When the U20 women's soccer team from El Salvador National Team begins their training for the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) FIFA Tournament, which will take place in Panama from January 16-22, the squad will include Cerritos College defender Jenna Santos (St. Joseph HS). A member of their U18 National Team, Santos has been promoted to the higher age group team that will be training in El Salvador from January 4-14 to prepare for the tournament. They are looking to qualify for the FIFA U20 world Cup, which will take place in Chile later in the year.
Santos is the only community college player on the El Salvadorian team.
As a freshman for the Falcons in 2024, Santos was one of three players who earned 1st Team All-South Coast Conference South Division honors. She had four goals and three assists, which included goals in two of the last four games on the year, which were Cerritos shutout wins. Santos also assisted on a pair of goals in a win over Compton College.
After round-robin play in the tournament, the first-place team from each group (six teams in total) will advance to the 2025 Concacaf U-20 Women's Championship joining the two pre-seeded top-ranked nations, the United States and Mexico.
"This is a great honor for Jenna and we are all very excited for her," said head coach Yvette Vascones. "The experience she will be getting from playing in this tournament and training with these players will enhance her skill level. I'm sure she will make the Cerritos College women's soccer program very proud."
