Argueta makes her mark

The choice came easy for Natalie Argueta. It actually wasn’t really about making a decision for the Costa Mesa High senior soccer standout.

During the summer, she made the women’s under-20 national team for Guatemala and will compete in a tournament in her parents’ homeland next month.

She leaves for Guatemala Jan. 10, so she won’t get to finish her final season with the Mustangs.

She’ll miss both games against rival Estancia. She’ll miss the playoffs if Costa Mesa can qualify. But there’s something greater at stake and Argueta’s teammates can understand.

She said there’s a strong sense of pride to play for Guatemala because that’s where her bloodlines are from. That’s where her parents were born and where Marco and Ruth lived before they came to America.

“I really want to serve my country, and my dad’s background and my mom’s background,” she said. “My teammates understand. They’re happy for me.”

In Argueta’s eyes, she’s experiencing the best of both worlds. She’ll make the most of the time she has now with the Mustangs and then she’ll take off and play for Guatemala. It’s a win-win situation for her.

However, she’ll still miss Costa Mesa.

“I wish it didn’t interrupt my high school season,” Argueta said. “I wanted to finish strong. But I guess this is also a really great experience. There’s not really much you can do. I didn’t want to miss out on this experience.”

During the summer, Guatemalan Coach Stanley Gardiner came to the U.S. to conduct a tryout that included 50 American girls whose parents or grandparents were from Guatemala. Argueta’s speed helped set her apart from most. Being left-footed doesn’t hurt.

She’s only 5-foot-2, but uses her speed to carry out an aggressive style on offense. Plus her attention to teamwork also helps her fit in with just about any team.

Argueta is not fluent in Spanish and doesn’t know any of the other languages spoken in Guatemala, but her teammates there know English and help her out.

“I feel really lucky that I was selected,” Argueta said. “I know it’s going to be a great experience. I already went to train. The girls are nice. The area is nice. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the girls. I can experience something internationally, something other than from home.”

Guatemala will play against Cuba to start the eight-team CONCACAF Championships, a World Cup qualifier. Argueta doesn’t really know how long she’ll be in Guatemala, or the exact date she leaves. She lets her father take care of that. She just wants to play soccer.

That’s all she ever wanted to do. She has found a strong connection with the game. That can be seen with the Mustangs and while competing for the Newport-Mesa Soccer Club.

“Soccer is a big part of my life,” she said. “I’ve always loved soccer. I just wanted to make sure I competed in it as I got older.”

She is certainly making the most of her time with the Mustangs. She scored two goals and produced an assist in Costa Mesa’s 6-0 win against Sage Hill last week. She scored two more goals on Thursday, in a 2-0 win over Westminster. Through nine matches, she has scored eight goals, helping the Mustangs to a 4-3-2 mark.

“She’s one of our key players that we count on to get the action going up top,” Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said. “She’ll take as many shots as the other team put together. She’s important to us in a lot of ways because people pay attention to her and she opens the field up for the rest of the team. She’s one of our team captains and a team leader. She has a real presence on the field. Everyone looks up to her and relies on her.”

Argueta is looking to translate that impact in another country next month.