Liga MX Femenil viewing guide: 2023 Apertura, Week 5

This week should be a good week of games from a competitive standpoint. For the most part, it looks like the matchups will be between teams of a similar stature, with Necaxa vs. Chivas being the only real mis-match of the bunch. I’m of the mindset that the closer the teams are in terms of quality, the more fun the game will be. Yes of course two unbeaten teams will always be fun, but two winless teams can have the same (or more) chaotic energy, which makes viewing the match as a neutral a whole lot of fun.

Only one Monday game this week since there’s a slate of midweek games. And while all of the games will be available in México, three of the nine will not be (legally!) available in the United States.

Game of the Week

While Tigres vs. Pachuca and Toluca vs. Juárez were strong contenders, I think the Cruz Azul vs. Rayadas match will be the best of the bunch this week. Cruz Azul has looked like they’ve put it all together this season, with Norma Palafox finding the scoring touch she had a few seasons ago with Chivas and Brazilian striker Erica da Silva adding a new dimension in the attack. Cruz Azul is still getting top-notch goalkeeping performances from Itzayana González, adding another layer of complexity to La Maquina.

While Cruz Azul are definitely on the rise (their loss to Pumas not withstanding), Rayadas are an entirely different beast. They’re unbeaten so far and Christina Burkenroad is in the form of her life, scoring seven goals in four games. Rayadas’ attack is so dynamic, with Burkenroad pairing with Myra Delgadillo, Chinwendu Ihezuo, and Carlee Giammona to make lives miserable for opposing back lines. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Jermaine Seoposenwe is returning to Monterrey after South Africa has bowed out of the World Cup. Seoposenwe’s availability is in question though, as she had to come out of Banyana Banyana’s match against the Netherlands in the 30th minute.

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Liga MX Femenil Week 5 (all records are in W-D-L format, all times as listed):

Friday, August 11:

León (3-0-1) vs. Tijuana (2-1-1) - 7:06 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico)

Santos Laguna (0-0-4) vs. Querétaro (2-0-2) - 9:10 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Sports App (United States)

Saturday, August 12:

Cruz Azul (3-0-1) vs. Rayadas (3-1-0) - 12:00 PM - ViX+ (Mexico), ViX (United States)

Necaxa (1-0-3) vs. Guadalajara (2-2-0) - 7:00 PM - ViX+ (Mexico), ViX (United States)

Tigres (3-1-0) vs. Pachuca (2-0-2) - 9:00 PM - ViX+ (Mexico), ViX (United States), Tigres Femenil Facebook

Sunday, August 13:

Puebla (0-0-4) vs. UNAM Pumas (2-0-2) - 12:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico)

Toluca (2-1-1) vs. FC Juárez (1-1-2) - 12:00 PM - ViX+ (Mexico), ViX (United States)

Atlético de San Luis (1-1-2) vs. Mazatlán FC (0-0-4) - ESPN (Mexico)

Monday, August 14:

Atlas (1-0-3) vs. América (4-0-0) - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Sports App (United States)