Liga MX Femenil Week 9 Recap

One of the questions I’ve been asked a few times is how I got specifically into Liga MX Femenil. The answer is pretty straightforward. I’ve been watching the men play in México for decades, and always enjoyed women’s soccer. I’m of an age where the 99ers captured my imagination as what women’s soccer could be, so when I heard that Liga MX Femenil was starting up I couldn’t resist watching it. Teams I knew in a sport that I enjoyed, and I got the bonus of being able to watch the league write its own history from its very beginning. How often do opportunities like that come along?

This week we saw history written twice, as Necaxa won their first home game in 413 days and Katty “Killer” Martínez and Christina Burkenroad became the first players to score hat-tricks on the same day since Licha Cervantes and Uchenna Kanu did it back on January 28, 2022. This was just the fifth time this had happened, and it also wasn’t Martínez’ first time scoring a hat-trick on the same day as someone else. She and Desirée Monsiváis scored hat-tricks in the same game back on October 22, 2018 when Tigres beat Monterrey 5-4 at El Volcán.

Here we are almost six years after the start of the league, and I still enjoy watching the history of this league unfold before me. It happens every day, and I’m always thankful I get to witness it - and share the joy of it with you.

Game of the Week

Necaxa 1, Cruz Azul 0

Was it the best game? Not at all. It was however certainly the most historic. For the first time since August 27, 2022 Necaxa won a game, downing Cruz Azul 1-0 at home. Neither team looked particularly good, but Necaxa was able to take the lead in the 36th minute when Samantha Calvillo headed a free kick up and over Itzayana González. Perhaps even more importantly, they were able to effectively manage the game, running down the clock and grind out the win. While it has to be noted that Cruz Azul announced the dismissal of coach Nicolás Morales earlier in the day, Necaxa hadn’t even drawn a game this season and their last home win was on January 24, 2022 against Pumas.

Other scores:

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0, Guadalajara 1

Querétaro played well, giving Chivas fits with their compact defending but ultimately losing 1-0 in their first match in front of fans at Estadio Alameda since a 2-1 win over Mazatlán on February 11, 2022. Gabi Valenzuela scored the game’s only goal in the 71st minute, getting past the defense and onto a great pass from Caro Jaramillo and slotting it past Marta Alemany. Chivas has now won four straight and remain in second place, two points behind Rayadas, who they face in the upcoming week. Querétaro meanwhile is just three points out of the Liguilla, and will have the backing of their home fans going forward.

Club Tijuana 2, Tigres UANL 0

Somehow, this wasn’t the most shocking result of the weekend. Tijuana really took the game to Tigres, downing the defending champions for the first time in club history 2-0 at the Mictlán in the pouring rain. Renae Cuéllar put Xolos Femenil up for good in the 37th minute, knocking in a Mónica Alvarado header off of a corner kick for her fifth goal of the season. Siena Ruelas turned in another stellar performance, notching her third shutout in four games this season. Dulce Alvarado added an insurance goal in the 66th minute when goalkeeper Ceci Santiago and defender Anika Rodríguez collided going after a cross into the box, leaving the 1.52 meter (5 foot) forward a free header. Tigres went hard to try to draw one back, but Ruelas and the defense stood firm and Xolos Femenil are in seventh place, and just three points behind Tigres and Pachuca.

UNAM Pumas 1, Puebla F.C. 1

Pumas and Puebla split the points at CU, ending in a 1-1 draw. Puebla looked relatively good, while Pumas continues to flounder. Puebla was on the front foot for most of the first half, and it paid off in the 30th minute when Daniela Auza had a brilliant header, flicking it on to Viridiana López, who had snuck in past the back line. She out-waited Melany Villeda and hit it past her to give Puebla the lead. Pumas however drew level in the 49th minute on a Samantha López header off of a great cross into the box from Bibiana Quintos. Pumas had a couple of chances down the stretch, but couldn’t put another one past Karla Morales. Pumas are 1-2-2 at home and in serious danger of missing the Liguilla, which can’t bode well for Jhonathan Lazcano.

Club Atlético de San Luis 1, Toluca 1

San Luis’ Liguilla hopes took a hit as they had to come from behind to salvage a tie against Toluca. Destinney Duron put the visitors up in the 32nd minute on a header from close range. An error from Brenda Carvajal in the 48th allowed Dani Carrandí to walk one in, but that’s as close as San Luis would get. They were able to move up to ninth place on the table, but a win would have leapfrogged them over Atlas and into the Liguilla zone.

América 5, Atlas 0

Instead of returning from a midweek friendly in the United States against Angel City FC looking tired, América looked mad that they had lost 3-0 and took their frustrations out on Atlas. Katty Martínez had a hat-trick before halftime, and Nati Mauleon added two more after the break. Itzel Velaso also got her third shutout in three starts, blanking her old team and giving Itzel González the night off. Atlas meanwhile will have to pick up the pieces. They’re currently in eighth place but still have games against Tijuana, Pachuca, and Rayadas left to play.

Mazatlán FC 1, Santos Laguna 1

While a draw on the road isn’t necessarily a bad result, Santos really needed all three points in order to keep themselves close in the Liguilla hunt. They went up in the seventh minute when Sofía Varela got her third goal in three straight games, getting a great cross in from Alexxandra Ramírez. But in stoppage time going into the half Yaritza Arista lost her mark and got a header in past Hannia de Ávila to level the game. Santos almost got the lead back in the 79th minute but a shot by Alejandra Curiel hit off of the post, and in the 87th Brenda López hit the crossbar. Santos are just three points out of the Liguilla but have games remaining against Tijuana, Juárez, Cruz Azul, and Tigres.

León 1, FC Juárez 0

Juárez threw everything at León, but a standout performance from Ángeles Martínez earned León the home win. Martínez made several good saves in her second shutout of the season, and Mariana Larroquette got her first goal of the season in the 33rd minute when she fought off two defenders to get and retain control of the ball, snuck past them, and fired a shot past Stefani Jiménez in a great individual effort. Juárez looked like they had equalized just before the halftime break when Miah Zuazua hit a shot through traffic and past Martínez, but it was ruled offside despite it not being touched on the way in. Juárez kept pressing but were ultimately unable to get one in and are now winless in three. The good news is that they’re still comfortably in the Liguilla picture and the only team remaining on their schedule currently in the Liguilla is América.

Rayadas de Monterrey 5, Pachuca 0

A bad night for Pachuca as Monterrey continues to really become a dominant force in the league. Christina Burkenroad had a hat-trick, and Rebeca Bernal and Yamile Franco each added one as Rayadas cruised to a dominant win over a really good Pachuca team. Alex Godínez got her second shutout of the season as Rayadas remain perfect through nine games. Although they have tough games remaining against Tijuana, Atlas, Chivas, and Cruz Azul, Pachuca is still comfortably in the Liguilla race and should contend for home field advantage in the first round at least.

Sub 18 results

Week 10:

Saturday, March 11

UNAM Pumas 1, Toluca 4

América 2, Cruz Azul 1

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 1, Pachuca 1

León 0, Tigres UANL 4

Puebla F.C. 3, FC Juárez 0

Santos Laguna 2, Atlas 2

Sunday, March 12

Rayadas de Monterrey 2, Guadalajara 2

Club Tijuana 1, Mazatlán FC 1

Bye: Club Atlético de San Luis (1-4-3) , Necaxa (2-2-4)

Week 11 (all records are in W-D-L format, all times as listed):

Saturday, March 18

Guadalajara (5-3-1) vs. Club Tijuana (1-2-6) - 9:00 AM

Tigres UANL (6-0-2) vs. Atlas (4-4-1) - 10:00 AM

Pachuca (5-3-1) vs. Puebla (3-2-4) - 11:00 AM

Toluca (3-3-3) vs. América (6-2-1)- 11:00 AM

Mazatlán FC (2-3-3) vs. León (2-2-5) - 11:00 AM

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (3-2-4) vs. UNAM Pumas (3-2-4) - 3:45 PM

Sunday, March 19

Club Atlético de San Luis (1-4-3) vs. Rayadas de Monterrey (2-5-2) - 10:00 AM

FC Juárez (2-1-6) vs. Necaxa (2-2-4) - 10:00 AM

Bye: Cruz Azul (3-3-3), Santos Laguna (2-5-2)

Liga MX Femenil Table

International friendly results

Angel City FC 3, América 0

Not the result América wanted, but they played a decent game on short rest. Alyssa Thompson, Paige Nielsen, and Simone Charley scored for the hosts, who are set to open their season on March 26 against NY/NJ Gotham FC.

Rayadas de Monterrey 2, North Carolina Courage 1

Monterrey is not only the lone perfect team left in the league, but they’re also the only team to beat an NWSL opponent during the recent slate of friendlies, downing the Courage 2-1 at El Gigante de Acero. Rebeca Bernal put the hosts up in the fifth minute, and Diana Evangelista capitalized on an error in the 60th minute to add on to the lead. Olivia Wingate got the lone goal for the visitors, who start their season on March 25 by hosting the Kansas City Current.