Liga MX Femenil Power Rankings - 2024 Clausura, Week 3

The hype train for Necaxa was unfortunately derailed in Monterrey this midweek. While I’m sad about that, I do think it’s important to note that this club, which has long been an afterthought in the league, has good reason to be proud of itself. I’m pulling for Necaxa’s success, just as I am for all of the other clubs that have for too long been doormats in Liga MX Femenil to have their moments in the sun for a pretty simple reason:

When every team in a league is good it’s truly good for the league.

I want Necaxa and other teams who have been in the bottom third of the league forever to be able to challenge teams like América and Tigres because it will make the teams like América and Tigres that much better. I want to see them follow the same path Juárez has, putting a plan in place, investing in a project, and seeing it flourish. It makes the league richer not just in money, but more importantly in talent and diversity. Different systems can thrive, players can find the systems that fit their skills and challenge them to be their best selves, and the league, the national team, and most of all the fans can reap the rewards.

So go on Necaxa. Go on Santos. Go on Mazatlán and Puebla and all of the other teams that are sometimes struggling to put one foot in front of the other. I’m rooting for your success.

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1.) Tigres - Still perfect through three with a 7-1 demolition of Santos. Fany Mayor’s brace means she’s the leading goal scorer in club history, with her 96 moving her past former teammate Katty Martínez and current teammate Jacquie Ovalle. It also means she’s tied for the league’s leading goal scorer with five. ➖

2.) FC Juárez - I’m still really high on this team, who went to Pachuca and got a draw. Jasmine Casarez’ 70th minute equalizer means Juárez is coming into a soft part of their schedule undefeated. With games against Pumas, Santos, León, Mazatlán, Atlas, and Cruz Azul on the horizon, Las Bravalácticas should be stockpiling a ton of points before they finish the season against Tigres, Rayadas, and América. ➖

3.) Rayadas - Respect to Rayadas, who didn’t care about Necaxa’s hype train. The 7-0 thrashing was something of a statement win for Rayadas against a hot team. They need to keep their focus however, with games against Querétaro and Cruz Azul before facing América in CDMX. ➖

4.) América - After two less-than-stellar performances, América pulled it all together to blow out Tijuana 4-0. América has a couple of games against easier opponents (Santos and León) before hosting Rayadas, where they’ll be tested again. If they rise to the occasion like they did against Xolos Femenil, they’ll be looking like a contender for sure. ⬆️

5.) Pachuca - Much like last week, Pachuca got a draw against a tough opponent. Also like last week, they had a lead and then lost it. Charlyn Corral’s five goals have her tied with Fany Mayor for the league lead, but she can’t do it alone. The defense simply has to step up at some point. ⬇️

6.) Chivas - A 4-1 beating of San Luis is a great rebound after being murked by Juárez. Chivas looked competent and got goals from four of their primary scoring threats: Viri Salazar, Caro Jaramillo, Dr. Adriana “Boyi” Iturbide, and Licha Cervantes. Licha’s second goal of the season is probably lower than anyone would like, but if any team can pull off “scoring by committee”, it’s Chivas. ⬆️

7.) Toluca - A draw against Pumas isn’t great, especially at home. Still, Las Diablas are getting the job done when it counts. They’re at Chivas this weekend, and I think we’ll find out a lot about how they stack up against the better teams in the league. ➖

8.) Tijuana - The loss to América hurts, but it was against América on the road. They should still be ok throughout the season, and bringing in Marta Cox is going to be a huge shot in the arm for Xolos Femenil. ⬇️

9.) Querétaro - Querétaro keeps quietly amassing points, this time getting a win against Puebla at Estadio Cuauhtémoc. They’re another team I want to see play stiffer competition, and I’ll get my wish as they host Rayadas this weekend. ⬆️

10.) León - The rebound from a loss at Puebla was a 3-0 win at Atlas, which sees La Fiera in fourth place on the league table. I want to see some consistency from them before I’m sticking them in the upper echelon of teams, however they’ve got games against Tigres, América, Juárez, Pachuca, and Chivas coming up. We’ll see how they emerge from that meat grinder of a schedule. ⬆️

11.) Necaxa - A brutal loss at Monterrey sees them return to earth. The first goal was a mental mistake from Valeria Martínez, and the second goal was a great move from Ana Lucia Martínez while Necaxa had a player off getting checked for concussion protocol. After that, the floodgates had opened. I still think Necaxa is better than we’ve seen them ever be, however they need to put this game in the rearview mirror and focus on hosting Pachuca. ⬇️

12.) San Luis - A heavy defeat against Chivas on the road, but it was against Chivas on the road. I think right now they’re stronger than the teams below them, and part of this very unscientific ranking is overall vibes. ➖

13.) Pumas - Getting a draw against Toluca on the road is giving me hope for Pumas. I think the team has some potential if they can figure out how to best maximize their talent. They’ve got a tough match against Juárez this weekend however, and Juárez will most likely be out for revenge against the team who kept them out of the Liguilla last season. ⬆️

14.) Mazatlán - Their 2-1 win over Cruz Azul at La Noria is a shot in the arm for the normally moribund Cañoneras. And while beating Cruz Azul might not seem like much, it’s one more win than they had last season and their first victory since February 5, 2023. They host Atlas this weekend, where they have a legitimate shot at making it two in a row. ⬆️

15.) Puebla - I still think there’s an element of quality to this team, but losing against Querétaro at home isn’t great. Baby steps though. ⬇️

16.) Atlas - They needed to do much better against León and just couldn’t get it done. They’re at Mazatlán this weekend, host Necaxa next weekend, and are away at Santos so they do have an opportunity to pick up some points before the going gets tough. ⬇️

17.) Santos Laguna - They got blown out by Tigres at El Volcán, but I’m not sure anyone expected any different. This season will be difficult for Las Guerreras, and it will be about implementing Karla Maya’s system and finding out what works (and what doesn’t) more than anything else. ⬇️

18.) Cruz Azul - They lost to Mazatlán, a team that hadn’t won in almost a full calendar year. There are some decent players on this team, but it’s clear that there is a ton of work that needs to happen before this team succeeds. ⬇️