Soccer: Briar Woods Senior Lina Granados Makes Colombian U-20 Women's Squad, Heads to Brazil for South American Championships

(Jan. 18, 2012) - Briar Woods High School senior Lina Granados has already been out of the country for 40 days but the talented soccer player earned an even longer international stay as she made the Colombian U-20 women's squad and departed for Brazil and the South American Championships on Wednesday.

"Our our way to the airport. Here is the beginning of our journey. We've worked so hard for this," Granados tweeted late Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Vanderbilt recruit, who was born in Colombia, worked out with the U-20 Colombian women in May 2010 but did not make the cut. This time around she is one of 20 athletes selected to represent Colombia in a tournament which will determine two teams that will move on to the U-20 World Cup which was originally scheduled for Uzbekistan, but appears likely to end up being hosted by Japan.


Colombia opens Saturday against Argentina. The competition held in Coritiba will run through Feb. 5. Colombia is in Group B along with Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador and Chile. Group A features host Brazil,Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Bolivia.

Colombia faces Ecuador on Jan. 23, Chile on Jan. 27 and then Venezuela on Jan. 29.