Esther González (Huéscar, 1992) is on fire with goals. She comes to this Euro with 10 goals scored for Gotham since the start of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in March. Serene, mature, but with an enthusiasm and ambition that can be seen in her eyes, she has found her perfect place to continue breaking records and achieving astonishing numbers.
Question. What a start
Answer. That's what we're looking for, winning every game, staying grounded, and knowing that against Belgium we need the same intensity.
Q. You arrive at the Euros as the top scorer of such a demanding championship like the NWSL
A. The best thing that could have happened to me was going to the United States. I arrived at an even higher level than I had before.
Q. Tell us about your team, Gotham
A. Gotham is a club in New Jersey that believes in women's soccer and its growth. Since I arrived, they have taken care of everything I needed to perform. I went with my partner, and they have given her almost more importance than me. Imagine how much they care about how the footballer feels. It's a bit of the American mentality, the drive to improve in every possible way. They seek to bring you to your best level.
Q. How have these two years been?
A. I arrived after the World Cup, at the end of the season, because the league starts in March and ends in November with the playoffs. In the elite, there is no adaptation period, and in my first home game at the Red Bull Arena, I scored two goals. Additionally, I scored the goal that gave us the title in the 2023 playoffs. My story with Gotham is somewhat idyllic, something incredible from the start.
Q. You scored the 300th goal for the club and the 3,000th for the NWSL
A. Yes, I have broken many records [laughs]. I went to the United States with the expectation of stepping out of my comfort zone, and I believe I have exceeded it by far. I have grown in the face of adversity because, in the end, it's a different culture, another language - I didn't speak English, and a football completely different from that of Spain.
Q. In what way?
A. It's very intense. I remember receiving the ball in the F League and being able to think. There, if you have the ability to escape that initial pressure, they come back at you. They are very, very physical, although, of course, no one has the vision of the Spanish players. They also play more direct. For me, who loves watching and understanding football, I changed my mindset very quickly.
Q. Do you recommend playing there?
A. Except for the players from Barça, who have the best conditions, which is a reality in the F League, I tell the rest that there is no better place to play than the United States. I know people speak highly of England, but in the United States, all franchises have a lot of money and compete to see who does their job better. The commitment of the 14 teams, which will be 16 next year, is maximum. Everyone wants to win, and the team that finishes last one year reinforces itself the next, works hard in the market to achieve it. And that's very good because you realize that everyone truly believes. It's not three teams believing and the rest just there.
Q. Has a storm ever stopped a game for you?
A. Yes, it's very typical there, due to electrical storms. Moreover, 30 minutes must pass from the last lightning strike, and you have to wait. They have canceled training sessions for me, and in Houston, they delayed a game for a couple of hours. In the end, it's a rule you accept because it protects you.
Q. Gotham will play in the upcoming Women's Club World Cup, are you excited?
A. Since we started the Concacaf, that was the goal. It was very important for the club, and for me, as a player coming from the F League and not from Barça, which has more chances to play, it's incredible. When you decide to sign with a club, you never know how it will really go, but it has been the best. I have played in finals, won titles, and can continue to achieve things.
Q. How do you perceive the upcoming Eurocup?
A. They are so patriotic that they value representing your country very highly. They are proud. Now there are four of us in Switzerland, and the support is incredible.
Q. You were the captain in the World Cup, how did you feel about losing that armband?
A. I never felt like a captain. I knew that Alexia, Irene, or Jenni are references, who have always been there, since the time of Vero Boquete, Natalia Pablo, or Sonia Bermúdez. We just wanted things to be resolved and for everything to return to order, as it is now.
Q. Some describe you as a hard worker in football, but you have impressive numbers: 35 goals in 51 games.
A. It's difficult to have the numbers I have; I remind myself of that every day. Sometimes I have talked with Jenni about those numbers, which she also has, and I insist that they may seem easy from the outside, but they are the result of a trajectory. They are not a coincidence.
Q. Have you graduated in physiotherapy?
A. I haven't finished; I have a year and a half left. The truth is that right now, I only think about football, taking care of myself 100%, recovering after each game. When this show ends, which I hope will be a long time from now, we'll see what the next stage of my life will be.
Q. Between winning the Eurocup and being the top scorer, what do you choose?
A. Always the collective. We all think about reaching the highest level we can as a team.
Q. The stadiums are filling up with 30,000 people, a similar atmosphere to what you experience in your games every week
A. Indeed. In the United States, at least 10 out of the 14 teams have a fan base that, at a minimum, has 10,000 people in the stands. What is happening in Switzerland is what we want, that football atmosphere.
Q. What is it like living in New York?
A. I love it. Actually, I live in the calm of New Jersey because I like living close to where I train, but I have half an hour to the Big Apple to experience the madness when we feel like it. I think I have adapted very well, my partner too, and that is essential for footballers.