Liga MX Femenil recap - 2019 Clausura Semifinals

The Liga MX Femenil 2019 Clausura championship will be determined by what is arguably one of the best rivalries in all of women’s professional sports, the Clásico Regiomontano between Tigres and Monterrey. The first leg will be at El Volcán on Friday, May 10 at 9:00 PM Central and will be televised in the United States on Univision Deportes. The second leg will be at Estadio BBVA Bancomer on Monday, May 13 at 8:00 PM Central.

Tigres UANL 5, Club América 1: A thoroughly dominant performance by Tigres against a very strong Club América team. Tigres won the first match at Estadio Universitario 2-0 thanks to a brace by Katty Martínez. In the 33rd minute Martínez capitalized on a great run up the field by Lizbeth Ovalle, who connected with Martínez on a pinpoint pass past goalkeeper Aurora Santiago. Martínez doubled the lead in the 59th when she was played in past the América defense and hit a shot far post that escaped the touch of Santiago. In the second round Tigres was just too much, with Martínez adding two more to complete the rout. Ovalle got the first goal for Tigres in the 39th when she was able to take advantage of América’s inability to clear the ball out of the box and shoot it past Santiago. América would draw one back in the 43rd when Dayana Cazares used a deft first touch to draw down a ball and then fired it past goalkeeper Ofelia Solís. From there it was more Ovalle and Martínez. Ovalle played another pinpoint pass in from the left wing to an unmarked Martínez in the 56th that Martínez buried. In the 75th it would be Ovalle again serving up a ball in to Martínez who this time headed it in to seal América’s fate.

Monterrey 3, Pachuca 3: Monterrey fought back from down three to eke by Pachuca thanks in part to an own goal and the away goals rule. The first match in Pachuca ended 3-2 in favor of the hosts. Viridiana Salazar got things started in the 38th minute when she scored a brilliant goal, heading the ball into the air and hitting it on the way down with something resembling a scissor kick that trickled through the hands of goalkeeper Claudia Lozoya.

Lizbeth Ángeles doubled the lead in the 56th minute when she hit a wonderful arcing shot from about 25 yards out. Salazar would get another goal in the 60th when she poked home the rebound on her initial shot from distance. Mónica Monsiváis would score for Rayadas in the 63rd when she hit a free kick through traffic that beat goalkeeper Alejandría Godínez to the far post. Monsiváis would convert a penalty in the 87th minute to get Rayadas to 3-2 as the teams went to Monrerrey for the second leg. There, the lone goal was an autogol in the 14th minute when a free kick took a glancing blow off of Karla Nieto’s head and into the back of the net.