Maria Rojas has been a popular figure and a fan favourite in Australia for a number of years now. With her almost unpredictable creativity, passionate play and ability to score impressive goals, it isn’t hard to see why Australian football fans have taken a liking to the La Roja star.
Growing up in Chile’s capital city Santiago, surrounded by football mad people and the famous Andes mountains, Rojas learned to love and embrace football from an early age. It’s hard not to in a country where football is not so much a sport, but a way of life for many of its citizens.
“I was born in Chile with a massive, massive football culture, where football is was the only sport really, and I guess the cheapest sport”, Rojas told Kick360
“You could play on the streets and you didn’t even have to have a proper soccer ball.”
If you have ever had the pleasure to watch her play live, you’d notice a few things about Rojas; the way she controls the ball as if it were a part of her body, her loud, booming voice shouting orders to her team mates and her unpredictability on the ball, making her a nightmare for defenders in a classic South American style, much like Marta or Riquelme.
When reminiscing about playing football in her native Chile, she beams with pride, recalling learning football from her father and brother, but her love and pride for her homeland is most apparent.
After playing football in her homeland, it would not be long before Rojas would take a step in her career that many women footballers do, moving to the United States to play college football.
Rojas would join college soccer side UTSA Roadrunners from 2010 to 2012, whilst studying and learning English at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
While there, she made waves on the pitch, playing regular football and finding the back of the net a healthy amount, but it was her dribbling and attacking flair that made Maria Rojas draw the attention from clubs around the world in several countries including Australia.
Unfortunately for Rojas, the opportunity to move to Australia had to be put on hold for the time being, with finishing her college education becoming her number one priority.
“I was playing in college in the United States and I had an agent and he said ‘Cote, you’ve been offered to play W-League in Australia’, and at that time I was still in college with two years to finish, so I was not done.
“He said ‘You should take the opportunity’, I spoke to my coach in college and he said ‘no, you’re not leaving to anywhere, because you have to finish your degree, it’s more important!’ and I was a little bit sad, but I was happy to be there as well.
“It was always playing in my head ‘Australia’, without knowing much either, because at that time social media wasn’t strong how it is now, you look at Twitter or Instagram and you can see everything and get to know more.
“But it was playing with my head because I said no because I couldn’t.”
Despite her ambitions for Australia, after finishing her college degree Rojas’ next step would be Germany, joining Bundesliga side HSV Borussia Friedenstal in 2014. But after only one season, her Australian dream would be achieved, signing for Adelaide University in 2015, where she stayed for two seasons.
“After I finished college, I got Germany first, I was playing Bundesliga and then I moved to Australia.
“I moved, I remember.. just to play one year, and I’m still here.”
Rojas has been a fixture in the competition in Australia ever since, starting off with Canberra United where the La Roja international would light up the league with her exciting attacking play and dribbling.
Before long Rojas would be the name on every fan’s lips, becoming one of the hottest prospects in the league, before departing on short stints to Slavia Prague and her hometown club Santiago Morning.
Rojas would be part of Chilean football history, helping La Roja to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, the first in their countries history with a fairytale run at the 2018 Copa America, where they would finish runners up to Brazil.
“I remember when I was little, my mind started changing because I thought it was going to be really hard for Chile because we have Brazil, Argentina, at that time was really good and Colombia, So you only get two spots.
“Through the years, always thinking ‘How it’s gonna happen?’ you always have in your mind to achieve that and to want that, for me it was difficult because it happened after 10-15 years of us playing.
“With Copa America in 2018, it was just this thing that we wanted so badly.
“We were struggling years previous with no games with the national team, we were not even in FIFA Rankings, we were out, Football Federation at that moment didn’t support as much, so it was sad.
“When they start coming back on track and giving us games, we wanted it, we were all on the same page.
“It’s just love and passion that drives our country.”
After her success with the national team, Rojas returned to her second home, signing with Adelaide United where she instantly become a fan favourite.
Despite her side finishing 5th, a disappointing result for the club, Rojas would feature in every game for the Reds. Getting better in every match she played as she grew in confidence and wreaked havoc on the leagues defenders.
She would also turn out for fellow South Australian side Salsbury Inter in the NPL where she was a class above, scoring an unbelievable 24 goals in just 14 matches.
Rojas would win awards as both an individual and as a team during her spell with Inter, scoring a brace in her sides NPL cup final victory and being named as the NPL Player of the Year.
Her signature would become one that was keenly sought after by clubs across Australia, Europe and South America with A-League Women’s powerhouses and last seasons Grand Final runners up Sydney FC securing the talented South American’s signature.
“For me, it’s [signing for Sydney] to keep challenging myself.
I would love to keep growing, keep playing football as much as I can and I really want to win.
“My mentality at this moment is winning, and I know Sydney last year they won the Premiers and they played the Grand Final, unfortunately they lost, but I believe we can do it and I want to help as much as I can.”
And already Rojas has lived up to the pressure of being a big name signing, starting her stint with Sydney FC in the best possible way.
With three goals already in only six appearances for her new side, Rojas continues to go from strength to strength each year she plays in Australia, as she adds more weapons to her already deadly attacking arsenal.
While Rojas has played across several countries and continents, she truly has made Australia her home and has already made a tremendous impact to Australian football and looks set to continue well in to the future.
“Maria is a role model for all aspiring young footballers, male and female”, says Chris Tanner, Rojas’ agent.
“For all those young fans who get to watch her play, and get to watch her train, and get to watch her commit to her career, she is a beacon of professionalism.
“She plays eleven months of the year, her body is a machine, and she gives back to the community with coaching, public relations, school visits and the like.
“Easily one of the best imports for our game in the last decade.”
Image Source: Maria Rojas
