The past
Until recently,
Las Rojitas had yet to cause a stir on the South American
women's football scene, having failed to make it past the group
stage of any regional event. But the award of hosting rights to the
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2008 has stirred the Chilean
football association into action, ushering in a new era for the
country's finest female players.
The present
Since taking the national team reins, Chile's new
Spanish-born coach Marta Tejedor has focused on restructuring
women's football in the country from top to bottom. And with
this year's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in mind, Tejedor
has also put a strict training programme in place. The first step
was to educate her charges on the importance of physical fitness,
with the next step focusing on improving the players' technical
ability and tactical awareness. Once those stages were well
underway, Tejedor's focus turned to giving her side some
competitive action - a goal achieved at March's U-20
Sudamericano on home soil. And the coach's efforts appear to be
bearing fruit:
La Rojitas reached the final stage of the tournament on
the back of solid and disciplined displays.
The future
The national team continue to make steady progress, Tejedor
putting her 25-player squad through an intensive training and
preparatory programme designed to hone their competitive edge and
desire for self-improvement. "The girls have worked really
well, showing both dedication and commitment. The World Cup was the
aim when I came here, and what we're doing now is geared
towards that. I'm sure that Chile will go on to be a force in
women's football," said the Spanish supremo.
Facts
Former stars
Chile have never previously appeared at this competition.
Key players
Nathalie Quezada (quick striker with an eye for goal),
Daniela Pardo (midfield driving force and team captain), Romina
Parraguirre (goalkeeper blessed with sharp reflexes), Juanita Pena
(commanding centre-back with superb aerial ability).
Qualifying statistics
Chile qualified automatically for the FIFA U-20
Women's World Cup as host nation.
The numbers game
0 - The number of times Chile have taken part at
this event in the past.
