Then End of the Chapter
After an incredible beginning, things started to get rocky as we faced Nigeria. If the nerves didn’t hit my team when we saw how big the stadium was, it happened when we saw how big the Nigerian players were. We quickly went behind 2-0 and finished with a 3-0 loss. With this loss we finished 2nd in our group and were to face Japan, the favorite to win the tournament, in the Quarter Finals.
You can never blame outside conditions for a loss, but I have to say, I have never played in a game so windy. I would pass the ball and sometimes the wind would just blow it back to me. But the wind didn’t seem to affect the technical and speedy Japanese players. We ended with a loss of 2-0, the goals being an own goal and a rebound off of a PK.
After we lost the Quarter Finals, I was devastated. We all were. Our World Cup journey had quickly come to an end, and I couldn’t seem to grasp that fact.
However, I couldn’t be more proud of what my family accomplished. After being physically and emotionally drained, doubted and criticized, being away from home for six weeks and all the sacrifices that come with this experience, we placed sixth out of 209 countries entered in the World Cup. We still made history and we gave people hope.
Saying goodbye was very emotional. There is no promise that I will see any of my teammates again, especially those who live in Mexico. I am overly blessed to have lived such an experience, my dreams, with those I love. But this is just the end of one chapter and the beginning of something incredible.
Gayle Martin • Apr 2, 2014 at 12:47 pm
I think it is hard, when sports are so focused on THE WINNER, to see things objectively, but take it from someone on the outside: 6th out of 209 is incredible, if not to say unbelievable! Having to fight the weather AND giant Nigerians must have felt just a bit over the top. Thanks so much for taking us on this journey with you. I’m sure your next adventure will be something just as magical.