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| FIFA.com |
Not many South American players can lay claim to the unique feat of having appeared in two FIFA tournaments in the same year. But 16-year-old Paraguay goalkeeper Natasha Martinez is one of them, having represented her country at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2014 and then at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014.
The youthful “veteran” was a reserve keeper in both competitions and did not see any action, though all that is about to change at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016, where she will wear the No1 jersey.
It is no surprise to hear that she took up the game at a very early age. “I was always watching football at home, and then I just gradually got into playing it at school, kicking a ball about with the boys,” the smiling Martinez told FIFA.com. As she went on to explain, however, she did not start out between the posts: “I was a central defender, but when I first joined Olimpia, I went in goal for a training session, dived all over the place like a woman possessed and never got out of there again.”
Signed by the club at the age of 11, it was not long before she was being called up to represent her country. Within two years she was on her way to Costa Rica for her first World Cup. “It was unforgettable, because I was 13 and was travelling abroad for the first time in my life,” she recalled. “It was something I’d always dreamed of, and though I went as a reserve, it was a very useful learning experience for me.”
Months later came another opportunity to grow and develop, at the U-20 world finals in Canada. “It was amazing. The goalkeepers were fantastic and flew from one post to the other,” said Martinez. “Just watching them made me want to go all the way to the top. God willing, I’ll be the first-choice at the World Cup.”
Intensive preparations
Paraguay’s keeper at the South American Championships in Venezuela, Martinez will travel to Jordan 2016 with two other Costa Rica 2014 veterans: Jessica Martinez and Camila Gonzalez. “We’ve already told the rest of the girls what it means to play in a tournament like this, because it’s not easy at all,” explained the custodian. “It’s a very different competition to the South Americans. Getting this far has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice. That’s why we need to dig deep now, because it’s not enough for us just to get there. It’s all or nothing.”
Paraguay’s keeper at the South American Championships in Venezuela, Martinez will travel to Jordan 2016 with two other Costa Rica 2014 veterans: Jessica Martinez and Camila Gonzalez. “We’ve already told the rest of the girls what it means to play in a tournament like this, because it’s not easy at all,” explained the custodian. “It’s a very different competition to the South Americans. Getting this far has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice. That’s why we need to dig deep now, because it’s not enough for us just to get there. It’s all or nothing.”
Paraguay have been drawn in Group D with USA, Japan and Ghana, a section Martinez describes as “tough but not impossible”. Sizing up the opposition, the ambitious keeper said: “We’ve been watching USA and Japan, and with the team we’ve got I think we can beat both of them. We also know that Ghana are very strong physically. At the World Cup you have to give it all you’ve got. There’s no holding back. We’ll be going there in the right frame of mind.”
As she prepares for her third World Cup, Martinez has a very clear idea of her own personal goals and those of the team: “Physically and tactically we’re in great shape. Each and every one of us is putting so much effort into training and we all have the same objective, which is to get to the World Cup in the best possible form and to go on, God willing, and be the champions. My team-mates and I share the same dream: to lift the trophy.”
Goals and dreamsIt is with that objective in mind that the young shot-stopper has been working with her team-mates on fitness levels and technical and tactical aspects, while also studying the work of one fellow goalkeeper in particular: Keylor Navas of Real Madrid. “He’s my idol and role model. He’s unique,” she explained. “The attitude and determination he shows in every game is amazing. I always watch videos of him and I try to take that with me into my matches.”
Confident in her approach to the game, Martinez exudes the same sense of security on the pitch. Listing her attributes, she said: “I think I’m at my best when I come off my line to get the ball and in one-on-one situations. I love facing down forwards.”
Though she recognises that she has work to do in becoming more secure with the ball at her feet, Martinez believes her character is one of her strong points: “I have a very strong personality and I try to focus 100 per cent in each game, because it’s not all down to technique. Concentration is what makes the difference at this level.”
Very sure of herself in life and in football, Paraguay’s Natasha Martinez is intent on striking it lucky at her third world finals.