Everyone agrees that Brazil’s Marta is among the greatest players in the history of women’s soccer. What everyone can’t agree on is quite simple: Who is the next Marta? We’re talking about a player that is the best at every level, whether playing for club or country. We’re talking about a player that can inspire a whole generation of female footballers.
To find this special player and “the next big thing,” we have to travel to Malibu, California to see a soccer prodigy named Frankie Mujic. She is America’s best shot at being the next Marta.
Frankie is not your typical 14-year-old for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is that she is poised to become the youngest player in Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) history. This is quite a feat considering that that league’s alumni already includes U.S. Women’s National Team greats like Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Abby Wambach, Heather O’Reilly, Alex Morgan, and Julie Foudy.
This summer is going to be an exciting time for the young striker. She will be taking the field as a member of Del Rey City SC, a top-flight operation in both the WPSL and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
“It’s a dream of mine to play professional soccer. Now I’m a step closer to that dream. I can’t wait. It’s going to be amazing.”
This isn’t just any player; Frankie is a mature and creative, attacking player that is further along in her game than players five years her senior.
There are even more things to like about her as a player and person. She’s not selfish. She is an incredible teammate. She is a student of the game. She is the complete package in terms of skill set; she is a technical, thoughtful, and confident playmaker. And most of all she lives and breathes soccer.
“Soccer is a lifestyle. It’s everything I’ve done and it’s everything I’m going to do.”
As you can see she lives and breathes the game, constantly watching games from around the world and talking soccer with anyone who will listen. You can say that the beautiful game is a family tradition with her father and maternal grandfather both being former pros. Her father Edi played in Germany with Mainz 05, TuS Medenbach, and SV Wiesbaden as well as HNK Sibenik in Croatia. Her grandfather played with Portsmouth in England and also is one of the lucky ones to have played with Pelé in Brazil.
Frankie has an incredible knowledge of the game and counts Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and of course Marta among her favorites.
“Real Madrid is a great team that plays well together. Ronaldo is not the whole team; he wouldn’t be anything without his teammates. Ronaldinho is just amazing and Marta is a girl that plays like a guy.”
This is certainly not a bad list of players to idolize or emulate. And she likely will be joining them in the professional and national team ranks. She hopes to be play professionally, hopefully in a country like Sweden (again like Marta), in addition to seeing time with the U.S.national team. That is certainly a possibility as she is already being watched closely by national team and foreign scouts.
For her father, this is an exciting opportunity, one that she has been waiting for since she was very young. He recalls her stepping on the pitch at the age of seven or eight and everything stopping for her. She was completely absorbed by the game and entranced by the feeling of freedom on the field.
“When she walks onto the field, it’s the liberation of her soul,” Edi Mujic stated. “For her, it is not a game. She brings poetry to the field and makes sense of the beautiful game.”
Her mother Maxine Mujic, a successful actress for many years, was quick to agree.
“When I see a game played beautifully, it’s like a ballet.”
And her daughter is the star of the show (or pitch in this case). Who knows what Frankie is capable of?
Frankie certainly knows. When asked about her future in the game, she simply replied, “People are going to know who I am.”
We certainly believe that is going to be the case and we are excited to see what she becomes. Maybe the next Marta is right in our own backyard.
Awesome Soccer believes and invests in American soccer. Awesome Soccer is helping to build and popularize American soccer throughout the United States and the world. Awesome Soccer builds and manages soccer clubs, helps others to build and manage their own at the local level, and develops software to promote and manage soccer leagues, clubs, and teams. Awesome Soccer’s Del Rey City SC (DRCSC) in Marina del Rey, California competes in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Their club FC Playa Vista (FCPV) is a highly competitive recreational team, and their club LA City F.C. is building its path in Los Angeles. It’s not Awesome, it’s Awesome Soccer! Visit awesomesoccer.net.
