Eva González: “Football and sport taught me everything” | Less than a week from the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023

Everything came very quickly to Eva González in sports. At the age of 14 she started playing for Boca, at 18 she was captain of the youth teams and was the 2006 South American champion by beating Brazil in the final, a tournament in which the coach, Carlos Borrello, had given her the captaincy of the elderly.

“It took me a lot to be a captain, I was 18 years old and I didn’t feel capable of guiding such thick girls. The technician sat me down and he told me that he thought I had to be there. I felt that they had to teach me but I got comfortable, in the World Cup I was already more comfortable, in the South American it was difficult for me ”.

Do you think you were too young for that role?

–I never stopped to think, what a girl I am. I think those things caused me to break down and retire early. I did the steps very quickly, not to mention losing things in adolescence, they are choices the same and I would do it again. Soccer and sports taught me everything, they got me out of things that I could have done badly, team sports teach you everything, I choose it a thousand times but it was all very suddenly for how young I was.

–What caused your retirement?

–I mentally collapsed, the stress of work, the bullfights, since I was 14 years old not being able to schedule anything on weekends. It is a lot of sacrifice and nobody sees it. He trained from Monday to Friday in Boca and in Ezeiza with the National Team. I would have loved not to collapse and for someone to discover that I was like this, to have been able to handle failures, anger. I didn’t know I had to ask for help, maybe they would have guided me so I wouldn’t end up so young or in such a rant with something I loved.

González emphasized during the talk with Líbero (Page/12) the importance of talking to the athletes about the moment of retirement and everything that comes after: “There have to be more professionals talking to the girls about it, I have a lots of my litter that today have a hard time getting a job and at the time they were cracks. Those who have the possibility of being props or of being given a place by the club are counted on the fingers of one hand. If you go to a job interview and say you’re a footballer, you don’t have a chance”.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games marked the only participation of the women’s soccer team in the highest multi-sports event, also thanks to the South American in which they won the final against Brazil.

What was it like to participate in the Olympic Games?

–Although the World Cup for us is the most, being in the Games is what any athlete wants, it was something very nice. It is true that it was hard because we came from the World Cup and since things had not gone well for us, the group was not at its best. Although we returned frustrated, it was possible to enjoy it because it was difficult to arrive. To be there you had to beat Brazil and that was unique.

– What was the biggest difference with the other teams at that time?

-For me the physicist, in the second half we ran out of gasoline. At halftime we infiltrated and that was because we did not have good preparation, food. At that time we were 9 from Boca in the National Team and we had no friction or competition in the championship here, we discovered that in international tournaments.

–When was there a break for this moment to be generated in women’s football?

-The networks helped a lot, the girls can show themselves more, the sponsors began and that the girls go to play outside also helped a lot because there is more talk about those who play outside. Everything helped, the visibility of women in sport and the fact that some media were forced because it shows that not everyone wants to show women’s football.

What differences do you see between before and now?

-A lot. When we won the South American, nobody knew it and we had beaten Brazil. At the Games we came across Argentine athletes who didn’t even know we were classified. I don’t remember if the games passed, some media I think so but zero ball. That was because the sport didn’t exist, now with the girls’ contracts that forces them a bit and helps them. They have to take advantage and show everything they can.

– What is still missing?

-There is a lot missing. Although it grew a lot, taking out UAI, Boca and San Lorenzo, the other clubs still have a long way to go. The problem is that by not generating money the club is not interested. We know how much money there is in football and with very little the AFA can help a lot. Whether it is for the training places or for the small teams to have clothes, there are some that do not have boots to go to train.

González scored two very important goals in his career in the National Team, in the South American final against Brazil and the only goal Argentina scored in the 2007 World Cup in the match that the national team lost to England 6-1.

–How do you see this process of Germán Portanova?

–Super good, a change of air was necessary in the Selection. There are a lot of girls playing outside, that gives them another level, they already know each other. I really like the equipment that I saw, how it stops them. In our time it was banking as much as possible and now Portanova has a team to go out and look for the game and to propose.

What are your expectations for the Selection?

I think they are going to win a match. They are in the best moment mentally, with the support, I speak with some who are super well, it is the moment and they have to take advantage of it.

–You played Libertadores, a World Cup, South Americans, Olympic Games, which was the most special?

–The 2006 South American because we had the family there, they were all there and the final was unforgettable. Beating Brazil was not impossible but we had not been able to, we had played many times already. Knowing that we were going to the Olympic Games was unique. The family in amateur sports is the one that is always there, the one that supports everything and seeing that we gave them a victory was a little gift for them.

– Would you like to be linked to football again?

-I can’t imagine. They always ask me, they proposed a thousand things to me but it is clear that my head did not make that click. I love soccer and I will always support it, whatever I can do I will be there but today I don’t see myself in there.

2023-07-16 13:01:12
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