Marta Cox came out of a poor and violent neighborhood in Panama and quickly became one of the youngest players to make it to the women’s national team.
At just 14 years old, it didn’t take the midfielder that long to make her way in a sport that suffered from physical infrastructure, an organized league and few soccer players.
With her talent and vision of the game, Cox took over the “10” of Panama as part of the group that was about to qualify for the first women’s World Cup at the end of 2018 and later became a key part of the team that went to the intercontinental playoffs to seize the last ticket to the tournament to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Five years after the Panamanians lived with emotion the first participation of their men’s team in the World Cup in Russia, the girls are doing the same, by reaching the ticket to the maximum event for the first time.
Cox, 25, who plays for Pachuca in Mexico, was the author of one of the two goals with which Panama beat Papua New Guinea 2-0 in February, and made the pass in the following clash for the goal of his teammate Lineth Cedeño who gave the 1-0 victory over Paraguay and the ticket to the World Cup.
Panama was left in Group F, in which it will face Brazil, France and Jamaica. His debut will be against Verdeamarela, on July 24 in Sydney.
Cox was part of the group led by the Argentine Víctor Suárez who was left on the brink of participating in the previous 2019 World Cup, after being eliminated by Argentina in an international playoff. After this process, the Mexican coach Ignacio “Nacho” Quintana arrived in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with the aim of continuing to develop women’s soccer and achieve better conditions for the girls.
“I thought I could contribute and follow up on the work,” Quintana said in an interview with Associated Press. “There were more limitations than illusions.”
Quintana enthusiastically threw hands at what was there. He continued working with the base of the team that lost the playoffs and in the process added other faces, such as the American with a Panamanian mother Riley Tanner. The 23-year-old striker made her debut in an official match for Panama entering the second half of the clash against Papua, and was decisive.
The United States Washington Spirit attacker scored the second goal in the win over the Oceania team, increasing her chances of starting attacking at the World Cup. Also, she meshed very well with Cox and Cedeño.
Of the nearly 14 players from the previous process who go to the World Cup, Cox stands out for her career, which includes her time at clubs in Colombia, the United States and Costa Rica, prior to her arrival at Pachuca.
“I realized from a very young age that I could be a soccer player,” said Cox, who was born in the popular Chorrillo neighborhood of the capital and attributes her soccer achievements to the support of her parents. “But I never stopped looking for other horizons, sportingly speaking. , and I think that has led me to who I am today: a professional player”.
Quintana points out that Cox and the other girls “do not show fear in the game, they have self-respect, pride and are powerful.” When they face Brazil, Cox will have the opportunity to face her namesake Marta, the six-time Ballon de Oro who, at 37, will possibly play her last World Cup.”He admires her and it will be a special moment to play against her.”
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