Soccer Extreme : The NBA star, who first played soccer as a child in Italy, is a fan of the Brazilian player who hopes to put women's soccer back on track in the U.S. Once it seemed that the hopes of women's soccer rested on the slim shoulders of Mia Hamm, who had an especially memorable commercial that paired her with the NBA star of the day, Michael Jordan.Time marches on, however, and now Women's Professional Soccer is set to launch with the spotlight on a new star, Brazil's Marta.
Though she may not have a commercial yet, Marta may have something better - the current NBA star of the moment, Kobe Bryant, is in awe of her skills.
He flew in via helicopter to attend the press conference welcoming Marta to to Los Angeles Sol.
"I'm a fan, really," Bryant said. "I don't feel like Kobe the basketball player at all. I'm just as excited as anybody here."
Bryant has two young daughters that he has already introduced to the game. He himself played as a youngster in Italy, where his father was playing for many years in the basketball league there. Thus, he immediately recognized Marta's skill.
"The way that she plays with such passion, such energy, such a love for the game, and so much creativity, I found myself being glued to the TV set," Bryant said.
Bryant claimed that there were three things he wanted to accomplish in the 2008 Olympics. One was to win a gold medal in basketball, "Or I wouldn't have been able to remain a citizen," he cracked. The other two? Watch Michael Phelps make history, winning eight gold medals and watch Marta play in person.
Kobe Bryant, Marta and The Los Angeles SolFor her part, Marta said that she was gratified to to hear praise from Bryant, but she also insisted that the league would be successful due to the players from all the teams. "I think this is the best league, because it has so many good players from around the world," Marta explained. The new WPS star praised the league's organization, her teammates and the stadium. But she also seemed especially appreciate of one particular aspect of Los Angeles. "In Sweden, it's cold," Marta pointed out, mentioning where she used to play. "The weather here is very nice."
ABOUT MARTAMarta Vieira da Silva (Brazil) – 22, or just Marta, a single moniker being the mark of Brazil's great footballers. She is also known as Pelé in a skirt. The daughter of a poor family from the scrublands of Brazil's northeast, Marta had to force her brothers and his friends to even let her play the game. Once she made their team, the quick-footed striker was never off it. She signed with Swedish club Umea IK in 2004 and was soon helping Brazil challenge the U.S. and Germany's dominance in women's soccer. FIFA Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, Marta has a lot to prove in Beijing.
MARTA VIERA THE BEST GOLS