Girls Wanna Play: How a Latino Soccer Club in LA Fights Despite Recent Threats

Professional men’s soccer or “futbol” has always had great Latino players, but only 7% of female professional soccer players are Latinas. That’s not how things look at the Downtown LA Soccer Club. Most of the girls playing for this non-profit are Latinas and that’s intentional. The club is trying to overcome the barriers young Latinas often face: like financial burdens and gender stereotypes. In this episode, we meet their star player and her coach, as they fight for their club to remain a safe space. Their rent is up nearly four times, and some of the club’s families have been affected by the increase in ICE raids. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode.  Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.