RAQUEL Deralas doesn’t think she is bending the rules to reach her goal. But, like the lead character in hit movie Bend It Like Beckham, she has her heart set on professional soccer.
The 10-year-old Plenty Parklands Primary School student has some impressive scores. She was the only girl in her school team, the Bushrangers, which recently won the state championship in the School Sport Victoria primary school boys/mixed division for the second year in a row.
She also played in the primary school girls Victorian team, which came fourth at a recent national competition in Darwin.
“I like it, soccer is interesting,” she said. “It’s exciting to play, fun and gives me a challenge.”
Her mother, Angie, said Raquel looked to her brother Peter, 13, (pictured with Raquel) for inspiration. He played in Spain’s Donosti Cup, where 392 teams from 28 nations competed. Raquel was goalkeeper.
