Boise native Sofia Huerta became the first Idahoan named to a World Cup roster Wednesday.
Huerta, a defender, was selected for the 23-person team traveling to Australia and New Zealand in July for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 30-year-old has four assists in 29 appearances for the national team under her belt. But before playing for the U.S., Huerta represented Mexico on its youth and senior-level teams. Her father is Mexican and her mother is American. In 2017, FIFA approved her request to change associations, making her eligible to play for the U.S. in international competitions. This is her first World Cup.
Michael Mollay coached Huerta when she was a teenager, playing for the Les Bois club in Boise.
“She was a special talent that came through and was very noticeable, very early on,” Mollay said.
Huerta played for Centennial High School where she was named the Gatorade Idaho Girls Soccer Player of the Year two times. She was a multi-sport athlete — also a hurdler and basketball player. Mollay said a big moment was when she started focusing more on soccer and was getting recruited to play in college.
“There were a lot of us that recognized and understood that when she started doing soccer full-time that there was no ceiling for her,” he said. “And that’s proving out as we’re seeing now.”
Growing up, Mollay said, Huerta was a goal-scoring attacker. She played forward at Santa Clara University. But she knew to make it onto the U.S. Women’s National Team, she’d have to learn how to play right back, where there was less competition for spots.
“Now, what you really see is an attacking-minded player who’s willing to go 18-to-18,” he said. “She’s just really become a very well-rounded player that is now a huge value-add to our women’s national team.”
The U.S. will play Vietnam on July 21 (July 22 local time) in Auckland.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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