June 3, 2015
The Granados family had planned on packing boxes over the next two weeks, giving themselves plenty of time to get ready for the big move from Ashburn, Va., to their new home in Houston.
Now those plans have changed — but for a great reason.
Vanderbilt redshirt junior Lina Granados has been called up to play for Colombia in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. Granados had been named to the provisional roster last month, but on Tuesday night she got word she was being added to the official 23-player roster after teammate Melissa Ortiz was injured on Monday.
“I don’t think it will really sink in until I’m there,” said a giddy Granados on Wednesday. “I don’t think I can really wrap my head around what this actually means. I’m just honored I get to go and represent my country. I’ve always looked up to these girls that are on the team just to know they’ve been on this world stage before. I’ve always been in awe how incredible that is, the opportunity they’ve worked so hard for. And I can’t even wrap my head around that I’m one of them now. I’m going to be on that roster. I’m going to be standing with my team for the national anthem and that’s just… that’s just incredible.”
The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins on Saturday with pool play and ends with the championship match on July 5. The 24-team field will be cut to the round of 16, which begins June 20.
Colombia’s first match will be televised nationally on FOX at 3 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, June 9, against Mexico in Moncton, New Britain. They’ll play France at noon on Saturday, June 13, also in Moncton and on FOX, and wrap up the group stage at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17 against England in Montreal on FOX Sports 1.
“I am thrilled for Lina,” Vanderbilt soccer coach Darren Ambrose said. “She really put a lot into the spring and we saw tremendous growth in her confidence. I am excited to see what she can do on the world’s stage. It is a great experience for her and one she has earned.”
Granados will wear the No. 5 jersey and hopes to join her team on Thursday in Denver, where they are playing Costa Rica in a series of friendly matches as both countries prepare for the World Cup. Though she is a defender, Granados said she also might be used at outside midfielder, which was Ortiz’s position.
Granados was born in Colombia and lived there for two years before moving to Costa Rica. Her family lived there for three years before they moved to Virginia, where they have lived ever since. Now their next move will be put on hold. Her family had originally planned on going to Montreal for Colombia’s final game of group play on June 17. But Lina said her parents, Francisco and Hilda, will now make the 20-hour trip up to Moncton on Sunday and stay for the entire group stage. Her older brother Daniel is trying to get off work to go watch and her younger brother Nicholas will join once school ends.
“We pretty much have to pack up our whole house in the next three or four days,” Granados said, laughing. “Yeah, it is a little crazy.”
The good news came on Tuesday night when FIFA Tweeted out that Granados would be replacing Ortiz for Colombia. Shortly after, Colombian head coach Fabian Taborda called Granados’ father to make it official. Lina then received an emotional FaceTime phone call from her parents.
“My dad was pretty much crying, my mom was freaking out. I thought something bad had happened,” Granados said. “And then I sat down (upon hearing the news). I didn’t really know what else to do.”
Lina, who just turned 21 last month, has been affiliated with the Colombia Football Federation since she was 15. That was the first time she was invited to try out for Colombia’s U-20 team. Two years later, at the age of 17, she made the team and competed in the 2012 South American U-20 Women’s Championship. Then, in 2013, she took a year off from Vanderbilt and won a gold medal with Colombia at the Bolivian Games. In March, over spring break, she was called back to Colombia for a week to try out for the national team. She was tabbed to the 35-player provisional roster for the World Cup a couple months later.
And, on Tuesday, it all culminated with the news she would be living out her childhood dream.
“I can’t believe I get the opportunity to be a part of this family,” she said. “If I get playing time I’ll be so grateful. I’m still young. I’m only 21 years old. Being my first World Cup, and how it’s happening, being so last minute, just the experience of it, to be able to get a World Cup under my belt will be absolutely amazing.”
