Florida to one of the newest teams to join the NWSL. Now, as of this past Monday, the Pride legend has played in her 100th game with the club. With such a milestone, we decided to look back over the last seven seasons and pick out some of the best moment's that the 🐐 has had with Orlando.
After only landing in Orlando two days before, Marta was suited up and on the bench for the Pride's first home game of the 2017 season. As the game remained scoreless early in the second half, then head coach Tom Sermanni made the call to give the Brazilian her first taste of soccer in Central Florida, coming on for her fellow countryman, Mônica. The 14,452 fans in attendance gave the legend a warm welcome to the team, in a match that would finish 1-1 with the Washington Spirit.
It wouldn't take long for Marta to find her way into the Pride scoresheet after her debut match. In just her third game in purple, away against FC Kansas City, the number 10 would get the opening goal of the match in the 73rd minute, thanks to a pass from Jasmyne Spencer. Ultimately, the game would finish with a 1-1 draw, thanks to an equalizer by now-current Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak.
That was just the beginning for Marta in 2017, as she would go on to score 13 goals on the season, a record still held as the most goals by a Pride player in a single season.
Marta and the Washington Spirit seem to be synonymous with memorable moments in her Pride career. After debuting against the DC-based side a year prior, the Brazilian pulled out one of her best moments at Exploria Stadium. A brilliant individual effort late in a 1-1 match saw the true magic of the greatest to ever do it.
In one of the wildest matches the Pride have played over the years, Marta scored one of her best goals for Orlando. Playing at Providence Park has always been a challenge for visiting teams. Scoring there, even more so. That didn't stop the Brazilian from unleashing a strike that smashed into the top corner of the net from 21 yards out, beating Britt Eckerstrom in goal.
It was the first major setback of the legend's career just this past year. After missing almost all of the 2022 season following an ACL tear in her knee, Marta worked her way back to playing form and got an opportunity in the eighth match of the 2023 season to get back on the scoresheet. After her fellow Brazilian, Adriana, was taken down in the box, the ball came to the captain to deliver yet another memorable moment against the Washington Spirit.
It's hard to pick just one of Marta's best goals, but this one, again against the Washington Spirit, is certainly up there as one of her best. A few dribbles inside and a rip from 25 yards away found the back of the net, with a bit of help from the inside of the post.
With everything that Marta has done on the pitch for the Pride, many of the moments off of it go by the wayside. Perhaps one of the most prominent accomplishments for the legend has been her impact on the next generation of women's soccer players. So many of the new generation of NWSL athletes grew up watching Marta in her prime and now get to play alongside or against their idol.
It's not just the athletes, but also the millions of people who watched her impassioned speeches following the last two World Cups, employing the next generation to step up and the importance of being a role model. Those moments and words will live long after her career is said and done. For now, we celebrate the impact that Marta continues to make in the Central Florida community, both on and off the pitch.
