The final semester of a player’s senior season can offer a variety of opportunities.

For some, it’s the last stretch of a club career before heading to college. A final swansong on a high school team. Others are able to graduate early, compete in the spring season in school.

Then, there’s the select few that end up getting a taste of pro soccer prior to kicking off the college career.

That’s the pathway that California standout Mailin Orozco has been on in the last few months. Orozco has been playing for Club Tijuana in the Liga MX Femenil as an amateur, a hugely beneficial opportunity before enrolling in Santa Clara later this year.

“The experience has been amazing so far, it’s a total new environment, it has been a great learning experience for me that will definitely help me in the future,” she told TopDrawerSoccer. “The support we receive at games and on social media is like nothing else I’ve experienced before.”

A star at several Bay Area club powers before heading to Mexico, Orozco’s first connection with Xolos came about when she heard of a two-day tryout for the professional team. It took place before she turned 18, so it didn’t lead to anything at the time. However, after graduating early and hitting that age milestone the team enquired about her joining the team – which she was open to while maintaining her eligibility.

After signing an amateur agreement, Orozco’s has been able to train and play with the first team of Xolos, which has been fantastic preparation for joining one of college soccer’s best programs.

“This experience in Mexico has definitely helped me mature as a player and a person off the field,” she said. “It has allowed me to learn about different cultures and environments which will benefit me at college. I’ve also learned to adapt to different styles of play and players.”

With strong ties to the country and Spanish fluency, the off-field adjustment for Orozco wasn’t too difficult. She has family across the country, and was also called into camp to play for the Under-20 national team earlier in April.

The confidence that she’s picked up in higher intensity training sessions has been valuable as well, not to mention the honor she feels having played for the national team.

“Growing up my dream was to be called up to the Mexico national team, and after some time in Mexico it finally happened,” Orozco said. “It’s an amazing experience, I learn so much from the incredible coaching staff, and my teammates are extremely welcoming and kind. Being a part of the Mexico national team movement is incredible, learning about the culture and environment is extremely important. Playing the sport I love so much while representing Mexico brings me so much pride and joy it’s indescribable.”

The added advantage for her development has been the exposure to a different style of soccer.

“A major difference I’ve noticed from a soccer perspective between the United States and Mexico is the possession aspect along with ways they use the players in each position,” Orozco said. “What I mean by that is that in the United States there is a lot of quick passing and player movement to help break the lines, as opposed to Mexico it’s more of a direct style of play where we typically play long balls more consistently. In Mexico the aggression is also a big difference, in the United States players are a bit more conservative/cleaner and in Mexico players are more direct and stronger with their tackles.”

Later this year, Orozco will return to Northern California and play at Santa Clara, just an hour from her home in Salinas. Armed with this experience, she’ll have a huge chance to make an immediate impact at the WCC program right away.

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