Mexican Woman Joins Men’s Pro Soccer Team

Maribel Dominguez plays striker for the Mexican national women’s soccer team. With 43 internationals under her belt, she also has 42 goals at the international level. FIFA ranks her as one of the top 25 female players on the planet. And a week after Americans Mia Hamm (wearing her married name Garciaparra) and Julie Foudy walked off the field for the last time, Ms. Dominguez has picked up the torch of women’s soccer and carried it off in a different direction. She’s signed with a Mexican men’s team.

Atletico Celaya FC has asked for permission to sign her, and FIFA has told the Mexican Football Association that it will back the national body. The Mexican FA has yet to rule, but unofficially, the people there are delighted. Despite the stereotype of macho Mexican manhood, the businessmen and women who run Mexican soccer know that “Marigol” will bring in millions. She's already topped out against the women. She's captain of the Mexican side, and she played in the WUSA, a league that died for no good reason other than lack of vision.

Of course, there is the question of whether or not she can compete. She herself is under no illusions. She said, “The hard thing is going to be equaling the physical force of the men, but the technique, the desire, the willpower, those are things I already have." Soccer is a sport where physical force has its place but it is not the determining factor. Quickness and technique can do the job. Since she is only 5’4” (and that appears optimistic) and will be outweighed by 60 pounds or so, she will have to hope it is enough.

There is some posturing among the men. Manuel Lapuente, who used to coach the men’s national team, was told by his father, ‘”You don't touch a woman even with a rose petal.” The ex-coach then mused for the press, “Imagine how I'm supposed to face a woman and have to slide into her. Well, what am I going to do?" The odds are that the tackle gets made. If not, and she scores, well . . . .

Could she compete against the men at the very top? Cruz Azul and Monterrey are noticeably better than Celaya. Ms. Dominguez is 26. The Celaya deal is for two years, and she’s going into training to be ready for that side by mid-January. Give her two years, when she’s 28. American baseball has had thousands spend a couple of years in the minors before making it to the big show. There's no reason to think that she couldn't play with the men if her game grows because of the challenge.

© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.

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