Born in the USA, the 14-year-old is the baby of the squad

At 9, she used football as a distraction when she lost everything in a fire

Now she is dreaming of lifting the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay

Behind Jennifer Sosa's sunny disposition and contagious smile, there lies a remarkable life journey.

The 14-year-old goalkeeper, who is preparing to represent the hosts at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018, was actually born in New York after her father Hector moved to the United States in search of a better life. However, disaster struck when Jennifer’s family home in the Bronx burned down when she was only 9-years-old.

"We were going to bed when smoke started appearing under a door. The house was catching fire and we didn’t have time to do anything," she told FIFA.com in near-perfect Spanish, albeit with the hint of a North American accent.

"We were left in the street and they took us to a shelter where they help you to find a home. It takes some people years, but we left after only six months. We were really lucky," continued the goalkeeper.

It was at that time that football appeared in her life. "My dad would take me to play as a means of distraction. One day he started taking shots at me. I made some good saves and, when we got home, he told my mum that I had what it took to be a goalkeeper."

Jennifer always related "football and La Celeste with Uruguayan culture". Although she remembers celebrating the country’s Copa America triumph in 2011, her passion for the sport only really started to develop once she had been spotted by New York City FC and began putting in the hard yards to attend training.