Liga MX Femenil viewing guide: 2023 Clausura, Liguilla Quarterfinals

The Liga MX Femenil Liguilla begins tonight, and almost all games will be (legally) available in both the United States and México, however the opener between Pachuca and Chivas will not be (legally) available in the United States.

This should be a fun tournament, with all eight teams having at least a shot of coming out of the first round. Some teams’ shots are slimmer than others of course; such is the nature of seeded playoff matches after all, but all eight on their best days can beat anyone else in the tournament. It’s just going to be a matter of who will perform at their best for six games to see whose name is etched on the trophy for all to witness.

The Matchups

Pachuca vs. Guadalajara: This should be the best of the bunch. Spearheaded by Charlyn Corral and Jenni Hermoso, Pachuca’s offense is vicious, scoring 54 goals this past season. Their ball movement though is what sets them apart, with Mónica Ocampo and Karla Nieto seemingly always able to pick out the right pass to make in a situation. Their defense however could be their Achilles’ heel, letting in 24 goals over the past season.

Chivas meanwhile is more balanced, which could serve them well in this series. While Pachuca is all gas and no brakes, Chivas’ more measured approach could very well frustrate Pachuca, especially if the series is close going back to Guadalajara. Their loss against Tijuana aside, they ended the season strong and got Licha Cervantes back into the mix after she missed almost three months with an injury.

Atlas vs. Tigres UANL: Atlas comes in after a wildly inconsistent season, perhaps best summed up by the final two weeks of play where they played superlíder Monterrey off of the pitch in a 3-1 win, and then turned around and drew 11th place León 2-2, blowing a two goal lead. The front line of Fabiola Ibarra, Carolina Venegas, and either Alejandra Lomelí or Alejandra Franco is formidable when it gets in sync, and Fabiola Vargas has done a good job of rotating players and keeping fresh legs while allowing rhythms and partnerships to flourish. The X factor however could be goalkeeper Vania Villalobos, who started the final four games for Ana Gaby Paz, who announced she was pregnant a couple weeks back. Villalobos left Tigres this past offseason to join Atlas, and she may be using that as motivation against her old teammates.

Tigres meanwhile is Tigres. Perhaps not nearly the juggernaut they were a few seasons back, even a down season by their standards is still good enough for second place in the league. This team is stacked up and down the field, with the attacking triad of Jackie Ovalle, Stephany Mayor, and Mia Fishel giving defenses nightmares - and this is before getting to the forwards off the bench like Fer Elizondo, Riley Mattingly Parker, or Deiry Ramírez. And while their offense is certainly worthy of discussion, it’s also worth noting that their defense allowed the fewest goals of any team in the league this season.

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FC Juárez vs. América: Las Bravalácticas have been the talk of the town, and really the perfect story for the league. Once a doormat, Juárez spent the past couple of seasons making smart signings and building a solid core of players. Then it was kicked into overdrive with the signing of head coach Milagros Martínez. Mila has taken Juárez and put it all together, and the results have been fun to watch. The club is dealing with a bit of an injury bug, with Miriam García missing the next several months with a torn ACL. But they got back Jermaine Seoposenwe for their last match after she was dealing with tendinitis, and Juárez could see the return of Miah Zuazua, who was out with a sprained shoulder but appeared in a video this past week without a sling or brace.

Juárez will need all of their best players when they face off against América, who have somehow flown under the radar a bit this season on their way to third place in the league. Katty Martínez has found her place in the squad, and we’ve also seen Alison González getting good minutes lately. Kiana Palacios is also thriving, scoring 13 goals on the season. The big question however may be in goal and which Itzel will be the starter this series: Itzel González started nine games and allowed just seven goals while Itzel Velasco started eight and also allowed seven. Both are excellent options, and manager Ángel Villacampa will have quite the decision to make going into the series.

Club Tijuana vs. Rayadas de Monterrey: Coming in on the high of beating Chivas, Tijuana will look to advance past the quarterfinals for the first time in club history. There’s a good nucleus of players, from stalwarts like Renae Cuéllar, Yadira Toraya, and Angelina Hix to newer players like Paola Villamizar, Adyson Willett, and Siena Ruelas, who have only been at the club for a full year. The big question will be the players around this nucleus: can they step up in the crucible that is the Liguilla against a team like Monterrey?

Rayadas have gone about their business this season, being perhaps the quietest superlíder in recent memory. But don’t let that fool you, they’re there on merit. Christina Burkenroad is having a season, scoring 15 goals and opening up space for Chinwendu Ihezuo and Aylin Avléz. And if that offense wasn’t fearsome enough, they just casually bring the all-time Liga MX Femenil goalscorer off of the bench, getting Desirée Monsiváis a goal in 137 minutes since returning from a loan spell in Scotland. The midfield though does the yeoman’s work, with players like Carlee Giammona, Silvana Flores, Diana Evangelista, and Diana García doing the dirty work to allow the others to shine. Overlook them at your peril.

Television Schedule

All times as listed

Thursday, May 18

5 Pachuca vs 4 Guadalajara - 6:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico)

Friday, May 19

7 Atlas vs. 2 Tigres UANL - 6:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Deportes (United States), FOX Sports App (United States)

6 FC Juárez vs. 3 América - 8:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Deportes (United States), FOX Sports App (United States)

8 Club Tijuana vs. 1 Rayadas de Monterrey - 10:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Deportes (United States), FOX Sports App (United States)

Sunday, May 21

4 Guadalajara vs. 5 Pachuca - 5:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), Chivas TV, Telemundo Deportes App (United States)

Monday, May 22

3 América vs. 6 FC Juárez - 5:00 PM - TUDN (Mexico), ViX (United States), América Femenil’s YouTube Channel

2 Tigres UANL vs. 7 Atlas - 7:00 PM - TUDN (Mexico), ViX (United States), Tigres Femenil’s Facebook

1 Rayadas de Monterrey vs. 8 Club Tijuana - 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), FOX Deportes (United States), FOX Sports App (United States)