The Red Stars recently signed Christina Murillo after showcasing well with the Chicago Red Stars Reserves in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Murillo spent the 2018 season playing with the Red Stars Reserves, as well with Mexico’s National Soccer Team.

On August 7^th the 25-year old defender was offered a contract for the remainder of the season. The offer caught the California native by surprise. “I immediately hung up the phone and called my mom and I actually started crying,” said Murillo. “This is the best news I’ve ever had.”

It has been Murillo’s dream to play professionally in the United States since she was five years old. Some of her biggest influences of the sport include legend Mia Hamm, among those of the 1999 U.S World Cup squad.

Murillo has traveled quite a bit professionally, playing for Lithuanian club Gintra Universitetas of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2017 and WPSL club Motor City FC from 2016-2017.

While in the Champions League, Murillo dominated with her club. However, she admits that the league was not the strongest to play in. “I wanted to be in a professional soccer player environment where I’m actually being challenged and competing for a spot, not just automatically given it.”

Adding to her professional career, the defender has vast international experience after playing for Mexico’s senior club since 2010 at the age of 17. She also played for the University of Michigan from 2011-2015 during her collegiate career.

Murillo reflected on NWSL training camps, expressing that in order to succeed in the NWSL, you must be mentally strong. “[Mental strength] is the difference between the players that stay and the players who leave.”

With only a few weeks remaining in the season, Murillo looks to earn her first appearance with the club. “This has been an amazing thing that’s happened in my life,” Murillo says. “I’m going to make the most of this in the next six weeks.”