Colombian National Player Signs NLI With Kansas Soccer

July 12, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Recently home from a trip to Germany to participate in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Colombian national player Ingrid Vidal has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at the University of Kansas beginning in the 2011-12 season. She becomes the second Colombian national player to arrive in Lawrence as she joins Colombian National Team teammate and current Jayhawk freshman Liana Salazar.

“Ingrid is very crafty with the ball and catches the defense off-guard. She is a goal scorer,” said Jayhawk head coach Mark Francis. “She combines well with other players and plays great defense off the ball.”

A 5-foot-2 forward, Vidal appeared in two of Colombia’s three matches during the 2011 World Cup, including a tournament-high 11 minutes in the team’s opening round loss to Sweden. Leading up to the tournament, Vidal scored the game-winning goal in Colombia’s 1-0 defeat over Argentina to advance her team into the World Cup finals.

In 2010, Vidal played in three matches, including two starts, for the Colombian National Team at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany, where her team advanced to the semifinals. Colombia played France to a draw before knocking off Germany, Costa Rica and Sweden to reach the third-place match. However, the Korea Republic edged Colombia for the 1-0 win, giving Vidal and her teammates the fourth-place title.

Vidal, who plays for the Generaciones Palmiranas Club Team in Colombia, also started in all three matches during the 2008 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Australia and scored a goal in Colombia’s 1-1 tie versus Canada.

The talented forward was offered a professional contract to play in Germany, but she turned it down to come play at Kansas.

“The fact that Ingrid turned down a professional contract says a lot about her priorities,” said Francis. “It shows her testament as a student-athlete and that she wants to get a college education.”

Kansas opens its 2011 season on Aug. 14 versus Butler at 1 p.m. at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.