Written by Krista Kelley PR
Soccer phenomenon, Eva Beatrice Gonzalez, better known as “Mouse”, was born on April 22, 1997 to parents Michelle and Robert Gonzalez in Dallas, Texas. Growing up in the massive Metroplex with three other siblings, the pint-sized Mexican American “Mouse” had no choice but to push the limits and defy all odds. Living in the shadows of her older brother who currently attends Stanford University and stands at nearly 6 feet tall, the humble 5ft 2 Eva had large shoes to fill. Even Eva’s 13 year old sister towers over the now 17 year old hot shot. Eva’s condensed size is what earned her the nickname of “Mouse”. Her father, Robert, having a military background often applied pressure to Eva, demanding her to lay other’s doubts to rest by training and fine-tuning her skills to become a superior athlete. Year-round, she continued to pour hours into her training and played for numerous soccer teams, including the Dallas Texans Team.
After years of being perceived as too small, Eva’s “can-do” attitude took hold and sky-rocketed the 110 pound mid-fielder to make history-sporting the #6 Mexico Jersey while playing in Costa Rica for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Eva earned her opportunity across the border after scouts gave her the green light to compete for placement on the National Team and was announced to be a starter for the 2014 FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup. She was one of the seven players selected from various U.S. Soccer Organizations and one of twenty-one players named to Mexico’s World Cup squad.
Beginning in November of 2013, Eva became a CONCACAF Gold Cup Champion for the U-17 Mexican National Team World Cup Qualifier Tournament. The teen was recognized as the MVP during the Mexico vs. US game, where Mexico beat the US team in penalties- knocking them out of their birth spot in the 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP. None of her accomplishments came over night and none were considered a piece of cake. Making Mexico’s National Team meant leaving her friends, family, and fellow Lady Friars’ teammates at Bishop Lynch High School, while she traveled solo to Mexico to train for the Under 17 World Cup. Her small stature left plenty of room for her to grow, but was not the biggest obstacle faced in her fast paced soccer career. During the FIFA 2014 U-17 Women’s World Cup game, Mexico opened up with two 4-0 wins over Columbia and China. The second win over China qualified Mexico for the quarter finals, but it was during the game against Columbia when “Mouse” was backed into a corner and thought her dream of playing for the World Cup title had come to an end. Inflamed tendons in her left knee caused a tear in the muscle and fortunately only required one week of rehab. The threat and constant visual of girls cut from the team created additional pressure. She was alone in a country with people with mixed backgrounds-no familiar faces. She missed her family and knew she had tons of school work awaiting back home. At times overwhelmed, the experience proved to be of great value as she fell in love with the culture.
Eva’s belief in her dreams and abilities kept her pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone. Motivated by a strong desire to make her parents proud, Eva stated “My parents inspire me because they have gone through so much to put me first and not themselves. I feel I have to give something back to them…to show my appreciation.” After playing 11 years, Eva said the most challenging part has been staying in love with soccer and keeping the passion alive.
Eva became a part of history two years straight. The first time was in 2013 when she achieved one of the highest honors in soccer-playing in the World Cup Qualifier for a team that had never qualified for quarter finals in the Women’s U17 Division until that day when they beat the US National Team. Mexico was now the winner for the first time ever of the Women’s U-17 CONCACAF Tournament. The second historical moment came later in 2014, when Eva and her team advanced into the world cup quarter finals as the first U-17 Mexican Women’s Team to ever advance into the second round play. Mexico faced Japan-regarded as one of the top women’s teams in the world. They were defeated 2-0 and Japan went on to beat Spain in the final game for the U17 Women’s World Cup title. Even though “Mouse” and her team lost the World Cup, playing for Mexico ignited her passion once again.
It has been quite a journey for Eva and her family-one filled with many challenges. Deion Sanders interviewed the family last year and the audience could clearly see the pressure and sacrifices Eva felt from every direction. Training year round, enduring and overcoming injury, being homesick, traveling alone, missing almost a year of school, a major school work load to complete, adjusting to her parent’s divorce -yet she still maintains excellent grades and finds time to volunteer in her community to help low income families achieve their dreams and goals through soccer. It should come as no surprise that both her feet are dominant, as she does everything whole-heartedly. What might shock fans is that she has already declined numerous scholarships while awaiting offers to select Ivy League colleges. “Mouse” made a mature decision to pursue college for a Psychology degree as her number one priority. Although not a fan of watching soccer on television, on a rare break from training, she enjoys catching up on her favorite T.V. show, Criminal Minds on Netflix while lying in bed eating hot Cheetos. A show she credits for sparking her interest to earn her degree and pursue CSI type of work. Miss Gonzalez is not only a teen, but a distinguished young athlete and student, uniting cultures and countries in support of persevering and overcoming obstacles-giving hope to children and families all over the world.
Soccer phenomenon, Eva Beatrice Gonzalez, better known as “Mouse”, was born on April 22, 1997 to parents Michelle and Robert Gonzalez in Dallas, Texas. Growing up in the massive Metroplex with three other siblings, the pint-sized Mexican American “Mouse” had no choice but to push the limits and defy all odds. Living in the shadows of her older brother who currently attends Stanford University and stands at nearly 6 feet tall, the humble 5ft 2 Eva had large shoes to fill. Even Eva’s 13 year old sister towers over the now 17 year old hot shot. Eva’s condensed size is what earned her the nickname of “Mouse”. Her father, Robert, having a military background often applied pressure to Eva, demanding her to lay other’s doubts to rest by training and fine-tuning her skills to become a superior athlete. Year-round, she continued to pour hours into her training and played for numerous soccer teams, including the Dallas Texans Team.
After years of being perceived as too small, Eva’s “can-do” attitude took hold and sky-rocketed the 110 pound mid-fielder to make history-sporting the #6 Mexico Jersey while playing in Costa Rica for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Eva earned her opportunity across the border after scouts gave her the green light to compete for placement on the National Team and was announced to be a starter for the 2014 FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup. She was one of the seven players selected from various U.S. Soccer Organizations and one of twenty-one players named to Mexico’s World Cup squad.
Beginning in November of 2013, Eva became a CONCACAF Gold Cup Champion for the U-17 Mexican National Team World Cup Qualifier Tournament. The teen was recognized as the MVP during the Mexico vs. US game, where Mexico beat the US team in penalties- knocking them out of their birth spot in the 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP. None of her accomplishments came over night and none were considered a piece of cake. Making Mexico’s National Team meant leaving her friends, family, and fellow Lady Friars’ teammates at Bishop Lynch High School, while she traveled solo to Mexico to train for the Under 17 World Cup. Her small stature left plenty of room for her to grow, but was not the biggest obstacle faced in her fast paced soccer career. During the FIFA 2014 U-17 Women’s World Cup game, Mexico opened up with two 4-0 wins over Columbia and China. The second win over China qualified Mexico for the quarter finals, but it was during the game against Columbia when “Mouse” was backed into a corner and thought her dream of playing for the World Cup title had come to an end. Inflamed tendons in her left knee caused a tear in the muscle and fortunately only required one week of rehab. The threat and constant visual of girls cut from the team created additional pressure. She was alone in a country with people with mixed backgrounds-no familiar faces. She missed her family and knew she had tons of school work awaiting back home. At times overwhelmed, the experience proved to be of great value as she fell in love with the culture.
Eva’s belief in her dreams and abilities kept her pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone. Motivated by a strong desire to make her parents proud, Eva stated “My parents inspire me because they have gone through so much to put me first and not themselves. I feel I have to give something back to them…to show my appreciation.” After playing 11 years, Eva said the most challenging part has been staying in love with soccer and keeping the passion alive.
Eva became a part of history two years straight. The first time was in 2013 when she achieved one of the highest honors in soccer-playing in the World Cup Qualifier for a team that had never qualified for quarter finals in the Women’s U17 Division until that day when they beat the US National Team. Mexico was now the winner for the first time ever of the Women’s U-17 CONCACAF Tournament. The second historical moment came later in 2014, when Eva and her team advanced into the world cup quarter finals as the first U-17 Mexican Women’s Team to ever advance into the second round play. Mexico faced Japan-regarded as one of the top women’s teams in the world. They were defeated 2-0 and Japan went on to beat Spain in the final game for the U17 Women’s World Cup title. Even though “Mouse” and her team lost the World Cup, playing for Mexico ignited her passion once again.
It has been quite a journey for Eva and her family-one filled with many challenges. Deion Sanders interviewed the family last year and the audience could clearly see the pressure and sacrifices Eva felt from every direction. Training year round, enduring and overcoming injury, being homesick, traveling alone, missing almost a year of school, a major school work load to complete, adjusting to her parent’s divorce -yet she still maintains excellent grades and finds time to volunteer in her community to help low income families achieve their dreams and goals through soccer. It should come as no surprise that both her feet are dominant, as she does everything whole-heartedly. What might shock fans is that she has already declined numerous scholarships while awaiting offers to select Ivy League colleges. “Mouse” made a mature decision to pursue college for a Psychology degree as her number one priority. Although not a fan of watching soccer on television, on a rare break from training, she enjoys catching up on her favorite T.V. show, Criminal Minds on Netflix while lying in bed eating hot Cheetos. A show she credits for sparking her interest to earn her degree and pursue CSI type of work. Miss Gonzalez is not only a teen, but a distinguished young athlete and student, uniting cultures and countries in support of persevering and overcoming obstacles-giving hope to children and families all over the world.