00:00Let's start by the beginning. Tell me, what was your club when you started playing when you were a kid?
00:05When I was a kid? Well, my first club was AYSO, so I think every young children...
00:09Applause for AYSO! Yes!
00:11I think every young player starts in AY, and then obviously I go on to club.
00:16I grew up in the Bay Area, so I played for Peninsula, and then I went on to play for
00:21a club team
00:22where I played with older players from when I was 12, and they were 18-year-olds.
00:26How was that?
00:27I mean, it was scary. I didn't want to get out of the car.
00:29And my dad was like, you almost pushed me out of the car, but at the end of the day,
00:33it's like playing with older players, so I get to learn.
00:35I get to play with people who are going to teach me about the game in different ways.
00:39I'm not going to be the best. I'm not going to be the fastest. I'm not going to be the
00:42strongest,
00:42but it made me a better player.
00:44Without a doubt.
00:44Now, and then, when did you decide, you know what, this is what I want to do with my life
00:49long-term.
00:50This is what I want to devote myself to.
00:52When was that moment that you said, this is my dream?
00:54I think when, well, at a very young age, about when I was four, probably six, I wrote it down.
01:00I want to be a professional soccer player.
01:03But probably when I was about 12 or 13 is when I dedicated my life to football.
01:07Like, seriously.
01:08How was that? Like, you started going to, obviously, ID camps.
01:12You started going to, like, talk to coaches in college, getting recruited.
01:15How was that process for, and, you know, a lot of the girls that are watching,
01:18we have a lot of younger players that are, you know, in that process of growing and trying to,
01:22you know, make it in the world?
01:23Yeah, I think what I did was, I played club soccer.
01:26So then, I know you have trainings maybe three to four days a week.
01:30But then, you also have to find outside training.
01:32So then, I had a lot of personal trainers.
01:34I would go to camps, clinics.
01:36But also, I think the biggest thing that helped me as a player was training on my own.
01:39So, I learned a lot from my coaches.
01:42I was very, like, a visual person.
01:44And then, I was like, okay, so I'd, like, watch them.
01:46They would also demonstrate.
01:47So, I had really good coaches who also played football.
01:49So, I was like, okay, if they made it to the top, then they obviously know what they're talking about.
01:53So, I would remember what they taught me and then go do it on my own.
01:56So, how was, you know, becoming a professional?
01:59How was your path?
02:00What was your team to let people know where they can find your highlights?
02:03Oh, my highlights?
02:04Oh, yeah.
02:05I've had a really long career.
02:06So, I played four years at the University of Washington.
02:11So, back then, I was Pac-10.
02:13And then, I actually got scouted there for the Mexican Women's National Team.
02:17Aplausos.
02:18Yeah.
02:19Aplausos.
02:20And also, I got scouted in a game.
02:22It was UW versus USC.
02:23So, I got scouted right here in L.A.
02:26The assistant coach was watching the game at the time.
02:29And I think we ended up losing 3-2, but I scored the two goals and just had a really
02:33good game.
02:33I didn't know he was there.
02:34And then, he ended up calling my college coach, saying, we love Vettel.
02:38Do you know if she is Mexican?
02:39Are her parents born in Mexico?
02:41And then, we got into that conversation.
02:43And then, they ended up inviting me to camp.
02:45And then, I was on the national team for about seven to eight years after that.
02:50Yeah.
02:50How is it to be part of, you know, the growth of women's soccer?
02:53Because, you know, right now, it's at this peak, right?
02:56Like, everybody's talking about it.
02:58But, back in the day, you guys really have to grind.
03:00You guys really have to put a lot of your own effort, money, and resources to actually make it happen.
03:06Tell me a little bit of how you've seen the game grow in, you know, in your career.
03:10Yeah.
03:10Oh, my gosh.
03:11Like, right now, just to see the visibility of the game, it's so much more better.
03:15Like, right now, you have social media, so you can go on Instagram, TikTok.
03:19But now, there are, like, games played on TV.
03:22Like, before then, you couldn't even find a women's soccer game on TV.
03:25But now, they have the NWSL, the USA.
03:28They have Liga MX in Mexico.
03:30And you can find all those games on YouTube or VIX or, you know, different platforms.
03:36Who is your Liga MX team?
03:37Who's mine?
03:38Yeah.
03:39Right now, Club America.
03:42Americanista!
03:42I am an Americanista.
03:43And so, I'm guessing that right now, you are beyond proud from the Americanistas because the girls won the championship.
03:49How did it feel to see them win?
03:52Oh, my God.
03:53I felt super happy for them because I think they've gone to about six finals in the past three years.
03:59And they've lost about six finals.
04:02The big is a lot.
04:02Si.
04:03Tigres, the Reyes, I think Pachuca.
04:05So, to see them, like, being able to get into another final and finally win, yeah, that was super special
04:11for them.
04:12So, super.
04:13Yeah.
04:13Amazing.
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