2019 Liga MX Femenil Clausura Final match recap: Tigres UANL 1, Monterrey 1

34,135 braved the pouring rain in Nuevo León to watch the first leg of the Liga MX Femenil Final between Tigres UANL and Monterrey and the match did not disappoint, with the teams heading back across town tied at one goal each after the first ninety minutes.

Tigres was able to create a chance in the first minute when Jacqueline Ovalle made a fantastic move to lose her mark and hit a square ball to Katty Martínez, however Martínez’ shot was well read by Rayadas goalkeeper Claudia Lozoya who easily stopped the shot.

Monterrey would have a good chance in the third minute when Aylin Aviléz got on the end of a set piece straight from the training pitch, but her shot went high over the crossbar.

In the 16th minute there was a nasty collision between Desirée Monsiváis and Greta Espinoza as both went up for a ball and clashed heads. Both would take a cart ride off of the pitch and would return after getting bandaged up. The teams played some back and forth soccer, but nothing really materialized until the 25th minute when Karen Luna attempted a chilena that went just wide of the goal.

In the 33rd minute, Tigres had a fantasti chance when Ovalle beat her mark into the box and sent a pass across the goal mouth that was tipped to Belén Cruz, who touched it centrally to Blanca Solís, but her shot sent just wide of the net.

Tigres kept applying pressure. In the 39th minute, Ovalle would hit a hard shot but Ofelia Solís was there and made a solid save to keep the game level.

Tigres had a goal waved off in the 43rd minute when it was ruled to have been played in an offside position.

Monterrey would start the second half off on the front foot when Dinora Garza had a look at goal but Ofelia Solís would again deny Monterrey a goal. In the 53rd it was Alicia Cervantes playing a ball in that was just out of the reach of a sliding Aylin Aviléz. On the counter, Tigres had an attempt that was snuffed out by a sliding Monterrey player that looked to have made contact with her arm, but no penalty was awarded.

In the 61st minute, a defensive lapse saw Katty Martínez get the ball in space in the box. Her shot was tipped just wide of the goal by Lozoya. On the resulting corner kick, Alexia Frias headed the ball past her own goalkeeper to give the hosts the lead.

In the 65th it looked like Rayados had tied it up when Monsiváis slipped in on goal and fired past Ofelia Solís, but she was judged to have been played in an offside position and the goal did not count. In the 70th minute, Selena Castillo got the ball about 25 yards out, turned, and fired a perfect shot that deflected in off of the underside of the bar to tie the match.

The remaining minutes were filled with frenetic, back and forth action however neither team was really able to get a good look at goal, setting the stage for Monday night’s match at Estadio BBVA Bancomer with the sides tied 1-1.

Tigres UANL: Ofelia Solís; Selene Cortés, Greta Espinoza, Cristina Ferral, Karen Luna; Lizbeth Ovalle, Liliana Mercado, Nancy Antonio, Belén Cruz (Evelyn González, 90’); Blanca Solís (Carolina Jaramillo, 75’), Katty Martínez

Monterrey: Claudia Lozoya; Gabriela Alvarez, Mariana Cadena, Rebeca Bernal, Alexia Frias; Alicia Cervantes (Norali Armenta, 88’), Valeria Valdez, Selena Castillo, Aylin Aviléz; Dinora Garza (Daniela Solís, 66’); Desirée Monsiváis (Hilary García, 81’)

Scoring: Tigres UANL - Alexia Frias (autogol - 61’); Monterrey - Selena Castillo (70’)

Disciplinary: Tigres UANL - None; Monterrey - Desirée Monsiváis (Yellow - 31’), Dinora Garza (Yellow - 51’)