Atzimba Casas

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Casas and the second or maternal family name is Escudero.
Atzimba Casas
Personal information
Full name Atzimba Casas Escudero
Date of birth (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994
Place of birth El Paso, Texas, United States
Position Forward
Youth career
Socorro Bulldogs
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 UTEP Miners 3 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Juárez 37 (13)
2021–2022 Guadalajara 14 (1)
International career
2020 Mexico 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Atzimba Casas Escudero (born 14 September 1994) is a dual Mexican and American retired footballer who played as a forward. She played professionally in Liga MX Femenil teams FC Juárez and C.D. Guadalajara. At youth level, she played for Socorro High School, and went on to play for the University of Texas at El Paso (UETP) and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, competing at the collegiate level in both the United States and Mexico. At an international level, Casas represented the Mexico national team in several tournaments between 2017 and 2020. She is currently a PhD student in material science and engineering at UTEP.

Early life

Atzimba Casas Escudero was born in El Paso, Texas, United States, on 14 September 1994 to José Casas and María Escudero,[1][2] whom were born in Mexico.[3] Casas has dual Mexican and American citizenship.[4] She also has two siblings.[2] Athletics were a common pursuit in her family; her grandfather played baseball, and her father played baseball, football, and track. Though she was raised across the international border in Mexico, her family permanently relocated to El Paso when she was four.[5]

Casas said she drew her inspiration for playing the sport by watching the Japanese anime show Captain Tsubasa (Spanish: Supercampeones), recalling that it kept her entertained as a child with little else to do.[5] Casas practiced other sports as a child, including track and field, basketball, swimming, volleyball, and flag football, but nothing called her attention like association football (soccer) did.[6] Casas played several positions growing up. She started as a goalkeeper in first grade, before moving as defender and midfielder. As she grew older she moved to play as a forward.[7] Growing up, Casas recalled that several of her friends' parents regarded football as a men's sport, citing the machismo prevalent in her surroundings.[8]

Youth career

Casas attended Socorro High School in El Paso, where she played forward on their soccer team, the Socorro Bulldogs.[7][9] Her father was her coach for more than ten years.[5] In her first year, she scored 24 goals.[10] In her 2010 school year, Casas scored 19 goals, but the main forward at the school was Alejandra Carpio, who scored 82 goals in the 2010 and 2009 seasons.[11][12]

Upon Carpio's graduation in 2011,[13] Casas became the team's leading forward in her second year.[11] In a February 2011 match, she scored four goals, drawing attention from local media. Her coach commented, "Tonight she scored four goals and she's only a sophomore."[14] During penalty shoot-outs, Casas also played as the assigned goalkeeper.[10] In addition to football, Casas also competed in track and field, where she recorded a state qualifying time for the 100-meter sprint.[15] Throughout high school, Casas excelled academically, maintaining a 99.97 grade point average and finishing fourth in her graduating class.[16][17]

In her first years of high school, Casas suffered several injuries that halted her development, though she remained injury-free in her senior year and turned in a strong performance.[17] Casas scored 149 goals over four years in high school, 62 of which came in her senior year,[18] when her team claimed the District 1-5A title with a 13–1 record.[19] In her senior year, she was named the district's Most Valuable Player and an El Paso Times all-city first-team selection. In high school she was noted for her scoring ability, fast pace, ball control, and precise technique.[16]

After graduating high school in 2013,[16] she signed a National Letter of Intent and joined the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to play for the UTEP Miners as a forward.[20][21] Although several schools offered Casas a full athletic scholarship, she opted to attend UTEP to remain closer to her family in El Paso. School obligations and research work during school pushed her away from football for about two years, which made her think that her sports career was over after this long of a hiatus. She did her last semester at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to play football for their team,[6] the Indias de la UACJ.[22] She completed her degree in biochemistry.[23]

Club career

Casas debuted in the Liga MX Femenil, the highest division of women's football in Mexico, with FC Juárez (Bravas de Juárez) on 6 January 2020 in a game against Club América.[24] According to her player profile, she was 25 years old at the time of her debut, weight 65 kg (143 lb) and was 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) tall. She was registered as a forward.[25]

Early in her professional career, Casas was noted for her offensive versatility, prolific scoring, and ability to provide assists.[3] She played for FC Juárez for three seasons: Clausura 2020, and Guardianes 2020 and 2021.[26] During her time at FC Juárez, Casas became the club's all-time top scorer with 13 goals in 37 appearances (34 in which she was a starter).[3][27] Her best individual performance was in the Guardianes 2020, where she scored five goals in 13 appearances.[27]

In June 2021,[28] Casas transferred to C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas), which had just finished as runners-up in the previous tournament.[29][30] The club intended to pair Casas with their forwards Alicia Cervantes and Rubí Soto for a stronger offense.[31][32] In an interview, she stated that she had been a fan of the club in her youth and that her favorite player was Omar Bravo, one of the top goalscorers for the men's team. "Being at the club is like a dream; it exceeds my expectations," she said.[26]

Casas played her first match against Club León.[33] She scored her first goal in the final 6–0 landslide win against Club Necaxa;[34] she played for 37 minutes.[26] Casas suffered a muscular injury that season that prevented her from playing.[35] She left the team in June 2022, at the start of Apertura 2022,[36] after not performing to the club's expectations.[37][38]

International career

During her amateur career, Casas represented the Mexico national team at the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei, Taiwan, and the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.[39][40] In the 2019 edition, she scored a goal against Brazil in a 2–0 victory.[41] The Mexican team placed 10th in the tournament.[42][43] In February 2020, she was named to the senior Mexico women's national team roster for the Cyprus Women's Cup.[44] At the time of her call-up, she had accumulated approximately 700 minutes of playing time with FC Juárez and had started eight consecutive matches in the Clausura 2020, scoring goals against Querétaro, Cruz Azul, Atlas, and Pumas.[45]

Casas made her senior debut for the Mexico national football team on 8 March 2020 in a 2–2 draw against Slovakia in the 2020 Cyprus Women's Cup.[46] She entered as a substitute in the 75th minute.[47]

Academia

As of 2026, she is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student at UTEP, pursuing a degree in materials science and engineering.[48]

References

  1. ^ Ocón, Alfonso (11 March 2020). "Vibra Atzimba Casas con el Tri". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b "2013 Women's Soccer Roster: Atzimba Casas". University of Texas at El Paso. 2013. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Huerta, César (10 June 2021). "Atzimba Casas llega como refuerzo a Chivas Femenil". Quadratín (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 June 2021.
  4. ^ Rodríguez, Jesús Ángel (23 May 2020). "Futbolistas con doble nacionalidad toman terreno". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 March 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Atayde Zarco, Minelli (13 September 2020). "Los 'Súper campeones' me inspiraron, gracias al futbol pagué mi carrera: Atzimba Casas". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Rodríguez, Jesús Ángel (7 March 2020). "'Sí se puede'". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  7. ^ a b Gonzalez, M. "83(R) HR 2914: Resolution (Atzimba Casas)". El Paso, Texas: Texas Legislature. Archived from the original on 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  8. ^ Mendoza, Christian (9 March 2020). "Los papás de mis amigas decían que el futbol era de hombres: Atzimba Casas". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 March 2026.
  9. ^ Chavez, Felix (30 March 2013). "Socorro girls soccer team". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 16 March 2026.
  10. ^ a b Chavez, Felix (3 March 2011). "Socorro forward pushes team, self ahead". El Paso Times. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b Chavez, Felix (13 January 2011). "Promising Season". El Paso Times. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "High Schools | All-District Soccer List". El Paso Times. 9 May 2010. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Chavez, Felix (10 January 2011). "Some prep soccer info". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  14. ^ Silva Jr, Carlos (9 February 2011). "Socorro blows 4–0 lead before Casas saves win". El Paso Times. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "UTEP Soccer Announces 2013 Recruiting Class". University of Texas at El Paso. 8 February 2013.
  16. ^ a b c Rudi, Mark (15 May 2013). "Soccer star jonis UTEP soccer team". El Paso Times. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b Chavez, Felix (26 May 2013). "Standout Bulldog is fiercely talented". El Paso Times. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Huerta, César (10 June 2021). "Chivas Femenil anuncia su segundo refuerzo". Diario AS (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 June 2021.
  19. ^ Chavez, Felix (28 March 2013). "5A teams kick into playoffs today". El Paso Times – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Knight, Bill (10 February 2013). "4 El Pasoans among 10 Miner recruits". El Paso Times. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Delgado, Edwin (6 May 2014). "Local athletes boost UTEP athletic programs". The Prospector. University of Texas at El Paso. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  22. ^ Rodríguez, Jesús Ángel (21 April 2020). "Se convierte en la goleadora de las Bravas de Juárez". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  23. ^ Atayde Zarco, Minelli (12 August 2020). "La pandemia pausó el crecimiento de la Liga femenil: Atzimba Casas". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 October 2020.
  24. ^ Meza, Jorge (9 June 2021). "Atzimba Casas baja de Bravas". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Organización Editorial Mexicana. Archived from the original on 16 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Ficha Jugadora: Atzimba Casas Escudero". Liga MX. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020.
  26. ^ a b c Fares, Omar (20 August 2021). "Atzimba Casas, tras los pasos de Omar Bravo". El Norte (in Spanish).
  27. ^ a b Ocón Guevara, Alfonso (8 June 2021). "Es Atzimba Casas la sexta baja de Bravas del FC Juárez". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  28. ^ Huerta, César (17 June 2021). "Casandra Montero y Atzimba Casas llegan con entusiasmo a Chivas". Quadratín (in Spanish).
  29. ^ Quezada, Javier (10 June 2021). "Atzimba Casas, nueva integrante de Chivas Femenil". C.D. Guadalajara (in Spanish).
  30. ^ Hernández, Jesús (21 June 2021). "Chivas femenil vuelve de las vacaciones con caras nuevas". Milenio (in Spanish).
  31. ^ Ocón, Alfonso (10 June 2021). "Atzimba Casas es nueva jugadora de Chivas Femenil". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  32. ^ Ruiz, Luis Miguel (20 August 2021). "Atzimba Casas trabaja para ser una de las referentes en Chivas Femenil". Quadratín (in Spanish).
  33. ^ Medina, Citlalli (5 August 2021). "Cumple Atzimba un sueño familiar". Reforma (in Spanish).
  34. ^ Huerta, César (15 August 2021). "Chivas golea 6–0 al Necaxa y toma el primer lugar". Quadratín (in Spanish).
  35. ^ Huerta, César (8 May 2012). "Chivas pierde a Rubí Soto para la Vuelta ante Pumas". Quadratín (in Spanish).
  36. ^ Noriega, Enrique (31 August 2023). "Las jugadoras que han sido Chivas y Bravas". C.D. Guadalajara (in Spanish).
  37. ^ Huerta, César (1 June 2022). "El campeón Chivas Femenil anuncia 5 bajas". Quadratín (in Spanish).
  38. ^ García, Andrea (24 November 2023). "Chivas Femenil y sus escasas opciones en el banquillo". El Informador (in Spanish).
  39. ^ Meza, Jorge (3 June 2019). "Convocados a universiada en Nápoles". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Organización Editorial Mexicana. Archived from the original on March 21, 2026.
  40. ^ "Hacen historia los atletas de UACJ" (PDF). Gaceta UACJ (in Spanish). Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. August 2019. pp. 20–23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2026.
  41. ^ "Stadio Pinto: Women Semi-finals 9–12 Football – Match 18" (PDF). International University Sports Federation. 8 July 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2019.
  42. ^ Meza, Jorge (17 July 2019). "Vuelven atletas de la Universiada Mundial". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Organización Editorial Mexicana. Archived from the original on March 21, 2026.
  43. ^ Castillo, Juan (1 August 2019). "La UACJ presente en mundial deportivo". Comunicación Universitaria (in Spanish). Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Convocatoria de la SNM Femenil para la Copa Chipre 2020". miseleccion.mx (in Spanish). Mexican Football Federation. 27 February 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022.
  45. ^ Orozco, Manuel (27 February 2020). "Jugadora de las Bravas es llamada a la Selección Mexicana". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 21, 2026.
  46. ^ Ocón Guevara, Alfonso (10 March 2020). "Vibra la futbolista juarense Atzimba Casas con el Tri". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 21, 2026.
  47. ^ Meza Cano, Jorge (25 March 2020). "'Una experiencia que me gustaría repetir': Atzimba Casas". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Organización Editorial Mexicana. Archived from the original on March 21, 2026.
  48. ^ "UTEP Directory". University of Texas at El Paso. Archived from the original on 17 March 2026.
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