Salinas women’s soccer makes history by winning the regular season championship in its semi-professional debut

SALINAS, Calif., (KION-TV): Women's soccer is gaining popularity worldwide, and this is no exception in Salinas, as professional soccer players have emerged from the region's soccer fields, such as Salinas Soccer Femenil, who entered their first semi-professional team with UPSL. 

Salinas Soccer Femenil, or Salinas Cosmos, were crowned season champions in their semi-professional league debut. Although they lost to Yuba F.C. in the UPSL final, the team is proud to have won the regular season. 

"The future looks very promising, there are a lot of girls with a lot of talent, it's just the push they needed," said Maria Zamora, vice president of Salinas Soccer Femenil (SSF).  

After 15 years of coaching young girls in Salinas, this group of coaches fought to give more visibility to female talent. Finally, last year, with the support of the men's league in Salinas, María, and her colleagues started the tryouts to form a selective soccer club, and they assure that this task was not easy.

"It has cost us a lot of effort, dedication, and a lot of time,"  said Manuela Rangel, president of SSF. "But thanks to the support we have received from the Salinas Soccer League, we have been able to move forward and continue with this project."

Men soccer has been played in the local league since the 1970s, but in the early 2000s, women began to join the sport.  The Women's Sports Foundation reveals statistics that say young women are less likely than young men to start playing sports as teenagers.

After several years of living in the shadows of men's soccer, the women of Salinas began to establish their own teams and leagues, and at this point Maria, Manuela, and more coaches decided to create a semi-professional league for women.  

One of the leagues that supported these women was the Salinas Soccer League. Ademar Valencia is secretary for the men's Salinas Soccer League, and is one of the main collaborators for Salinas Soccer Femenil. 

"The female talent needs a boost, and what is being done by the UPSL opens doors for the girls' talents to be showcased, there is already communication with teams in Mexico, both men and women,” added Ademar.

The union of both leagues boosted the careers of many players. These players grew, playing in the Salinas fields and in nearby areas for many years. Now, as members of the Salinas Cosmos, they also bring knowledge and experience to the field. 

"The goal is to keep going every season and not stop, and to keep supporting my teammates and my team," said Josselin Barrueco, forward for Salinas Cosmos. "I feel so happy to see my girls win, and we just have to show that women's soccer can go far."

Like Josselin, Patricia Magdaleno who plays midfield for Salinas Cosmos, says the young women on her team are talented and being able to contribute her experience fills her with satisfaction. This also motivates her to keep moving forward with the league. 

"These young women have phenomenal talent, the growth they have and is being able to help them move up the ladder is a feeling that I can't compare to anything,” Patricia added.

Patricia says that much of her success is thanks to the support of her father and acknowledges that getting to this level is no easy task, as the practices and training are very intense.  

Salinas Cosmos hosted Rabobank Stadium last month for the final against Yuba F.C. in their first group game. Although the outcome was not what they had hoped for, and SSF fell to Yuba, the women's team is preparing to begin their second season with the UPSL.