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FC Stars Player Called Up to U17 Puerto Rican National Team

By Elise Jolie, 01/13/25, 3:45PM EST

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FC Stars player, Michaela Poidomani (2009 ECNL RL White) was called up to the U17 Women's Puerto Rican National Team in the upcoming CONCACAF qualifying phase for the 2025 World Cup.

Michaela was one of 50 girls called up for the initial US tryout in Florida this past December. There were numerous rounds of cuts in person, of which Michaela made it through. She was then sent home to wait until early January to see if she had made the final cut, and that she did! 

Michaela is thrilled about her upcoming experience with the team, as she said she is "excited to make new friends and play soccer with great players. I also can’t wait to visit Puerto Rico again, and maybe going to Mexico if we make it. Qualifying for the World Cup would be amazing too!" 

Michaela also shared that during the tryout process, her close friend Tia wrote her a letter to read each day. "It helped me feel confident and excited to play. I didn’t think much about whether or not I would make the team. I just went out and played hard and had fun." 

Michaela also told us how she knows being an FC Stars player has helped her with her soccer journey, stating that "At FC Stars, I have always had good coaches. Last year, I had coach Jensen and Angel who believed in me. They trusted me with the ball and gave me the confidence to score. My game got better and I had many goals because of it. This year I have Gil, who has really good practices and has given me good advice. I love that I had Stars coaches check in on my High School season and even asked for my schedule to try to come to a game. I like that we get to experience different coaches. I love that ECNL games are always competitive. We play in such a good league."

We also asked Michaela if she had any advice to give to younger girls in the league that are all looking up to her, this is her advice: "Stay consistent with extra work. I do strength and conditioning every week and do extra soccer when I can, especially in the summer when I can go to our High School turf. I try to put in 10 minutes every day of soccer. If you make mistakes, don’t get mad. Don’t give up even if somebody says you’re not good enough. Your size doesn’t matter. Even if you’re small, focus on the things you can control and keep working hard. Have fun but take practice seriously if you want to be your best and always give 110%."

FC Stars is so proud of Michaela, and when asked how she feels about this call-up she said "I feel proud that I made the team. This is a great opportunity for me. I feel like some people have underestimated me, and I can’t wait to show what I can do. I’m so excited to represent Puerto Rico."

Michaela will be playing Jan. 27, Jan. 29, and Jan. 31. FC Stars wishes good luck to Michaela and the Puerto Rican U17 National Women's Team!