Alabama Soccer Well Represented at 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
6/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Former Alabama standout Merel van Dongen and current Tide student-athlete Celia Jimenez Delgado were both selected as participants, and are currently representing their respective nations as part of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Van Dongen (Netherlands) and Jimenez Delgado (Spain) are the first student-athletes in the history of the Alabama women's soccer program to appear at the Women's World Cup.
"Having two players from the University of Alabama representing their countries at the World Cup is incredible," said Alabama head coach Wes Hart. "This truly speaks volumes about the level of soccer players we have, and will continue to develop here at Alabama."
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup kicked off on Saturday with Canada and van Dongen's Netherlands squad earning a pair of 1-0 victories over China and New Zealand, respectively. Jimenez Delgado and the Spanish National Team will square off with Costa Rica this afternoon at 3 pm CT.
Six different venues spanning from Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton will play host to the 2015 World Cup. FOX Sports will air all of the action through the July 5 final.
Van Dongen recently signed a pro contract with Ajax in Amsterdam after closing out a decorated career at The Capstone. She was named First Team Academic All-American, as well as Second Team All-SEC following her senior season, a campaign in which she set the UA single-season assists record with ten.
"My career at Alabama has helped me so much in preparing for playing with the Dutch National Team in Canada during the 2015 Women's World Cup," van Dongen said. "During my time at Alabama I learned what it takes to be a leader, a good teammate, to train as hard as you can, and to face adversity. With the help of my coaches and teammates I am where I am today. I am also very excited about the future of the Alabama soccer program with new head coach Wes Hart. I had an opportunity to meet him recently and his enthusiasm is contagious."
Celia Jimenez Delgado will begin her career at Alabama this fall after transferring from Iowa Western Community College last spring. Jimenez Delgado was a two-time Junior College First Team All-American, while also winning a pair of NJCAA National Championships.
"The opportunity to represent one's country in the World Cup is the biggest honor that a soccer player can have," Jimenez Delgado said. "I am so thankful for all the teachings and support that the University of Alabama has provided me, both on the field and in the classroom. I would like to thank all of my teammates, coaches, professors, and other staff that have helped me develop and manage school, soccer, and trying to make the World Cup team for Spain this past semester. I am so excited to represent Spain and Alabama in the World Cup in Canada this summer."
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
