The Interview: Mia Fishel

The former UCLA star on why she decided to play in Mexico with Tigres

Courtesy of Tigres

While I was in Monterrey, Mexico, last week to cover the CONCACAF W Championship, I sat down for an interview with Mia Fishel. The U.S. forward was drafted No. 5 overall in last year’s NWSL draft by Orlando, but she decided to sign instead with Tigres. I always find people who take the road less traveled to be fascinating, and I enjoyed our conversation here.

The entirety of the written interview below is reserved for paid subscribers. As always, you can still get the entire free audio version of my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to go for your pods.

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Grant Wahl:

Our interview guest today here in Monterrey, Mexico is Mia Fishel, the forward for Tigres, who played in college at UCLA. Mia, it's great to have you with me. Thanks for coming on the show.

Mia Fishel:

Thanks for having me.

Grant Wahl:

Lots to talk about here. We're actually in Monterrey for the CONCACAF tournament. This is, as I'm told, the women's soccer capital of Mexico. So much success over the years with Tigres, with Monterrey. How would you describe what the support of women's soccer is like here in this city? What makes it special?

“I had to turn down the [recent U.S.] U-23 national team camp because I had a grade-three 17 centimeters tear in my hamstring. So I was able to heal quickly. We had an MRI, I think two and a half weeks, three weeks later, and it went down to two centimeters. So they're like, ‘I don't know why, your body's like supernatural or what,’ but it got better every single day. And we took it slowly. I did my therapy, and I was able to play as you saw in the last [Tigres] game.” — Mia Fishel

Mia Fishel:

I mean, it's huge. The fan base is, I guess, the first thing that kind of hit me strong. I mean, if you have a strong fan base, that is equivalent to how much support there is in women's soccer. I get stopped in restaurants, in the mall, everywhere, just asking for autographs, asking for pictures, videos, I mean, you name it. Like, everywhere I go I have to be on my toes because someone is most likely going to run into me and ask for something.

As well as from the club, just the equality in the men's and the women's, just using the same facilities, the staff is on it, and that's just like a true test to how they see women's soccer and where we're going.

Grant Wahl:

What have you learned about your club, Tigres, in your time with the team so far?

Mia Fishel:

Just professionalism. I mean, that's all I can really say about that. The attention to detail from our staff, making sure I got here safely, got here feeling welcomed, and that's how I felt coming here. That's just how the staff is. So it's cool.

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Grant Wahl:

I guess one thing I'd be curious to know is how did you learn that Tigres was interested in you?

Mia Fishel:

So, I mean, I talked to my agent about my other options, and there were multiple offers from Europe, from Mexico. Tigres came with the strongest offer, the strongest interest with like a 30-minute presentation on how they see me fit into the team, what I can bring, what they liked about me. That's like the main reason why I came to Tigres is because I felt my worth and what I deserved with how I play as a person. So Tigres came on really strong and that's kind of why I landed here.

Grant Wahl:

Recently here, Carmelina Moscato was named the new coach of Tigres. She's Canadian, you're American. Is this a club that is wanting to get more of an international flavor beyond a Mexican flavor?

Mia Fishel:

Yes, I think so. And I think any league benefits from multiple perspectives of the game, their background. I mean, I love it so much because every country has a different perspective and a different idea of what the game is. So hearing that Carmelina was going to come from Canada, and I have teammates who come from Canada and just talked so highly of Carmelina, I was super excited to start to get to work with her.

Grant Wahl:

You're just getting going with the season, so what have you learned about her as a coach and what she wants from y'all?

Mia Fishel:

She's amazing. She cares about each player as their own individual. She brought structure, she brought a motivation that we didn't have in the past. I can tell that she's very intelligent in the game as a player, as a coach, as an analyst for the FIFA World Cup. I mean, she comes with a lot of weight, and I think the team is very appreciative and super happy to get to work with her.

Grant Wahl:

I know that the rules in the league are currently two non-Mexican players per team. Recently, it was pretty noticeable, Jenni Hermoso from Barcelona signed with Pachuca. Do you see more of those types of signings in this league as a whole? And do you think there's a chance they may change the rules to allow for more than two internationals per team?

Mia Fishel:

Yeah. Jenni Hermoso coming to this league is huge. I mean, it's huge for this league because of the player that she is coming from Barcelona, top goalscorer. I mean, who doesn't want a type of player like her in their league? I think players like her and me are starting to realize how quickly this league is growing, and I think it's coming from their passion.

Mexico is, I would say, probably the most emotional, the most supportive country on soccer and female soccer in general. And you can see the numbers, how many viewers are watching the game, how it's being broadcast, like I said, the interactions with other players. It's huge, and I think that it will lead to the league expanding their numbers of non-Mexican players, soccer players coming to the league because it makes the league grow.

Grant Wahl:

Couple other questions here. How would you just say, you've been here for a little over a year, how have things gone for you personally so far?

Mia Fishel:

Personally, it's been going really good. I think it's a big kudos to my teammates. As soon as I got here, they made me feel like family. They still do. Every single one of them are great people. They love soccer as much as I do. So I really can't complain on living here as well.

The food here is amazing. I love Mexican food. I'm from San Diego, so I'm used to the food here, and I like the switch-up. I'm from the beach, and being around mountains is different, but I'm starting to enjoy it and starting to enjoy my teammates taking me places around here in Monterrey.

Grant Wahl:

How's your Spanish?

Mia Fishel:

It's getting there. It's getting better. I actually had my first Spanish class with Carmelina and Owen, who's our trainer, on Tuesday, so I'm excited to formally know Spanish. I've definitely learned words from my teammates and sentences, so it'll be cool to actually learn from a teacher.

Grant Wahl:

We can see your games in the United States, the level of the league is growing and growing. Do you feel like you can still be in the U.S. national team picture by playing here?

Mia Fishel:

Yeah. I one hundred percent agree, because me and my agent have talked to national team coaches. That was our main issue coming to Mexico was we don't know how they're going to feel about that. So we made sure that me coming to Mexico, me playing in this league wouldn’t affect me playing with the U.S. women's national team. I got the go-ahead, so that's why I'm here as well.

Grant Wahl:

And I did notice, I mean, here in journalist land we'll ask coaches and stuff and we asked Vlatko [Andonovski], like, "Are you considering bringing in Mia Fishel for this camp?" He said you were injured, and then you've been playing for your club. Is that accurate?

Mia Fishel:

Yeah, it was accurate. I had to turn down the U-23 national team camp because I had a grade three 17 centimeters tear in my hamstring.

Grant Wahl:

Oh, god.

Mia Fishel:

So I was able to heal quickly. I don't know. We had an MRI, I think two and a half weeks, three weeks later, and it went down to two centimeters. So they're like, "I don't know why, your body's like supernatural or what," but it got better every single day. And we took it slowly, and I did do my rehab. I did my therapy, and I was able to play as you guys saw in the last game.

Grant Wahl:

Yeah. I mean, you were recording this on Sunday. I think we're coming out on Thursday, so it’ll be a couple days' gap. Is it in any way weird that the U.S. team is here right now?

Mia Fishel:

Super weird. I just got here and now the U.S. women's national team is here and Canada, Mexico, I mean, everyone's here. So it's weird seeing my UCLA teammates here, and they get to experience where I am, which is a really cool thing.

Grant Wahl:

Did any of them ask for tips on Monterrey before they came down here?

Mia Fishel:

Not yet. It makes sense because being with their national team is like very strict, so I get that they're in their own bubble. And it's a tournament, so I know they’ve got to stay ready.

Grant Wahl:

I know you've probably got big goals in your career: club, national team. What do you want to achieve in your career?

Mia Fishel:

I mean, I've said this like a bunch of times, but I want to be the best soccer player in the world. I want to be considered that by the time me and soccer are no longer together. My dream, obviously, is to be with the U.S. women's national team. That's always been a dream. They're the best in the world and I know one day I'll get there. I do also want to play in Europe because I love their soccer. I love how they play, and that'll be a dream as well, playing over there.

Grant Wahl:

Mia Fishel is a forward for Tigres here in Monterrey, Mexico. Congratulations on what you're doing. Good luck. Thanks for coming on the show.

Mia Fishel:

Thank you. I appreciate it.