Women's Soccer | 4/6/2015 7:28:00 AM
ABILENE - Backed by the third-highest population in all of Latin America with 48 million people Colombia recently has given rise to a pair of national football programs that have flourished over the past half decade on the global stage.
The Colombian men's national team - affectionately nicknamed Los Cafeteros (the Coffee Growers) - reached the quarterfinals of last summer's World Cup in Brazil and currently rank third in the FIFA World Rankings after missing three consecutive World Cups from 2002 to 2010. And almost simultaneously, their female counterparts -
Las Cafeteras - started their own ascent culminating in last week's announcement that they're 28th in the world, matching their highest previous position from December 2011.
Las Cafeteras' hike up the rankings came about from their stellar showing at last September's Copa América (or Sudamericano). Their most popular player Yoreli Rincón (No. 10) scored three goals through seven matches at the tournament, while their lock-down defense allowed just two goals, giving Colombia a second-place finish to Brazil and spots at the upcoming
World Cup (June 2015) and
Summer Olympic Games (2016).
The Columbian women made their World Cup debut in 2011 after failing to qualify the previous three occasions, and their one and only Olympic appearance came about in 2012 following a decade of futility. At both events, however, Las Cafeteras went winless, finishing at the bottom of their group in Germany and going 0-3 in London, falling to the United States, France and North Korea.
But everything seemingly clicked for them at the Copa América as they completed the 10-team tournament as the only unbeaten country (5-0-2) with a +10 goal differential (12 goals for, two goals against).
Even as one of the most accomplished teams in South America, Las Cafeteras and their second-year head coach Felipe Taborda are always looking for additional help. And one of the players summoned to Bogotá for a try-out camp right before Abilene Christian took off for Spring Break was sophomore midfielder Maria Gómez.
Born in Cali, Colombia, and raised across the eastern United States for most of her life Gómez grew up around football as both her father, Julio, and uncle, Diego, were both professional goalkeepers for several professional Colombian teams, including América de Cali. Julio also was part of Colombia's U-20 National Team in 1987, leading them to the Sudamericano Cup Championship in Pereira, Colombia.
Her immediate family - which includes dad, mom (Luz) and brother (Julio) - all left Colombia when Gómez was four-years-old, but the rest of her extended family remained. And thanks to the connections her father maintained with the Colombian Football Federation Gómez started receiving tryout invitations in her homeland as recently as 2013.
Gómez' first camp experience with Colombia took place in the winter (its summer) of 2013-14 not long after she enrolled at ACU, and it was for a spot on the U-20 team that was preparing for the El Campeonato Sudamericano in Uruguay. She again went back during the summer of 2014 to train with Coach Taborda's club team, which was preparing for a continent-wide tournament. Gómez never got the chance to play in the tournament, but did see time in two qualifying games and rubbed shoulders with several older girls who already were part of the national team.
Taborda would be handed the senior national team job later that summer and by year's end had Las Cafeteras back in the World Cup and Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, as summer rolled into autumn here in the states, Gómez was helping head coach
Casey Wilson and the Wildcats record their second-consecutive winning season in Southland Conference competition. Gómez appeared in 18 of 19 matches with two starts, and in what only could be described as a stroke of luck, she scored the first goal of her collegiate career with her parents in the crowd at Shotwell Stadium.
The Wildcats won the game 3-0 over Nicholls with Gómez' strike serving as the final tally in the 82nd minute.
ACU sophomore Maria GómezHer parents' visit from Naples, Fla., was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise, much like the phone call she received last month inviting her to train with 24 other players over three weeks in Bogotá, the Colombian capital city which sits 8,660 feet above sea level.
"My decision had to be quick," said Gómez. "They first post the list on a web site and then you'll either get a call or an email. I kept thinking about my classes because the camp schedule always was changing so I'm thankful spring break fell right in the middle of the three weeks. And when I talked to my professors they all were very encouraging and asked what they could do to help me."
Despite having the occasional struggle with the altitude, Gómez and the other major pool candidates for the World Cup team were required to practice twice-a-day, six days a week for two and a half hours at a time. There also were international friendlies vs. Venezuela to be played in addition to weekly matches against local club teams, plus two 90-minute gym period a week that were comprised of weights, lunges and circuit training.
"I thought I did well even though it was hard to keep up the first week because of the high altitude and incredibly fast pace," she said. "There always was someone on me and I'd get no more than one or two touches with the ball. I received lots of pressure from the professional girls. They are very experienced and their techniques are at the top of the sport ... talented with their feet and the ball."
Gómez was assigned to play defensive midfield overseas even though she's spent a majority of her time with the Wildcats as a holding midfielder. The positive in her playing that particular role was Gómez felt comfortable in distributing the ball, making tackles and winning 1-vs.-1 situations. But the negative was being handed a position in which she was placed in direct competition against five other quality and experienced players.
A few days after returning to campus, Gomez could only go by how she felt she competed at camp as to whether or not she'd be invited again to tryout. She wasn't given any type of pep talk or any other verbal clues as she left Colombia, and during matches all coach Taborda would say to her was, 'Confidence!,' because he knew she could play against the bigger girls.
"I'm feeling a little bit of everything right now," she said during an interview session at Brown Library. "There's pride for having been invited, yet some doubt that I will make the World Cup team or have the opportunity to go to more camps. I know there's always hope, but I'm competing against five girls and they all know more about the game and have more experience - it's one of the hardest positions to play on the team."
Gómez patiently waited for another phone call from Colombia inviting her to April's tryout, but on the evening of March 31 she received the news that her name did not appear on the third camp list.
Disappointment for sure, but there will be plenty more occasions for this 20-year-old to earn a roster spot on one of her homeland's teams beginning with July's Pan American Games (Los Juegos Panamericanos).
"By not being invited back for the April camp, it just means I won't be going to the World Cup but I have very high hopes for the 2019 World Cup in France and 2016 Summer Olympics," said Gómez. "There always will be opportunities for me to continue training with Colombia for this year and hopefully many years to come. I have faith that I will make it. I'm young and believe that every future opportunity bring another chance and time to get better and gain the necessary experience.
"Both my mom and dad have been so very encouraging to me during this process. My dad keeps telling me the dream is right here - so take it. Mom is equally supportive, but she also wants what's best for my education and future career ... She is still on me about getting everything made up (classwork) from last month."
Gómez is progressing toward degrees in kinesiology and pre-physical therapy. Her goal after graduation is to become a physical therapist for pro or college teams.
Colombia's run at the World Cup starts June 9 and will have to battle past Mexico, France and England in Group F to advance to the knockout stage. Las Cafeteras will play its matches vs. Mexico and France in the far-eastern city of Moncton, New Brunswick, before battling England in Montreal, Québec.
