Liga MX Femenil recap - 2019 Apertura Week 2

The second week of the season is starting to lay bare some truths about the Liga MX Femenil teams. Cruz Azul and Querétaro are no longer doormats. Atlas and Guadalajara have some work to do if they’re to remain among the elite teams in the league. Santos, Pumas, and Puebla all are moving in the right direction. Perhaps most surprising though is Club América struggling out of the gate. It’s still very early in the season, but those are the storylines I’ll be watching over the next few weeks.

Cruz Azul 3, UNAM Pumas 2: A real nail-biter and perhaps an indication of how far along these clubs have come. Cruz Azul got the first goal in the 36th minute when Wendy Jimenez hit a great ball forward for Alejandra Curiel. Pumas goalkeeper Angélica Vázquez came way off of her line and Curiel chipped her, the ball rolling in what seemed like slow-motion into the back of the net. Just five minutes later, Natalia Enciso would double the lead for the hosts when she teed up a shot from about 25 yards out that banged in off of the underside of the crossbar. Pumas would draw one back in the 80th minute when Dirce Delgado was in the right place at the right time on a corner kick to clean up the rebound. In the 83rd, Hilary García would knot it up when she was left unmarked to head in a free kick past Gabriela Herrera. Just two minutes later though Brenda León would play an inch-perfect pass up to Enciso, who would get a touch on the ball and put it past Vázquez for the game winner.

Querétaro 2, León 1: In the 2019 Clausura, Querétaro won one game all season. They’d equal that total in Week 2 of the 2019 Apertura with a 2-1 victory over León. Sofía Álvarez would get the early goal for Gallos Femenil in the 11th minute when she got to a cross, turned, and tucked it in the near post past León goalkeeper Maricruz Gonzalez. Just before the halftime whistle, León was awarded a penalty and Yamile Franco converted to draw the sides level. In the 57th, Daniela Vidal would get the game winning goal when she was able to head in a corner kick.

Juárez 0, Santos Laguna 3: The woes continue for Juárez as Santos Laguna comes to town and metes out a 3-0 thrashing. Alexxandra Ramírez converted a penalty in the 11th minute, and then moments later Cinthya Peraza hit a screamer from about 25 yards out to put Santos up 2-0. Peraza would add an insurance goal in the 41st minute when goalkeeper Silvia Machuca came far off of her line to punch out a shot attempt. The rebound would fall to Peraza and she chipped it up and into the back of the net.

Atlas 1, Monterrey 2: Two of the better sides in Liga MX Femenil squared off, and it was Rayadas coming away with the three points. Alicia Cervantes got things started in the 27th minute when Atlas goalkeeper Ana Gaby Paz tried punching out a cross in the air but didn’t get all of it and hit it only as far as Cervantes, who poked the ball home. The clubs would battle back and forth and in the 70th minute Paz would try to play the ball out of the back but her pass was intercepted by Diana Evangelista, who beat the out of position Paz to make it 2-0. Atlas would draw one back in the 87th minute when Alison González was able to pick the ball off of a defender and chip the onrushing Claudia Lozoya, but it would prove too little, too late.

Toluca 4, Morelia 2: A wild one in Toluca as the home side beat Monarcas Morelia 4-2. Morelia got on the board first when Karla Jiménez hit a free kick that managed to evade the defenders and goalkeeper in the 13th minute. Toluca wouldn’t equalize until the 49th minute when Natalia Mauleon played a great ball in to Mariel Roman, who settled it and fired it past goalkeeper Diana García. Monarcas would re-take the lead in the 57th minute when a Jiménez forced a Toluca turnover that made its way to María Cruzaley, who hit a hard shot into the top of the net past a diving Dayan Téllez. Toluca would draw level again in the 75th minute when Mauleon converted a penalty kick, and Nati would give Toluca the lead in the 81st minute with a golazo from the right side of the box. Toluca would add one more in stoppage time when Roman hit a a shot or a cross from a tight angle that looked to deflect off of two Morelia defenders and loop in past García.

Guadalajara 2, Atlético San Luis 1: A fairly promising rebound from last week’s 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Atlas by Atleti, but it was still zero points at the end of the day. Off of a corner in the 27th minute, Estefanía Izaguirre was able to retrieve a loose ball at the edge of the area and hit a shot that caught Chivas goalkeeper Blanca Félix wrong-footed and out of position. Just six minutes later though Chivas would be awarded a penalty and Dania Pérez would not miss. The game would remain knotted until the 72nd when Kristal Soto found a wide open Tania Morales at the top of the box. Morales took a touch and fired past Cintia Monreal to give Chivas the win.

Pachuca 1, Necaxa 0: On the weekend where Mónica Ocampo was honored by Pachuca with her name on a box in the famed Estadio HIdalgo, Tuzos Femenil defeated Necaxa 1-0. Viridiana Salazar got the lone goal in the 52nd minute off of a great pass from Ocampo.

América 0, Puebla 1: Emily González scored for Puebla in the fifth minute when she was able to fight through two América defenders and get a clean shot off on goal that beat goalkeeper Jaidy Gutiérrez. From there on out, América didn’t quite know how to react, and Puebla was able to shut them down defensively.

Tijuana 1, Veracruz 1: A disappointing result for Xolos Femenil, as Veracruz salvaged a draw in the dying moments of the match. Tijuana played well and took the lead in the 38th minute when Renae Cuellar converted a penalty. But in the 90th minute Citlally Valencia would convert a free kick from just outside the box that goalkeeper Itzel González got her hand on but couldn’t push out of harms way.

Bye week: Tigres UANL

Next week:

Friday, July 26:

Necaxa (0W 0D 2L) vs. Guadalajara(1W 0D 1L)

Saturday, July 27:

UNAM Pumas (1W 0D 1L) vs. Querétaro (1W 1D 0L)

Sunday, July 28:

Puebla (1W 0D 1L) vs. Pachuca (2W 0D 0L)

Monday, July 29:

Monterrey (2W 0D 0L) vs. Toluca (2W 0D 0L)

Morelia (0W 0D 2L) vs. Juárez (0W 1D 1L)

Veracruz (0W 2D 0L) vs. Atlas (1W 0D 1L)

León (0W 1D 1L) vs. Cruz Azul (2W 0D 0L)

Atlético San Luis (0W 0D 2L) vs. América (0W 0D 1L)

Santos Laguna (1W 0D 1L) vs. Tigres UANL (1W 0D 0L)

Bye week: Tijuana (0W 1D 1L)