SAN MARCOS, Texas – Current Texas State soccer student-athlete Victoria Meza and alumni Juana Plata are set to compete for the El Salvador Women's National Team on Saturday, Feb. 17 for a spot in the inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
 
The two Bobcats and the rest of El Salvadorian squad will take on Guatemala at 9 p.m. CT from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The preliminary match and all contests of the W Gold Cup can be watched on Paramount+ and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
 
A victory over Guatemala would see El Salvador compete in the Group C of the W Gold Cup against Canada, Costa Rica and Paraguay. All three matches will take place in Houston at the Shell Energy Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Houston Dash (NWSL).
 
Should El Salvador make the group stage, the team would open play against Canada on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. CT. Three days later would see them take on Costa Rica at 7 p.m. CT and then wrap up group play on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. CT versus Paraguay.
 
The top two teams in each of the three groups along with the two highest ranked third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage. The quarterfinals will be held Mar. 2 and 3 in Los Angeles at BMO Stadium. Both the semifinals on Mar. 6 and the final on Mar. 10 are to be played in San Deigo at Snapdragon Stadium.
 
Meza is coming off a freshman season in which she recorded four assists and scored three goals including the match-winner at Houston. She finished second on the squad with 31 shot attempts.
 
Plata signed a professional contract with C.F. Monterrey of the Liga MX Femenil last month. So far, she has appeared in two matches off the bench and totaled 49 minutes of playing time. Her lone season with Texas State saw Plata help the team win 12 matches in 2022 while leading the team with five assists.
 
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