Liga MX Femenil Week 16 Recap

What a week. I love chaos, so this past jornada was extremely tailored for my tastes. So much happened in just the span of a long weekend: Atlas clinched a Liguilla spot with a shock result over Rayadas. Juárez, Toluca, and Pumas all got massive results to keep their Liguilla hopes alive. San Luis lost to Pumas and were officially eliminated, and León beat Tijuana to force Xolos Femenil to win against Chivas this coming week and hope for help.

We also saw some absolute wonderstrikes this past week, so definitely take the time to watch the YouTube videos linked below. Two of those golazos belonged to Charlyn Corral, who now holds the Liga MX Femenil single season scoring record with 19, and could be the first to 20 as Pachuca hosts Cruz Azul this coming week.

But before we talk about next week, let’s look at last week.

Game of the Week

Guadalajara 4, Pachuca 4

Two of the best in the league faced off in an instant classic. Licha Cervantes got her tenth goal of the season just two minutes into this one, converting a penalty that Joseline Montoya drew before the first minute of play had elapsed. Against a lot of other teams that might have been enough, but Pachuca came right back, with Marta Cox hitting a golazo in the 10th minute to tie it back up. Tuzos Femenil took the lead in the 33rd minute when Charlyn Corral got onto a great cross in from Mónica Ocampo. After a few huge saves from Esthefanny Barreras allowed them to stay in it, Pachuca doubled the lead in the 40th minute when Alice Soto capitalized on a defensive miscommunication, knocking the ball in to make it 3-1 going into the half. The second half though saw Chivas come roaring back. Caro Jaramillo got her seventh goal of the season in the 56th minute on a perfectly weighted cross in from Gabi Valenzuela to pull the hosts within one. Chivas tied it up in the 61st minute when Montoya drew and then converted a penalty, and eventually took the 4-3 lead 20 minutes later on a great shot from Dr. Adriana “Boyi” Iturbide. Just when it looked like Chivas was going to take all three points, Corral got her record 19th goal of the season in the 86th minute, hitting a shot far post to beat Blanca Félix and give Pachuca an important draw on the road. Corral almost got number 20 and the win deep in stoppage time when she hit the crossbar in the final play of a thrilling match.

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Other scores:

América 6, Mazatlán FC 1

América was as dominant as expected, starting off the week with a 6-1 thrashing of Mazatlán. Natalia Mauleón started the scoring off in the 15th minute, hitting one through traffic for her eighth goal of the season. Kiana “Súper Ki” Palacios got her 12fth of the season in the 39th minute on a scorcher from distance. Alison “Aligol” González cushioned the lead in first half stoppage, knocking in a rebound from close range. The second half was more of the same, although Mazatlán did get a goal in the 60th minute on a Magaly Cortés golazo. América however got one back almost immediately with an Andrea Pereira strike from distance. Casandra Cuevas added one in the 87th minute, cleaning up a rebound, and just past the 90th minute Aligol got her second of the game to complete the rout.

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0, Tigres UANL 4

Tigres picked up a dominant win against Querétaro, putting up four on a team that had allowed just 12 goals through their first 15 games. Mia Fishel weaved through traffic and hit one far post for her 12th goal of the season five minutes in, and it looked like it was going to be a good night for the visitors to La Corregidora. But as Querétaro is wont to do, they held on defensively (and got a little help from the post and crossbar), bending but not breaking. Tigres didn’t score again until the 50th minute when Riley “La Güerita” Mattingly Parker broke through with a great individual effort, beating Irais Hernández far post. Just when it looked like Tigres were content to cruise on through the end of the match, Jackie Ovalle did what she does best: making defenders look bad. In the 84th she made a deep run to beat a defender after a poor touch, then put goalkeeper Hernández on skates to beat her far post. Then in stoppage she got past the defense on a great ball and smoked one past Hernández to leave no doubt who deserved all three points on the evening.

Atlas 3, Rayadas de Monterrey 2

In a surprise result, Atlas secures a spot in the Liguilla by downing Rayadas. Both teams came out going for the win, however the first half saw precious few chances until the 43rd minute when Monterrey allowed Atlas too much time in the box and Dani Cruz was able to chip a ball up an into the mixer for Carolina Venegas, who headed it in past Claudia Lozoya. While Atlas took the lead into the locker room, it didn’t last long after the start of the half. Rayadas drew level when Chinwendu Ihezuo, who subbed on at halftime, scored just 33 seconds into the half, making a great run and getting a great touch on a ball up and over the top that Cruz didn’t clear. Atlas regained the lead in the 52nd minute when Venegas capitalized on a defensive miscommunication and hit a rocket past Lozoya for her fifth goal of the season and second of the game. Rayadas drew level however in the 68th minute when Aylin Aviléz got to a cross in the center of the box for her third of the season. It looked like this one was going to be a draw until a minute into stoppage time Rayadas couldn’t clear a cross into the box and Alejandra Lomelí took it off of Rebeca Bernal’s foot and put it into the back of the net to clinch Atlas’ berth in the Liguilla.

Cruz Azul 0, Toluca 1

Toluca keeps their train rolling by downing La Maquina at La Noria 1-0. Cruz Azul had chances, the best being a shot in the 14th minute from Cori Sullivan that floated in on goal. Kayla Thompson however went up and made the awkward save, doing enough to keep the ball from ever crossing the line and pinning it to the turf before it went in. Toluca however peppered goalkeeper Itzayana González with shots, and González did well to stop all but one, when she gave up a rebound on a free kick that allowed Mariel Román to knock in her fourth goal of the season and third in the past four games.

Club Atlético de San Luis 1, UNAM Pumas 3

Pumas is still making their case for the Liguilla, downing San Luis (and eliminating them in the process) 3-1 in San Luis Potosí. Anahí Gómez continued her torrid pace, scoring in the 12th minute on a great build up play and again three minutes later when a defensive breakdown allowed her to get to a ball and bloop it up and over goalkeeper Nicole Buenfil for her seventh goal in eleven appearances for Pumas. Luz Duarte got her third of the season in the 34th to seemingly put the game out of reach. But before the end of the half San Luis won a penalty on a handball in the box and Daniela Carrandí converted to give the hosts a glimmer of hope going into the locker room. But Pumas put the clamps down, getting a great performance from Melany Villeda to remain within three points of a Liguilla spot with a positive goal differential and a game against Necaxa coming up.

Necaxa 0, FC Juárez 1

A gutsy performance from both teams as a short-handed Juárez gets a result in Aguascalientes against Necaxa. The game’s only goal was scored in the ninth minute when Jasmine Casarez won the ball about 25 yards from her own goal, sprinted down the field, evaded and fought off defenders, and slotted the ball near post. Both teams had good chances, but the goalkeepers stepped up and made some big saves when they needed to. Necaxa gave Las Bravalácticas as much as they could handle, and perhaps on another day could have gotten a result. Juárez meanwhile remains above the red line and would clinch a Liguilla spot with a win next week at home against Puebla.

León 2, Club Tijuana 1

León put a massive dent into Tijuana’s Liguilla hopes, beating them 2-1 in León and forcing Xolos Femenil to get a result against Chivas in order to have a shot at the post season. León had a good shout for a penalty in the 10th minute when Mónica Alvarado took Lucero Cuevas down in the box but no call was given. León however got on the board first when Briana Woodall got to a corner kick that wasn’t ever cleared out, heading it into an almost empty net in the 38th for her second goal of the season. Tijuana looked much better in the second half, trying to get back into the match. They succeeded in the 72nd minute when Dani Espinosa broke past the Fiera defense for her sixth goal of the season. But León wasn’t about to let their rivals come out of this one with any points, and in the 74th Yashira Barrientos was left all alone in the box and headed a cross in off of the post.

Santos Laguna 2, Puebla 1

Santos comes out with a deserved win, although Puebla gave a good account of themselves and showed a good amount of fight in a game that had no impact on Liguilla standings. Both Paola Calderón and Evelyn Torres had good games in goal despite neither getting a clean sheet. Sheila Pulido put Santos up in the 56th minute with her first goal since August 31, 2020 when she floated one up and over Torres. Puebla drew level in the 63rd on an olímpico from Brenda García, but it lasted only until the 69th minute when Alexia Villanueva got on the end of a great pass from Cinthya Peraza and knocked it past Torres. There was a scary moment in the 73rd when Calderón was involved in a heavy collision with Norma Gaitán and stayed down on the pitch for a bit, but she got back up and passed concussion protocol and remained in the match to lead her team to their fourth win of the season.

Sub 18 results

Week 18

Pachuca 1, UNAM Pumas 2

Atlas 3, Rayadas 0

Necaxa 4, Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0

Guadalajara 4, Mazatlán FC 0

Puebla 2, América 2

Santos Laguna 6, Club Tijuana 2

Club Atlético de San Luis 0, León 3

Cruz Azul 1, Toluca 2

Bye: Tigres UANL (10-3-3), FC Juárez (2-1-13)

2023 Clausura Liguilla Quarterfinals (all times as listed):

Saturday, May 13:

2 Tigres UANL vs. 7 Toluca - 9:00 AM

1 América vs. 8 Santos Laguna - 11:00 AM

5 Pumas vs. 4 Atlas - 12:00 PM

Sunday, May 14

3 Guadalajara vs. 6 Pachuca - 9:00 AM

Liga MX Femenil Table