AREA SPORTS NETWORK Q & A INTERVIEW
By: Kelly Landaverde
What made you want to play professional soccer instead of basketball?
Well, I think just from a young age, soccer was more of a developed sport. I was able to travel with my club team to college showcases and was going to different locations basically every weekend and being seen by college coaches. So it just seemed like it made more sense. And I think I was just better at soccer than I was at other sports. But I obviously enjoyed playing basketball. I loved running track, I swam as well. And so playing sports is really fun for me when I was growing up, but soccer was definitely always the number one.
What will you say is your ideal position? and why as a midfielder or as a forward?
I’ve kind of moved all over, I was recruited as a center back in college. So I played center back for my first season in college, and then I moved to forward so and was moved to outside back and then outside forward in that tense, I’ve kind of been all over. But if I had to choose one, I would probably say, I like playing attacking mid, just because I feel like I’m more involved. But I also like playing forward too, because I’m closer to the goal. And obviously, my chances of scoring are a little higher. So I just want to be on the field and help my team in any way. But if I had to pick I’d probably pick a tacky mid.
With all these players being in international duty, and in the Olympics, do you feel more pressure being one of the main forwards on the team?
I don’t feel pressure just because this is my seventh year in the league. And I’m more comfortable just as a professional player, but also our team is full depth. So I don’t feel like it’s, it’s only me, right? I mean, we have a lot of good players who can show up any given day and score goals and create chances. I think that it’s a credit to our technical staff to get the some of the best players honestly, it’s going to be really hard for them to choose the starting 11 every weekend. So personally, I don’t feel too much pressure. But of course, I want to do the best I can and score as many goals and create as many chances for the reign.
How do you feel playing under Farid’s soccer scheme?
I love playing under Farid I think he’s a great coach. I mean, obviously he brings the European tactics over here, he has different training styles than I’ve ever had before. And just the way that he communicates with his players is different. There’s a little bit of a language barrier. But I think at the end of the day, we all speak the same language when it comes to soccer. So it’s been fun to be underneath him. I think obviously, he has a lot of experience. And so it’s fun to learn from someone that seeing the game in a different from a different lens. It’s been really fun, though..
What would you say? are your personal and team goals for this season?
I think that personally, I just want to be the best player I can for the reign. I would love to score goals and assists. But that’s mainly just because I want the team to win and I want to win the NWSL championship. I think we definitely have the team to do it. So that’s, it’s going to be a good year for us. And yeah, I just want to do the best that I can for this team.
How are you going to feel playing against Houston?
I’m excited for multiple reasons playing them will be fun because it’s my old team. I’ll see some old players but at the same time, I want to go out there and beat them. So obviously I’m really excited. In the Challenge Cup in 2020, I was unable to play because I had a hamstring injury. So I haven’t played them yet. So this is my first time playing against them. But on top of that, this has been a really long preseason. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’re all just really excited to step foot on Cheney and especially in front of fans. You know, we haven’t been able to play in front of fans for over a year now. So I think we’ll just be really exciting.
We also know that players in the academy are being part of the first team like Ruby, Neeku, what advice would you give these youngsters?
They’re awesome. I love training with them every day, and just seeing their enthusiasm and, their youthfulness. They’re great girls. And we actually had them come to Portland for friendly and they were able to play and they did really well. They just bring a lot of energy. And they’re really skillful for how young they are. So for me, it’s really exciting to see them every day, or when they come to training just because I feel like I learned from them even though they’re younger than me. And they’re all really good girls.
Can you talk about your friendship with Julie Ertz?
We’ve been playing with each other since we were 14. We did like ODP together, play regional teams youth national teams together. And then we played at Santa Clara together. And then we also played at the Red Stars together and then had some time together on the full national team as well. So we’ve been, next to each other throughout both our careers for a very long time. So I have the most respect for her. She’s obviously such a good player on the field. And she’s a great player off the field. So it’s been amazing to see her success and obviously always happy to see her doing well.
Were you able to watch the USWNT against France? what went through your mind?
Yeah, I always watch the best games, in the offseason, I actually went and trained with Lyon, so it was exciting to actually see them. See some of those girls playing on France, just because I didn’t really know who they were before, personally, but then obviously, I spent a couple months with them in the offseason. So that was interesting and fun to see. I think that it’s always fun to watch France play the US, because they’re a top competitor for the US team. And, it wasn’t their full squad. They’re missing a lot of key players. But I think that they definitely challenged the US and other ways that other teams can. So it was exciting to see. And again, just speaking about Julie, I mean, she’s always a force to be reckoned with. And she disrupts a lot of their play. And so she did really well in that game.
Do you see the NWSL being a trampoline to achieve the dream of playing for the national team?
I think my main focus is definitely just club level the OL Reign and doing the best I can with them. I mean, obviously, I’ve spent time on the national team. And that was a great experience. And I have the aspirations and dreams to play on a national team again, but there’s only so much you can control and all I can think about right now is performing well on the club level and hopefully, if I do well, then I’ll be seen and can be on the national team again.
Were you able to watch the highlights of the Mexico vs Spain game, what were your impressions?
I think anytime that Mexico has the opportunity to play tough opponents it’s a good thing. That was something that I think they lacked before is they weren’t getting enough games, they weren’t meeting together enough. I remember when I played with them, we only met every couple of months, whereas you see the US meeting every month. And so I think it’s important for them to play in those high level games, it will only make them better, obviously, the more times they play against high competitors, the better they’re going do against them. So I’m not quite sure how, how much they’ve improved. To be honest, I haven’t seen too much. But I have a lot of friends on the team. And I know that they’re continuing to work their hardest and hopes to qualify for Olympics one day, I know that’s one of their goals, and to perform well in a World Cup.
What advice would you give underdog national teams that are still lacking support, even though they have so many talented players on their squad?
I guess the advice I would give them is just continuing to grow individually. Sometimes you don’t have control over what the national team, provides for you. So you need to do well on a club level. And so when you get called up to the national team, it’s competitive, and you’re all in form, and you all can perform. So a lot of it, it’s not up to them, it’s up to the federation. And so if they can just control what’s in their control, then it will be okay.
What do you enjoy the most about representing both national teams, is it the bicultural aspect?
Well, I think, in 2013, when I was representing Mexico, it was such a good experience, my dad’s side of the family still in Mexico, and they were so proud to see Huerta on the back of my jersey when I was representing Mexico, and that was obviously such a good experience. And I loved being in tune to that side of my family. And then obviously, representing the US national team was just always a dream of mine. So it was, amazing, I almost can’t even describe it. It was something that I’ve wanted to do since I was, a little girl. So to put the US national team jersey on, it was just something I’m very proud of, and obviously still aim to try and get back on that team.
What made you want to raise funds for the LoveLand Foundation?
That was obviously a really tough time for everyone, the beginning of quarantine, and then, the shooting that happened, I think a lot of people didn’t know how to respond or, what they can do especially being white I just wasn’t sure how to use my platform. And so I just thought, Okay, what can I do? And the Loveland foundation was something I continued seeing, it’s about mental health and raising the funds for black women and girls. And I just thought it was really important so I did everything I could to use my platform and to raise money and thankfully, bands and people who follow me on social media were really excited about it and gave money. Raised about $16,000 for the Loveland Foundation and I was just really excited that people stood behind me and the foundation.
Were you a 99ers fan, of the team or what?
Yeah, of course. I mean, I watched the World Cup and those are my role models. That’s who I watched play on TV and thought that’s exactly what I want to be like. There were girls on the team that I looked up to more. I definitely grew up watching Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain and Michelle Akers, those were kind of like the three main players, but for sure was a fan of the whole team and what they did for women’s soccer.
Would you say Houston Dallas or Chicago?
Chicago.
Mia Hamm or Abby Wamback?.
Mia
Favorite food?
Sushi.
Twitter or Instagram?
Basketball or track?
Basketball.
Tick Tock or Instagram reels.
Neither but Tick Tock
Favorite movie.
I’m not gonna be able to answer this. I don’t know of any. So many. Okay.
Okay, what about your favorite book?
That’s too hard. I’m indecisive. I can’t choose. I don’t know.
Would you rather scored in the World Cup or in the NWSL final?
NWSL final
Sofia is what?….
Fun
How would you describe your playing style?
Yeah, I mean, I would just say that I’m, you know, a hard worker and can create chances for myself and others and just obviously try to leave it all on the fields.
