Liga MX Femenil recap - 2019 Clausura Week 11

While teams in Group 2 seem to be separating themselves into who will and will not make the Liguilla, Group 1 is still wide open with every team capable of playing into the final week of May - and beyond.

Cruz Azul 0, Lobos BUAP 0: A hard fought draw between two teams whose records belied their play on the pitch. Lobos’ goalkeeper Paola Manrique had a fantastic game, making several saves to keep her side in the game. Lobos’ Itzel Tenahua was shown her second yellow card in the 53rd minute giving the hosts the advantage, however Cruz Azul could not capitalize and the sides both get a point. Lobos and Cruz Azul are in seventh and eighth place in Group 1 respectively, since both teams have nine points but Lobos have the better goal differential (-2 to Cruz Azul’s -4). The teams sit just four points out of a Liguilla spot however.

Necaxa 0, Monterrey 3: A solid win by undefeated Rayadas over winless Necaxa. Daniela Solís got the scoring in the 12th minute on the counterattack when she drove in from the left wing and hit a shot past goalkeeper Andrea Rivera. Solís would double the lead in the 43rd minute when she got her head onto a corner from Dinora Garza. In the 71st minute, Gabriela Alvarez would rifle in a shot from the right side of the box to get the final goal. Rayadas are tied with Tigres on points with 23 but are in second place in the group on goal differential (+16 to Tigres +20). Necaxa are in last place with just two points on the season.

Puebla 0, Pachuca 2: Pachuca remains at the top of Group 1 with a solid win on the road against Puebla. Goalkeeper Jhannett Hernández picked up her second shutout in three starts. In the 35th minute, Esbeydi Salazar put the finishing touch on a fantastic team goal. Three minutes later it would be Karen Gómez converting a penalty after Puebla conceded a handball in the box. Puebla is 10 points behind Pachuca but still in a Liguilla spot in fourth place in the group.

Monarcas Morelia 2, Santos Laguna 2: A wild one in Morelia with the hosts coming back from a two goal deficit to draw Santos. The scoring started in the fifth minute when Karla Martínez blocked a clearance attempt that ricocheted off of her and into the goal. In the 36th minute, Isela Ojeda would get on the end of a restart by goalkeeper Wendy Toledo, take a couple of touches, and fire past Monarcas goalkeeper Diana García to extend the visitors’ lead. Things would turn though in the 52nd minute when Nadia Barriga would convert a penalty to get Morelia on the board, and then in the 74th minute Isamar Toledo would be the hero when she hit a golazo off of a corner kick to salvage a point for La Monarquia. Santos is eleven points behind Group 2 leaders Tigres but just five out of a Liguilla spot. Monarcas’ seven points are good enough for seventh place in the group, 16 behind Tigres.

Toluca 1, Club América 1: Club América picks up a crucial point on the road against a Toluca team that is battling for a Liguilla spot. The game would remain scoreless until the 52nd minute when Betzy Cuevas drove down the left wing and shot hard at goalkeeper Dayan Téllez. Téllez popped the rebound up and out to near the penalty spot, where Esmeralda Verdugo would fend off defender Daniela Gómez, turn, and fire past Téllez to give América the lead. That would last until the 74th minute when off of a corner kick Zaira Miranda would head the ball on frame. Ximena Rios was there for Las Águilas to clear the ball off of the line, but Brenda Carvajal was there to poke the ball past Jaidy Gutiérrez to get the draw. América are now three points behind Group 1 leaders Pachuca, while Toluca are two points behind Puebla for the final Liguilla spot.

Guadalajara 1, Atlas 2: Atlas was able to beat rivals Chivas for the second straight time in the Clásico Tapatío. Chivas still holds the all-time record however with five wins to Atlas two, and the clubs have drawn once. Chivas would get the scoring started in the 14th minute when Tania Morales would cross the ball from the left side. A Chivas player was able to get a touch on the ball and Dania Pérez would redirect it into the net. Just five minutes later, Alison González would make a run into the box and get pushed off of the ball. Ana Rodríguez would follow up and hit a shot at pace that would knot the game at one. The game would be decided in the 24th minute when Alison González would play a fantastic through ball to Ana García, who would beat her defender and draw out goalkeeper Ana Ruvalcaba. García would shoot into Ruvalcaba, and defender María Sánchez would make a last-ditch sliding effort to clear the rebound off of the line but wound up kicking it into the net instead. Atlas are in third place, just three points behind Tigres and Monterrey while Chivas are fourth, four behind Atlas and seven behind the Regiomontano clubs.

Tigres UANL 3, León 1: Another dominant win by Tigres to stay atop Group 2. Belén Cruz would get things started in the 21st minute when she hit a shot through the arms of goalkeeper Gabriela Herrera. Things would be relatively quiet until the 81st minute when super-sub Liliana Rodríguez would hit a world-class free kick that arced up and over the wall and then dipped down just below the crossbar. Rodríguez would get her brace just six minutes later when she hit another free kick through the wall and past Herrera. León would get a consolation goal deep into stoppage time when Yamile Franco hit a half-volley on a turn that caught Tigres goalkeeper Ofelia Solís flat-footed. But it was too little, too late as León now sit nine points behind Tigres but just three behind Chivas for the final Liguilla spot in Group 2.

Tijuana 1, Veracruz 0: Tijuana picks up their first win since week six in a 1-0 win over Veracruz at the Mictlán. Magdalena Zepeda would hit a shot from distance in the 74th minute that would hit off of goalkeeper Zitlalli Gazga’s hands, go between her legs, and trickle into the goal. With the win, Tijuana finds themselves in sixth place in the group, just two points behind Puebla for a spot in the Liguilla. Veracruz on the other hand is now in last place in Group 1, however they’re still only five points behind Puebla.

Next week:

Friday, March 8:

León (4W 2D 4L) vs. Querétaro (1W 1D 7L)

Saturday, March 9:

Atlas (7W 0D 3L) vs. Tigres UANL ()

Club América (6W 2D 1L) vs. Cruz Azul (2W 3D 5L)

Monday, March 11:

Lobos BUAP (2W 3D 5L) vs. Puebla (3W 4D 3L)

Veracruz (2W 2D 6L) vs. UNAM Pumas (6W 0D 3L)

Monterrey (6W 2D 0L) vs. Monarcas Morelia (1W 4D 5L)

Santos Laguna (3W 3D 4L) vs. Guadalajara (5W 2D 3L)

Tijuana (3W 2D 5L) vs. Pachuca (7W 2D 1L)

Bye week: Toluca (3W 2D 5L), Necaxa (0W 2D 7L)