There were 92 minutes on the clock when Maria José Rojas struck gold in Sky Blue.
Liberty A-League Premiers Sydney FC were trailing Melbourne City 2-1 in the dying moments of their Semi-Final bout, with a place in Sunday afternoon’s Grand Final on the line.
Then, a moment presented itself to the Sky Blues substitute affectionately known as ‘Cote’ to score one of the most important goals of her decorated career.
“I didn’t know it was the 92nd minute,” Rojas told KEEPUP. “We were focussed, personally you are in the zone. You don’t know anything else, you’re playing out there. The time was going faster than we thought. You’re focussed on playing, to score and find the gaps and ways to do it, how to move forward.
“If it finished right then and there it would have been very sad; we wanted to keep going, we didn’t stop and you can see that none of us knew the time. I had no idea, I only know that it meant a lot because we wanted to win so badly.”
Rojas scored in the 92nd minute to lock the two sides at 2-2, sending the game into 30 minutes of additional extra time. There was no stopping the Premiers from that moment onward, as Rojas and fellow substitute Cortnee Vine combined to break the game apart.
“For me, it was a great moment to be able to help the team,” she said. “Scoring that goal meant a lot, I went a little bit crazy with the celebration.”
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Sydney went on to win 4-2 – but without Rojas’ last-gasp goal in regular time, it would have been City progressing to the Grand Final.
Her clutch strike meant so many things in the context of the 2021-22 Liberty A-League season. But beneath its on-field implications came deeper significance for Rojas.
As her teammates arrived by her side, Rojas’s mind cast away from the scene of celebration to Chile, where in the dead of night her special strike hit home.
“I was thinking of my dad,” Rojas said. “My dad was watching in Chile, and he’s far away. It was three in the morning over there. It means a lot that he can watch me, he’s been a little bit unwell so it’s been tough, but he’s recovering properly.
“That’s why it meant so much to be able to perform that way and give him a goal, as well. It was a moment I will remember.
“Sometimes it’s hard because it’s in the morning over there, two or three in the morning. It’s not easy for him to stay up. He tries to watch, to follow me and see my goals.
“He was very sick. He’s recovering now, so making him believe again, not just in football but in life, it makes me happy. It makes me happy to make people smile.”
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Football first brought Rojas to Australia in 2015, a stint at Adelaide University the first stop on her journey down under. The country has since become a “second home” for Rojas, who hopes one day to become an Australian citizen.
But last month, her yearning to return to Chile finally materialised, with her first visit since the start of the pandemic allowing Rojas to reunite with her father, family and friends.
“I was very lucky,” she said. “We had a FIFA date with the national team; I went to Chile in February when I left to play two games against Ecuador. I was very lucky and blessed to be able to travel there.
“I played for the national team and got to see my family which was amazing. It was after two years, I couldn’t travel, couldn’t leave Australia. It wasn’t easy not to see them, especially when my dad was in the hospital. It was very difficult moments but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
“We all face issues and struggles, the whole team (at Sydney FC) made sacrifices. So the love for this team is big.”
Below: Rojas returns to the international scene with Chile in February.
It’s been a season to remember for Rojas, who joined the Sky Blues from Adelaide United ahead of the new Liberty A-League campaign.
The Chilean international has been utilised by Sydney head coach Ante Juric off the bench for the majority of her 10 appearances. But in the Semi-Finals Rojas showed her undeniable quality, scoring that goal before assisting Cortnee Vine’s second as the Sky Blues came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 and progress to the Grand Final.
It’s the kind of occasion Rojas is built for.
In October, 2021, draped in the blue and black of South Australian NPLW outfit Inter Salisbury, Rojas’ leapt to Grand Final glory, heading home an 87th-minute winner against West Adelaide to win the league’s Grand Final, and seal a club-first NPLW Championship.
“It would be amazing to do it again,” Rojas said, looking ahead to the weekend.
“I did it in the NPL in I think the 87th minute, we were 2-2 and I scored the winning goal. Now this time with Sydney, what a moment to remember but again, I keep moving forward.
“I’m thinking now of the (Liberty A-League) Grand Final… it would be so amazing and beautiful to win. We haven’t finished yet, this week we can have great moments again.”
Rojas added: “We have amazing players. I believe in every single one of them. I believe so much in this team, and the confidence they have given me. Hopefully it worked. If it happens – whoever scores – it will mean a lot for them. Whoever scores, if we get the win it’s even better.
“It’s great to see the fans supporting us. They do it because they love the women’s game, they love the style. For me that means a lot, so you try and always do more than your best to give them some entertainment.
“Hopefully this weekend we can provide that, but the most important thing for the team is to win. Hopefully we get the win.”
