BOISE, Idaho — The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is just around the corner, and Boise has native Sofia Huerta on the US Team.
It's not every day that someone from your hometown qualifies for the tournament, but with persistence and determination, Huerta is making her World Cup debut.
Playing since age five, Sofia is now on the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team, but before she made her dream a reality it took a lot of hard work.
“She is a story of determination, a story of believing in yourself, a story of working around obstacles,” says Mauricio, Sophia's father.
After playing on the FIFA U20 team for Mexico and different professional teams, she never gave up on her ultimate goal.
"The calls from the US Federation or US National team didn’t come, so she really questioned her decision to not play for Mexico anymore, but I think her feelings, in her gut, she knew that she could play for the U.S. and waited for the call,” Mauricio told Idaho News 6.
In June Sofia finally received the call she was waiting for, that she was selected for the 2023 Women’s U.S. World Cup roster. For years Huerta practiced and trained, just for this once-in-a-lifetime moment, making every play count.
Mike Mollay is just one of many of Sofia’s coaches and mentors throughout her career, he was her full-time coach for Le Bois Soccer Club from U13 to U19.
“What's special about Sofia playing in a World Cup is that she's walked the halls of Centennial High, she's played for coaches that are here. It's touchable, it's tangible, it's achievable,” says Mollay.
Huerta is the first player from Idaho to play for the U.S. Women's National Team. Knowing she couldn't do it all alone, she kept moving forward with her coaches, friends, and family by her side.
“Once they decide what their passion is and they want to pursue that, make sure they have the right mentors. Make sure they have the right pack. And the right pack is the people around them that will encourage them to get better. That’s true for soccer with Sofia, or for any professional,” says Mauricio.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup begins on Thursday. The first game for the US is on Friday, July 21, against Vietnam.
