Brisbane Roar winger Mariel Hecher has not had too many setbacks in her fledgling football career and that’s probably why last season’s A-League Women semi-final defeat to Melbourne Victory still hurts.
A professional futsal player in her native Brazil, Hecher made the switch to 11-a-side outdoor football shortly after her arrival in Australia in 2017 after discovering a lack of high-level futsal opportunities in Queensland.
Having impressed in the Queensland state league, Hecher was given a contract with the Roar for the 2020-21 ALW campaign and found herself playing at the elite level alongside Matildas Clare Polkinghorne, Emily Gielnik, Tameka Yallop and Hayley Raso.
The 29-year-old would go on to start in every match of her debut campaign, scoring four goals, but the season ended on a sour note with the Roar thumped 6-2 on their own turf by a Lisa De Vanna-inspired Victory.
Ahead of Saturday’s rematch against the defending champions at Moreton Daily Stadium, Hecher is itching to get one back, particularly after starting this campaign with back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Perth Glory.
“It definitely burns. Every time I think about it, I get so agitated,” Hecher told AAP.
“It was a great contest and it was just details that made them score two-three goals but yeah, it was tough.
“At least, kind of, they won (the grand final) so it makes it a little bit like at least we lost to the winning team, but we knew that it could have been us in the grand final.
“It’s always annoying when you lose. It’s never easy, but it’s good to have that feeling.
“You just want to be better. You just want to perform a lot better after that.”
Hecher’s futsal career nearly led to representative honours in Brazil and her rapid rise in the 11-a-side game has her dreaming of being given a chance with the Selecao, especially with the 2023 World Cup to be held in her adopted homeland.
Whether that dream becomes a reality however is something Hecher admits is a long shot, though she’s open to any interest that Brazil coach Pia Sundhage might show in her.
“It will always be a dream but I think I’m a little bit behind where I should be,” she said.
“If one day Pia decides to give me a ring, I definitely wouldn’t say no.
“Even just going for one camp and just learning from them. That would be a unique experience.”
