Despite only staying a short while, Camila Pescatore made an impression on those at Leyton Orient Women after joining in October 2018.
Having forged a career for herself in Venezuela, it was time for Pescatore to think about pairing her love for football with aspirations to study.
Speaking exclusively to Rising East, she explained her decision to swap South America for England, a move which has recently paid dividends:
“The situation in my country is not really good. As I was reaching 18, I needed to study so I felt this was a really nice opportunity. My brother was living here so he told me you can come abroad, stay here, get some life experience then go and study.
“Two or three days ago, I got a scholarship to go and study in the US which is amazing for me. It’s a good level of football and I will get to study, which is what I’ve dreamt of since I was a kid.”
Player Bio
Name: Camila Pescatore
Age: 18
DOB: 23/05/2000
Nationality: Italian/Venezuelan
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Favourite Team: Juventus
Occupation: Student
Initial Inspiration
Surrounded by family with a passion for the game, Pescatore was destined to follow this path. Fondly, she recalled her exposure to football and the desire to get involved:
“I realised at the age of six after the 2006 World Cup. My family are Italian, so we were excited about Italy winning the World Cup. After that, I realised that I wanted to play football and I wanted to be part of something like that someday.
“My family, my mum especially, took me to training sessions with boys in a nearby team. All my cousins play football, my brother as well, so I have a football family which made it easier for me to be part of the sport.”
Point Proven
Progressing through the ranks and developing her game impressively, Pescatore faced challenges but emerged all the better for them:
“I started playing at the age of six with boys. It was a tough time, but I got to earn a spot in between all those guys and earn some respect from them. It was quite difficult at the beginning because I wasn’t that good at first, but then I became better. They started to respect me and see me as a leader which was really good, I even became the captain of the team eventually!
“At 13, I couldn’t play with guys anymore, so I started playing with girls. I thought it was too easy for me because I was used to playing with boys, they have a higher level than girls. It was quite nice because I was better and I could play in different positions. With boys, I was playing as a centre-back or right-back but with girls I played in the midfield, winger or number 10.”
Learning Curve
Prior to leaving her home country, Pescatore played professionally at both domestic and international level, huge achievements for somebody who is just getting started:
“At 17, I started playing in the Venezuelan female professional league. The first tournament we didn’t do really well, it was a mess! We were a really young team competing against experienced women who had gone to World Cups. In the second season, we made the semi-finals which was really good for us as a young team.
“I went to the National team and played the World Cup Qualifiers for the U20 World Cup. We reached fourth place, [but] we didn’t go to the World Cup unfortunately. I played my first international game last year, it was really nice. I’ve reached one of my goals but not the main one. It’s just the beginning for me.”
Swift Switch
With this experience behind her, Pescatore relocated to London and showed no hesitation in finding a new club which she could call home:
“I wanted to have a team in the time I get here. I wanted to play straight away, I didn’t want to waste any time. I contacted Chris (coach) and he was really open about it, he was really nice to me. We got it done, I arrived on the Thursday and the next week I was playing.
“I really like this team and the girls are all nice. Chris is a nice coach, he’s really kind. I really enjoyed the training sessions and the games with the girls. They are all supportive to me, they have all helped me since I got here. It’s really nice and I appreciate that a lot.”
Admittedly, the 18-year-old was unsure of what to expect when she left Venezuela but spoke about her approach to settling in at Orient:
“They really didn’t tell me anything. They told me it’s going to be different because in every country it is different. You just have to do your best, try to fit, try to help the team so that’s what I’m doing here. It’s been really difficult from the beginning, but hopefully it’s going to get better.”
Home from Home
During her time in England, Pescatore could identify marked differences between women’s football here and in Venezuela, some of which she believes have benefited her game:
“Money! It’s all about money. We all know that England is a first world country, but my country isn’t. In terms of support, we get almost the same support here playing in the third division as a first division team in Venezuela.
“Also, the style of playing is really different here. The football is way more physical than Venezuela, it’s more technical and tactical. I think this is making me a more versatile player. I’m challenging myself here, I feel like I’m becoming better and more flexible in terms of playing. It’s a challenge for me and I think I’m getting better with time.”
Chasing Dreams
It is safe to say that Pescatore has left her mark on Leyton Orient Women, becoming a popular figure amongst her team mates and succeeding in departing on a high.
She started her final game for the O’s in the Capital Cup semi-final against Queens Park Rangers Women, which Orient claimed 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
As the O’s strive for silverware, Pescatore is making great strides of her own with America the next destination unknown.
