Gael Spotlight | Women's Soccer's Nayeli Diaz Accumulating Caps for Mexican National Team
Representing one's country in international play is a universal dream shared by every soccer player on every pitch across the globe. And for Saint Mary's Women's Soccer player, Nayeli Diaz, it's a dream come true.
"I started playing soccer when I was around 11 years old," Diaz remembered. "I actually did dance from ages 7-10 and one day just decided that I needed to do something a little more active."
And ever since her first soccer game, Diaz was hooked. "My earliest soccer memory was my first ever soccer game," Diaz said. "I remember being absolutely restless the night before, and just wanting my parents to wake up so that we could drive over to the field. I don't necessarily remember the game, just that I felt pure joy. I try and go back to that feeling every time I have a bad game or wake up to lift weights at 6 a.m."
Born in Mexico City and raised in Hacienda Heights, Calif., Diaz has graduated up the ranks of international squads for the Mexican International Team. She started for the U-17 Mexican National Team at the 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Tournament, scored a goal against the United States in the tournament final, and started for Mexico in the U-17 World Cup. Now she has made her way up to the "El Tri Femenil" as a member of the full club for Mexico.
"My first experience with the national team was back in 2018 when I went for a U-17 camp," Diaz said. "I eventually got invited to go to the U-17 World Cup in Uruguay, where we fell short 2-1 in the finals against Spain. Not the result we wanted but I was forever grateful for the experience. It was after that tournament that I was invited back to Mexico City for the U-20 camp."
Diaz came to Saint Mary's from Bishop Amat Memorial High in La Puente California where she was a team captain and led her team to three-straight league championships. After coming to Saint Mary's, Diaz participated in the World Cup qualifiers for the U-20 team in the Dominican Republic.
"We beat Ghana 2-1 in overtime to reserve our spot in the World Cup," Diaz noted. "Due to COVID-19, however, the games were pushed back and we are no longer able to play after aging out of the U-20 team. It was this past summer when I was officially invited to play for the full team against the Japanese Federation in Japan."
Diaz was a late sub in the game against Japan in June and drew a penalty. "These games are in preparation for the world cup qualifiers in February," Diaz said. "Every time I train with this team I try and learn from everyone and everything around me. The Saint Mary's Women's Soccer coaches and staff always support me while I'm away, and continue to push me to be the best player I can be. This is an opportunity that I do not take for granted, and I can only hope that I can continue to learn and improve for years to come."
She played in Mexico's 2-1 victory over Canada in an International Friendly on November 27. Diaz checked in at the 47th minute for Mexico and played the rest of the match.
"It was a pretty surreal experience considering I was just watching the Canadian team on TV win gold against Sweden in the recent Olympic games," Diaz added. "Also competing against players that I have always looked up to was thrilling, to say the least. Winning that game against Canada was a small step towards the right direction in terms of letting the soccer world know that Mexico is here, and willing to do the hard work in order to compete with the best in the world."
Diaz scored the game-winning goal this past season at Loyola Marymount and played in eight games for the Gaels, getting a start against San Diego. The Gaels finished with 10 wins for the first time since 2011, their best winning percentage since 2001, and received votes in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 for the first time since 2004. The team graduated 12 seniors this past season, leaving an opening for a bigger role for Diaz to grab next season for the Gaels.
The Common Interest Management Gael Spotlight is a monthly feature story about Saint Mary's Athletics and a behind-the-scenes look at the Gaels.
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