Liga MX Femenil recap - Week 12

With just seven weeks left we’re starting to see the Liguilla picture become must a little clearer. Just four points separate sixth place América from twelfth place Querétaro, so it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out down the stretch. If a team gets hot (or cold) now, there’s really no telling where they could end up.

Cruz Azul 3, Juárez 0: Cruz Azul has struggled a bit lately but they looked strong in their outing against Juárez. Juárez didn’t help their case however, going down a player in the 23rd minute when Celeste Vidal was shown a red card for shoving Paola González. González responded by scoring a brace, first getting her head onto a great ball in by Brenda García in the 58th minute and then eight minutes later when she again got her head to a ball, this time a free kick from Martha Enciso. Sharon Barba, who had missed the season up to this point recovering from surgery, got her first goal of the season in the 69th minute when she was able to get to a bouncing ball in the box and poke it home.

Puebla 2, Veracruz 1: It was the Maria Lopez show for Puebla, as the center back put her team on her back and scored both goals in Puebla’s 2-1 win over Veracruz. Lopez was in the right place at the right time just before the half to head home the rebound of a Jimena Hermenegildo free kick that had crashed off of the crossbar. Liliana Hernández equalized for Tiburonas Rojas in the 55th minute with a golazo from the right side of the box that seemingly floated into the far corner of the net. Lopez would not be stopped however, and she got her head on the end of a Diana Anguiano corner kick. It hit off of the post, off of defender Citlalli Valencia, into and then out of the hands of goalkeeper María Ayala, and over the goal line for the deciding goal.

Querétaro 0, América 5: It wasn’t long ago that Querétaro was in the thick of the Liguilla picture while hard questions were being asked about América. América made a statement win against Gallos Femenil, beating them 5-0 in Querétaro. Marcela Valera put Las Águilas on the board in the fourth minute on a perfectly placed header off of a corner kick. Daniela Espinosa broke through the defensive line and angled a shot past goalkeeper Natalia Acuña in the 36th minute to double the lead. Jana Gutiérrez got one more for América before the half when Querétaro couldn’t clear a corner kick out of the box, with Gutiérrez pouncing on the ball and pokin it past Acuña. Just after the half started, América scored again when Ana López headed the rebound off of another corner kick to make it 4-0 for the visitors. Lucero Cuevas got the final goal in the 86th minute when she drove in and hit a shot that Acuña got a hand to but couldn’t keep out of the net.

UNAM Pumas 2, Atlético San Luis 0: With the result against San Luis, Pumas have now lost only once in their past six games and while still a longshot for the Liguilla are certainly in the conversation. In the 22nd minute, Fabiola Santamaria drove down the right side of the box and hit a cross that was intercepted by defender Nayeli Munguía. Her clearance attempt only went as far as Daniela García, who centered it to Estefany Hernández. Hernández shot it from close range past goalkeeper Cintia Monreal for the lead. Just before the half, goalkeeper Melany Villeda hit a long kick forward that was mis-played by defender Edith Carmona. Fabiola Santamaria was able to get to it and chip Monreal for the insurance goal.

Morelia 0, Atlas 0: Morelia did themselves little favors with respect to their Liguilla ambitions, drawing Atlas 0-0 at home. A win could have catapulted Monarcas into the sixth seed just below Atlas, however they’re still sitting in ninth place after Monday’s match. Morelia also still has yet to take their bye week, which will come in Week 14. Atlas meanwhile would have climbed to third place with a win as they already have a better goal differential than both Tigres and Guadalajara. They too haven’t had their bye week, which will be Week 16.

Toluca 1, Guadalajara 2: Chivas went to Toluca and played some of their best soccer of the season, beating a good Toluca team 2-1. Yashira Barrientos’ header off of a corner in the 17th minute put the visitors up, but the lead was short lived. Karla Saavedra equalized when she got to a blocked shot by Mariel Román and shot it into the upper corner of the net past goalkeeper Blanca Félix. The game changed in the 52nd minute when Jaqueline Rodríguez got to the rebound of a Rubí Soto shot and shot it hard and past goalkeeper Alondra Ubaldo for the game winner.

León 2, Santos Laguna 0: Daniela Calderón’s brace was the difference as León beat Santos 2-0. Calderón put the hosts on the board in the 34th minute when she was able to redirect a corner kick with a flick that has to be seen to be believed. She’d score again just three minutes later with almost the exact same flick.

Tigres UANL 2, Tijuana 0: Tigres got another home win, but credit to Tijuana for being able to hang with the defending champions. Jackie Ovalle got her fifth goal of the season in the eighth minute with a rocket from the top of the box. Katty Martínez got the insurance goal in the 36th when goalkeeper Itzel González tipped a corner kick up into the air and Martínez was able to execute a chilena (bicycle kick).

Monterrey 4, Necaxa 0: Monterrey becomes the first team to 10 wins with their fourth straight as the down Necaaxa 4-0. Aylin Aviléz hit a long range blast in the 10th minute to put Rayadas up for good. She’d double her total in the 53rd when she got her head on a Dinora Garza cross to beat goalkeeper Balbina Treviño. Daniela Solís hit a rocket from 20 yards out in the 65th minute to extend Rayadas’ lead. Aviléz completed her hat trick in the 84th minute with another header, this time off of a corner kick.

Bye week: Pachuca

Next week:

Friday, September 27:

Necaxa (0W 2D 9L) vs. Querétaro (4W 2D 5L)

Juárez (1W 3D 8L) vs. Tigres UANL (6W 4D 1L)

Saturday, September 28:

Atlas (5W 5D 2L) vs. Cruz Azul (5W 1D 5L)

UNAM Pumas (3W 4D 4L) vs. Morelia (5W 2D 5L)

Monday, September 30:

Veracruz (2W 4D 5L) vs. Guadalajara (7W 1D 3L)

América (5W 3D 3L) vs. Pachuca (8W 2D 1L)

Santos Laguna (3W 2D 6L) vs. Puebla (5W 1D 6L)

Atlético San Luis (2W 2D 8L) vs. León (3W 4D 4L)

Tijuana (5W 3D 3L) vs. Toluca (5W 3D 4L)

Bye week: Monterrey (10W 0D 2L)