María_José_Rojas
María José Rojas
Chilean footballer (born 1987)
María José Alondra Rojas Pino (born 17 December 1987), informally known as Cote Rojas, is a Chilean professional footballer currently playing for Santiago Morning in the Campeonato Nacional Fútbol Femenino competition, and the Chile women's national team.[4][5] Rojas a 13-year veteran of the La Roja, remains one of the highest scoring strikers with 11 international goals in 44 international games.[6][7]
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Rojas was the first female player to be contracted internationally, paving the way for the likes of Tianne Endler and Yanara Aedo and many others of her national team to follow. Rojas has an impressive professional playing resume that has thus far spanned 4 continents and 6 countries.[6] Her time in countries such as Germany, the United States, Japan, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Australia has enabled her to diversify her game and develop a rare global football experience. Her continual improvement and ability is supported by a large contingent of goals which has consistently proven her calibre, where she has made a name for herself as 'the Chilean international star' known for her ability to score goals.[5][8] Her abilities and style have been both described as and compared to with her professional male national team players 'Alex Sanchez' and 'Vidal Arturo' "Cote Rojas has impetus of Arturo, the technique the wonder child and the grip of the Pitbull".[9][10]
Rojas is a 13-year veteran for Chile National team (La Roja) and remains one of the highest scoring strikers for the La Roja with 11 international goals in 44 international games. The Fifa. Com player card overviewed Rojas as "Rojas brings character, experience and a goalscoring threat to the Roja set-up. One of the country's leading players, she is a forward who likes to drop wide to use her pace, while her other assets include a fine touch and dribbling skills. She has played in five continents and scored the goal that give Chile victory against Uruguay at the 2018 Copa America, their first in the competition and one that kept them in contention for a place at France 2019".[6]
Rojas career not only includes playing in the 2019 women's world cup, but also in the Champions League. Rojas played with Gintra SK in 2018 and was part of the Slava Praga 2019 Champions League campaign.[11][5]
Together with her diverse football experiences and talent, Rojas is accustomed to performing under pressure. Rojas has two championships within her professional clubs. Rojas scored the winning goal for the UTSA Roadrunners to win their first ever championship in the US and she is currently a high scoring impact player for the Santiago Morning. Rojas helped the Santiago Morning obtain their second championship in 2019 where she plated in the second part of the season scoring 6 goals in 5 games. The Santiago Morning also represented Chile in the 2019 Copa Libertoradores in Ecuador, reaching the quarter-finals playing 3 games.[12] Maria Jose Rojas scored a hat trick in game 3 of their Copa Libertadores campaign.[13]
Additionally Rojas has made her mark in Australia playing and scoring with Canberra United in the W- League as well as being awarded the prestigious distinguished talent visa by the Australian Government to play and develop football in Australia. Rojas is regarded as an ambassador for young players craving to be on the world stage.[14][15]
María José Rojas secured the A-Leagues Fan Player of the Year accolade for the 2022/23 season, a testament to her outstanding performance with Melbourne City. Boasting an impressive record of 5 goals in 11 matches, Rojas captured the hearts of fans who bestowed this honor upon her. The award, chosen by supporters, underscores Rojas' impactful contributions to Melbourne City during the season.
Rojas is fighter for women's rights and she continually demonstrates leadership in this field by supporting other players and speaking to the media about issues which affect the women's game.[4]
