Brazil great Marta misses out on Olympic gold again as the US stops her once more

After 185 appearances, including six World Cups and six Olympics, Brazil great Marta said farewell to international soccer on Saturday.

Olympic gold eluded her to the end.

At the age of 38, Marta had said ahead of the Paris Games that it would be her last major tournament with the national team. There was to be no perfect ending for a player who has been a flag-bearer for the women's game — a 1-0 defeat to the United States in the Olympic final consigning her to silver once again.

It will have been an all-too familiar feeling for the six-time world player of the year. The U.S. has proved a frequent roadblock to her international ambitions.

Add Paris 2024 to Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. On all three occasions, Marta and Brazil were beaten to gold by the Americans.

Three silvers are the pinnacle of her achievements in international soccer, along with a runner-up medal at the 2007 World Cup. For all her brilliance — scoring a record 119 goals for her country — she never managed to deliver a major international title.

But she came mighty close.

How her teammates would have loved to have gotten her over the line in Paris at the end of a troubled tournament for Marta, personally.

There were tears of anguish when she thought her Olympics had ended with a red card against Spain in the group phase. Tears of joy when watching on from the stands as Brazil eliminated host nation France in the quarterfinals and frustration again when an appeal to have her suspension reduced was overruled and she missed the semifinals as well.

There were emotional scenes again as she embraced Brazil coach Arthur Elias in the middle of the field at the end of Saturday's final, and she was applauded as she exited the stage.

Marta says it is time to