When the 2015 Women's World Cup kicks off in Canada next summer, plenty of stars will be vying for their first World Cup trophy.
Among the many talented players in the women's game searching for the elusive trophy is Marta, 28, who has scored on 83 occasions for the Brazil women's national team since 2002.
Other star players in search of their first trophy are Abby Wambach of the United States and Christine Sinclair of host nation Canada.
"We always fight with that pressure in the World Cup to win the trophy," Marta told Bleacher Report. "I can understand [the others] have the feeling of wanting to win that but so do I. I also need that for my career. Let's just hope this time around it goes my way."
Marta and her Brazilian teammates will know their group-stage fate on Saturday when the Women's World Cup draw is held in Ottawa.Brazil was one of three South American nations to qualify for the 24-team tournament, which is being held from June 6 until July 5 in six different cities across Canada.
As any footballer would want, Marta is hoping the group draw keeps Brazil away from some of the top contenders for the trophy.
"I'm not nervous at the moment," she said. "But that nervous feeling does come the day before. I don't choose teams that I want to play. But it wouldn't be that bad if we don't get the big ones like the United States, France or Germany."
The United States and Germany are the only two-time winners of the tournament, while Norway and defending champion Japan have earned a title each.
Winning the Women's World Cup would bring a great amount of joy to the proud footballing nation of Brazil, which suffered massive heartbreak when the men were knocked out on home soil by Germany in last summer's semifinals.Marta said: "Male or female, Brazil is proud of them representing their country. If we do get a chance to give something to the Brazilian people, it doesn't necessarily matter if the males or females did it.
"The footballers did it. It would be one more World Cup for Brazil, which is something to aim for and to want.
"If from there, it does bring the necessary entities to help female football to develop, then it's great. But that is not in the back of my mind. I know a lot of people will make those comparisons and conclusions, but my opinion is that shouldn't be the frame of mind.
"It should be a football team, who won another title for Brazil."
Not only will Marta be in search of her first World Cup trophy with Brazil, but she will also be looking to break the all-time scoring record. Heading into the tournament, she is tied with Germany's Birgit Prinz on 14 goals. Wambach is next on the list with 13 goals, per FIFA.com.The striker said: "I didn't know I was close to breaking the record. There are many things I would like to go well. That's now one of them.
"If I score, yes, that would be great, records are meant to be broken. If all things come together and we get the title, and I get that, it's a win-win situation for me."
The five-time Women's World Player of the Year scored seven goals at the 2007 Women's World Cup in China, four in Germany back in 2011 and three in the United States during the 2003 competition. She added: "I'm a striker, I like scoring goals. I didn't know I was apparently going for that record."
Heading into the 2015 edition of the tournament, the big story is the playing surface. Unlike most of the major tournaments across the globe, the competition in Canada will be played on artificial turf.
Marta is used to synthetic, which is used in Sweden where she plays professionally for FC Rosengard. Despite being used to playing on the artificial turf, she doesn't think she has an advantage over her fellow competitors: "I don't think that I personally have an advantage from playing on turf [in Sweden]."The issue of turf has been turned into an equality discussion, as the men have not been forced to use the surface in a major competition.
Marta said: "The sport itself is not gaining from it. As a female player, we fight for equality toward the men's sport, and in this case, it's not happening.
"Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but it is a major competition. It should have what the sport asks, which is natural grass. Because of the sport, and equality with men's football, [the tournament] should be on natural grass. I would prefer it personally to be on grass."
The turf issue will certainly press forward as the months wind down before the 2015 Women's World Cup. But for now, it looks like whomever Brazil plays in the group stage, and eventually in the knockout phase, it will be on artificial turf in Canada. The women's game in North America has seen its share of struggles in the past as well with the formation and closure of a few different professional leagues. Marta played for the Los Angeles Sol and Western New York Flash in Women's Professional Soccer, which lasted from 2007 to 2012.
Despite the failures of leagues in the past, the Brazilian superstar has been impressed by the development structure in place in the United States: "From a structure perspective, the United States has been doing great work in development, if you look at the players, not necessarily going into the league but as a sport.
"If you are a good player and have a chance to be in the national team, then you're supported. There's a big support behind it so you can prove yourself as a player without many concerns. You can just develop your talent, and then at some point if you don't reach it, you don't reach it. But at least you have the support."
The current professional league in the United States is the National Women's Soccer League, which fielded nine teams during the 2014 season.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2288335-france-should-grant-legend-thierry-henry-a-farewell-appearance
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