She cringes at comparisons to aggressive Premier League striker Wayne Rooney and was voted the AFC's Female Player of the Year in 2006, but Ma Xiaoxu's failure to shine at the recent Women's World Cup has put a question mark over her international caliber.
China's Ma Xiaoxu jumps to head the ball during her Group D soccer match against New Zealand at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in Tianjin September 20, 2007. [Agencies] |
The 19-year-old striker was unable to find the back of the net before host China bowed out at the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup, where she did less damage than was generally expected.
While the No 10 playmaker, who plies her trade for top Swedish outfit Umea IK, was pivotal to the national team's efforts, she paled in comparison to the likes of Brazil's Marta, Germany's Birgit Prinz and US captain Kristine Lilly.
Then again, she's only 19, more or less the same age as Korean-American golfer Michelle Wie, another prodigious wunderkind who has struggled to compete with all the hype.
So does this mean it's a case of Game Over for Ma? Hardly.
She still enjoys the full support of Swedish-born China coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors and confidently claims that neither she nor the women's team has yet realized its full potential.
"I will not dwell on past failures. We should look forward," she said. "Personally, I did not play well (at the World Cup) but we can see a lot of potential from the whole team. I'm sure we will play better in coming tournaments, especially at the Beijing Olympics."
Ma has already racked up a clutch of accolades including the adidas Golden Ball and Golden Shoe awards at last year's U-20 World Cup.
Yet her self-confidence has occasionally proven her undoing, with reports describing her as "selfish" and "arrogant" during national training and competitions further stirring controversy.
During the Women's World Cup, rumors circulated about a rift with her teammates that could see Ma forfeit her starting place in the national team at future tournaments.
In response, Ma decided to let her feet - and mouth - do the talking by scoring at the ongoing Asian U-20 Women's Championships and taking the fight right back to the press.
"I know some people have doubts about my ability. Others are questioning me after my performance at the World Cup," she said after rocketing in a brilliant goal during China's 1-1 draw with South Korea in the last group match. Both teams advanced to the knockout stages of the championships.
"I think the best way to silence the critics is by scoring goals. Now I have finally found the net and I'm sure the goals will keep on coming."
She said she wears the famed No 10 jersey with pride.
"Usually when it comes to the No 10, we are talking about a leading player, someone who has a pivotal role and cannot be replaced," she said. "While many people see this as signifying more responsibility, I see it as a challenge that will help me progress."
The Steel Roses peaked in the late 1990s when star striker Sun Wen and playmaker Liu Anling led the team to silver medals at both the 1996 Atlanta Games and the 1999 Women's World Cup. The team has since been in state of decline, something the local soccer authorities want to see redressed before next summer's Olympic competition.
