Kicking It Off Strong
August 16, 2024 | Soccer
Fresh off her experience in the Paris Olympics, Ilana Izquierdo is a hero in State soccer’s season opener.
STARKVILLE — The Maroon and White faithful were just getting seated in the stands at the MSU Soccer Field when Ilana Izquierdo drilled the ball into the back of the net for State's first goal of 2024.
If you blinked, you missed it. The talented Olympian from Colombia wasted no time displaying her athleticism and putting the Bulldogs on the board.
"She's just so special in everything [and] she's professional in everything she does," head coach James Armstrong said. "She's a special person, she's a special player and she leads by example. For her to just come in and do what she does says everything about her game intelligence and the respect she has amongst the team."
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Izquierdo helped Colombia reach the quarterfinals for the first time in the country's history. She is also one of  only 11 individuals in MSU history to compete in the Olympics while still being an active student-athlete at Mississippi State.
Izquierdo started in seven of Colombia's last eight matches and has gained a tremendous amount of experience with the opportunity to take the pitch for her home country.
"I feel like it gives me a different view of soccer [because] it's a different style of play," Izquierdo said. "I just want to bring what I learned there here and let my teammates know that I can help. I don't want them to think that I'm an Olympian. I'm here now and I want to help the team and bring as much as I can to be there for them and help them."
Competing in the Olympics is a huge deal. It is one of the biggest aspirations for many soccer players across the world. To compete on the world's largest stage for your home country is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a professional athlete.
Through all the incredible experiences performing on the pitch for her home country, Izquierdo has remained humble and continues to display her incredible leadership qualities on and off the field.
"Ilana is like the best human ever," graduate goalkeeper Maddy Anderson said. "She is so sweet, she is always serving others and thinking of others first above herself. She's such a humble person. She went to the Olympics, but you wouldn't know it because she is so humble about it and doesn't talk about it. She's an amazing teammate and she leads by example of how to care for others, love others and her play [on the pitch] as well."
With State's lone goal in the home-opener victory over Baylor, Izquierdo is tied for second with the most goals on a State squad that returns 22 of 26 goals scored from the historic Sweet Sixteen run in 2023.
The Bulldogs picked up where they left off last year in Thursday night's win over the Bears. All of the hard work put in during the grueling offseason in the Mississippi heat came to fruition.
Witnessing the growth and development of his players on and off the pitch during their time at State has meant the world to Armstrong. Players such as Izquierdo help add to the foundation of success and family that the Bulldogs bring to the table.
"They mean the world to me, all of them," Armstrong said. "We got a great team chemistry, it's not just the 11 on the field at any given time. It's a player-led culture, which is great for us, and they love each other. They are a true family. As a coaching staff, we are very lucky and it's something we are thankful for each day."
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