Izquierdo, Perez Set to Begin Olympic Journey With Colombia

PARIS, France – With the dawning of the 2024 Olympic Games, Ilana Izquierdo and Catalina Perez will be the first athletes to represent Mississippi State in Paris. The duo is set to make a mark on the global stage with the Colombian women's soccer team, which opens the Olympic tournament on Thursday in a highly-anticipated match against the host nation, France.

The Colombian team will face a challenging group stage. France, always a strong contender, will provide a tough opening test for the Colombians at 2 p.m. CT on Thursday. Colombia will then face New Zealand on Sunday at 10 a.m., and the group stage rounds out with a clash against Canada on Wednesday, July 31 at 2 p.m. Canada, a perennial powerhouse in women's soccer, will be another formidable opponent as both nations push for a spot in the next round.

The top two nations in each of the three groups along with the best two third-place teams will advance to the knock-out stage. The quarterfinals are set to be played on Saturday, Aug. 3, and the semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6. Medals will be handed out on Aug. 9-10, with the bronze medal match set for 8 a.m. that Friday and the gold medal match scheduled for 10 a.m. that Saturday.

Known for her exceptional vision, passing accuracy and ability to control the tempo of the game, Izquierdo is a playmaking midfielder who can change the course of a match with her creativity and strategic thinking. As the last line of defense, Perez's reflexes, shot-stopping ability and commanding presence in the penalty area make her a critical asset to the team. The goalkeeper's leadership and experience will be crucial in organizing the defense and keeping the team focused under pressure.

Both players have been standouts throughout their soccer careers and bring prior international experience to the Colombian national squad. Izquierdo will make her Olympic debut in Paris and stands out as one of only 11 Bulldogs in school history to earn a spot on an Olympic team while they were still an active student-athlete. Earlier this year, she debuted with the Colombian senior Women's National Team at the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, starting every match, winning two group stage matches and reaching the quarterfinals. She also participated in friendlies on the 2024 Mexico Tour.

Perez, is making her second Olympic appearance, having previously represented Colombia in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games before enrolling at MSU. She currently plays professionally with Werder Bremen in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Perez showcased her skills at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she backstopped Colombia to the quarterfinals while allowing only four goals and making 15 saves. She also played a pivotal role in Colombia's runner-up performance at the 2022 Copa America, which qualified them for Paris.

All group stage matches will stream on Peacock, along with the quarterfinals and semifinals. The medal matches will be broadcast on USA Network. Results will be available on Olympics.com along with MSU's State to Paris webpage and social media feeds.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."

Bulldog Bios

Ilana Izquierdo (Colombia)

Will make her Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games ... one of 11 Bulldogs in school history to make an Olympic team while still an active student-athlete ... debuted with the Colombian senior Women's National Team in 2024 for the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup where she started every match, winning two group stage matches and reaching the quarterfinals ... has also played in friendlies on the 2024 Mexico Tour ... started all 23 matches for MSU in 2023 after transferring from Southern Miss ... led the team with a school-record 2,097 minutes played while scoring four goals and recording three assists ... played in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, where Colombia won its group to reach the quarterfinals ... also represented Colombia in the 2022 CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino U-20 in Chile where she scored in the final stage to help Colombia finish second ... also played in the Bolivarian Games that year where she scored her first international goal against Panama on June 26 ... added goals against Paraguay and Venezuela in that tournament ... played in the 2020 CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino U-20 in Argentina ... joined the Colombian Women's National Team at 17 … played in the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay and the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino U-17 Championship in Argentina where her squad won all four group stage matches before finishing second overall.

Catalina Perez (Colombia)

Will make her second Olympic team at the Paris 2024 Games ... also represented Colombia on the Rio 2016 Olympic team before enrolling at MSU ... currently playing professionally with Werder Bremen in the Frauen-Bundesliga (Germany) ... played in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup where Colombia reached the quarterfinals ... allowed four goals while making 15 saves ... backstopped the Colombian Women's National Team to a runner-up performance at the 2022 Copa America to qualify for Paris ... won gold with Colombia at the 2019 Pan American Games, recording two shutouts and making eight saves in Colombia's gold-medal shootout victory ... totaled 14 saves in the tournament and Colombia never trailed ... medal was the first international medal of any kind for an MSU soccer player and Colombia's first international championship in women's soccer ... earned All-American and First-Team SEC honors at MSU in 2017 ... recorded six shutouts and nine wins in her one season at State … second in school history in career goals against average (1.00) ... came to State as a graduate transfer after playing her undergrad career at Miami ... also played in the Pan American Games in 2011 ... made her first national team at the age of 15 … attended the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany but did not play any matches.

Olympic Women's Soccer Schedule - Colombia (all times CT)

Thursday, July 25

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
2 p.m.	Group A: Colombia vs. France	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	Peacock

Sunday, July 28

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
10 a.m.	Group A: Colombia vs. New Zealand	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	Peacock

Wednesday, July 31

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
2 p.m.	Group A: Colombia vs. Canada	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	Peacock

Saturday, Aug. 3*

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
TBD	Quarterfinals	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	Peacock

*participation dependent upon qualification

Tuesday, Aug. 6*

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
TBD	Semifinals	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	Peacock

*participation dependent upon qualification

Friday, Aug. 9*

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
8 a.m.	Bronze Medal Match	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	USA Network

*participation dependent upon qualification

Saturday, Aug. 10*

Time	Event	Athletes	Country	Watch
10 a.m.	Gold Medal Match	Ilana Izquierdo Catalina Perez	COL COL	USA Network

*participation dependent upon qualification

Izquierdo, Perez Set to Begin Olympic Journey With Colombia

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Players Mentioned

Ilana Izquierdo

Catalina Perez

Mississippi State University Athletics

Izquierdo, Perez Set to Begin Olympic Journey With Colombia

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ilana Izquierdo

Catalina Perez

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