Liga MX Femenil Power Rankings - 2024 Clausura, Week 1

I don’t think anyone could have foreseen the top four teams at the end of Week 1 being Toluca, Pachuca, León, and Necaxa, but here we are. I don’t think these four will all be in the same place at the end of the season, but in a league that is often wildly chaotic, I wouldn’t rule it out either.

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1.) Tigres - While not a flashy win, they never looked like they were under serious threat. They hit the post four times that I counted, and between that and San Luis goalkeeper Nicole Buenfils putting on a clinic it was unlucky they only won 1-0. Thembi Kgatlana got 28 minutes, and while her step-over move will be the thing you see most on social media, for me it was her ability to force the defense to contort itself to keep her in check. Oh, and Jenni Hermoso was in street clothes, having arrived from Spain earlier in the day. When this team gets going, look out. ➖

2.) Chivas - Chivas got a good win over a good Xolos Femenil team. There was a bit of rust as Chivas weren’t as sharp as they’d have liked, but all in all it was a strong team effort. They were able to take advantage of Tijuana’s one noticeable blunder, and got Licha her first goal of the season. ➖

3.) Pachuca - Rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Yes it was a 5-0 win against Mazatlán, but they looked like they were in midseason form. Cata Usme didn’t even dress for the game either, and when she’s integrated into this squad they are going to be as much of a problem as they were last season. ⬆️

4.) América - Not América’s best game, but a win is a win. Andrea Pereira’s penalty attempt was stopped, and it took a herculean effort from Sarah Luebbert to get the points. The formation didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, with Miah Zuazua (usually a left back or left winger) playing centrally, Montse Saldivar on the left wing, Luebbert on the right, and Kiana Palacios playing as a lone striker with Nati Mauleon coming from deeper to support. It was very Football Manager vibes, and only was sorted out with Zuazua and Saldivar being subbed out at halftime for Noemí Granados and Katty Martínez. Against a better team, it could have been a disaster. ⬇️

5.) Tijuana - They gave Chivas all they could handle and then some, and on another night (or at home at the Mictlán) it could have been a different story. Their only notable mistake on the night lead to the breakaway goal from Licha Cervantes, which wasn’t great but is the kind of thing that can be worked through. I still believe this team will be a serious threat. ➖

6.) Toluca - Yes it was against Santos, but a 7-0 win to start your season is a massive statement. This is another team that like Tijuana will be a serious threat if they live up to their potential. ⬆️

7.) FC Juárez - A 1-1 draw against Querétaro sees them slide down the rankings, but I think this will be but a blip. I thought Querétaro looked good and competent, and Juárez did well to get a point on the road. ⬇️

8.) Rayadas - Not a good game by Rayadas at all. A very soft penalty was the chance they needed against Puebla, who looked like they could have tied things a couple of times. Merel van Dongen, Tanna Sánchez, and Juana Plata all did not dress for the game, but I wouldn’t count on the defenders to aid the offense too much.They’ve got a lot to figure out. ⬇️

9.) León - A 4-1 thumping of Pumas wasn’t what I expected from León (or Pumas for that matter), but if León looks this good through the rest of the season they could be a good shout to make the Liguilla for the first time since the 2019 Clausura. ➖

10.) Necaxa - While I try and look at the project as a whole when deciding these, sometimes it just straight up comes down to vibes. Necaxa had a terrible offseason, but then goes on the road and beats Cruz Azul for their first win since September. It was also their first shutout in that span of time and their first ever opening day win. There’s still a lot to fix with this team, but it’s too good of a story to not reward them with a massive jump in the rankings. ⬆️

11.) Querétaro - I was pretty impressed with how Querétaro played. They really frustrated Juárez, who looked like they had been doing the work during the offseason to stay sharp. They also salvaged a draw on an absolutely savage olímpico from Deisy Ojeda in the 71st minute. ➖

12.) San Luis - They went to El Volcán and held Tigres to just one goal. Yes, their twelfth player was the woodwork, but their number one had a massive game as Nicole Buenfils stood on her head to keep San Luis in it. There’s still a lot that needs to be worked out with this team, but it’s hard to have thought of a better start of the season when you’re playing in San Nicolás de los Garza. ➖

13.) Atlas - They gave América more than they could handle and had they been more clinical with some early chances it could have been a much different result. They still have a lot to work on but it’s a decent start. ⬇️

14.) Puebla - I was impressed with how they did against Rayadas. They played smart soccer, keeping Rayadas off balance and only lost on a penalty. If they can keep up that level of play, they could make up some real ground this season. ⬆️

15.) Pumas - A poor performance against León highlighted Pumas’ disorganization on defense. And no disrespect to León, but if León can put four up on Pumas, what will it look like when they face one of the top teams? ⬇️

16.) Mazatlán - Not a great way to start the season for Mazatlán, who now head to Tijuana to face Xolos Femenil. Mazatlán needs time to gel with all of the new players on their roster, but that’s not a luxury teams have in a 17 game season. They move up in the standings though. ⬆️

17.) Cruz Azul - Losing to Necaxa at home is pretty inexcusable for a team for a team with the ambitions Cruz Azul have. They need to rebound from this one and quickly, although upcoming games against Santos and Mazatlán could be a quick cure for what ails them. ⬇️

18.) Santos Laguna - A rough start to the season for Santos, who were down five goals by the end of the first half. There’s really nowhere to go from here but up, right? ⬇️