– It is very difficult to talk about, but many other teams wanted to play the final and we started the tournament badly. Not many people in Brazil believed in us and I feel very proud and finish in a good way with a medal, says an emotional Marta in Swedish in the mixed zone.
There were also strong emotions in the winning team.
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– I am very emotional. It’s been a dream for me to be in this position,” said London-born national team captain Emma Hayes, who only took over the team in May after leaving Chelsea.
On her first chance at the start of the second half, Mallory Swanson ran through from a deep pass and coolly slotted the ball into the goal to make it 1-0 at a sunny Parc des Princes in Paris.
After 13 minutes of extra time, the American players could celebrate the gold with a hug after Swedish referee Tess Olofsson blew the match off. In the stands, the actor Tom Cruise rejoiced.
“Must come back to Sweden”
Marta was substituted after just over an hour and was given the captain’s armband and chased an equalizer for the nation to take its first Olympic gold in women’s football.
She watched over free-kick situations but the big chance never came. The team should have capitalized on some of the chances they created in the first half.
– I saw a penalty there in the first half, says Marta.
It was determined Brazilian players who had to claim yet another silver.
38-year-old Marta ended her national team career with the third loss in an Olympic final – after those in 2004 and 2008, both against the USA, by the way.
– I want to thank everyone in Sweden and I have to come back to Sweden because I forget how to speak Swedish and there is no one to help me with it, says Marta.
She is the country’s top scorer of all time with her 119 goals. She is also the player who has scored the most World Cup goals of all time for both men and women with 17 goals.
CUT: Watch the USA’s decision in the player below
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Swanson hero when the USA won its fifth Olympic gold Photo: Bildbyrån/Kanal 5/Max