2020 Liga MX Femenil Clausura recap - Week 9

Another week in the books for Liga MX Femenil, as the league heads into a week off. There were some surprise results, some good performances despite them being for losing efforts, and of course the golazos.

Cruz Azul 1, Necaxa 0: Jessica Tenorio’s golazo in the 60th minute was the difference maker as Cruz Azul hung on to beat Necaxa 1-0. Both teams had chances throughout the match, but Tenorio’s first goal of the season gave La Máquina their fourth win of the tournament.

Querétaro 0, UNAM Pumas 0: A draw seems like a disappointing result for Pumas, who sit in tenth place despite having lost just one match all season. Pumas had a chance in the 30th when Dania Padilla hit the post and the follow-up shot went straight into goalkeeper Ivette Alvarado before being cleared out. In the 36th, Edna Santamaría hit a shot from distance that hit the crossbar. Padilla was able to get to the rebound and head it on frame but Alvarado was there again to bail her team out. In the 75th, it was Melany Villeda’s turn to come up big as she made a save on a shot from close range. Both Alvarado and Villeda picked up their first shutout of the season in the tie.

FC Juárez 0, Monterrey 0: Another 0-0 draw where the visiting team was expected to win big. Neither team was able to get much going in the way of chances, and what few chances were generated were dealt with by goalkeepers Stefani Jiménez and Claudia Lozoya for Juárez and Rayadas respectively. This was also both goalkeepers’ first shutout of the season.

Puebla 0, Guadalajara 1: Chivas got a much needed win, breaking a five game winless drought against Puebla. The game really didn’t take off until the end of the first half, and it was the home side with two decent chances, one on either side of the break. Chivas would finally break the deadlock in the 60th minute when Miriam García got her head onto a corner kick and was able to put it past Brissa Rangel. Rangel came up big in the 78th minute when she was able to stop Evelyn González one-on-one at point blank range.

Atlas 1, Santos Laguna 0: A good showing by Santos despite the end result. Both goalkeepers were called on early to make big stops, and in the 23rd minute Isela Ojeda had a shot that beat goalkeeper Ana Gaby Paz but rang off of the post and out. Just before the half, Adriana “Boyi” Iturbide hit a shot from distance that hit off of the crossbar and was cleared out. On the other side of the half, Boyi would put her team up when in the 47th minute she was able to get to a bouncing ball forward and hit a beautiful volley over goalkeeper Diana Sánchez. In the 86th minute there was a bit of controversy as Paz collided with Paleta Gómez when Gómez went for a ball, but no penalty was called. In the 89th, Ojeda got her head onto a free kick but the ball only made it as far as the crossbar.

Toluca 0, Pachuca 2: A quick double from Pachuca ensured they left Toluca with all three points. Paola López was left unmarked in the box and headed in a corner kick in the fourth minute for her fourth goal of the season. In the 16th minute it was 16 year old Blanky Serrano who capitalized on a series of errors by the Toluca defense to hit an arcing shot that put the match away. Toluca only threatened in the second half, and goalkeeper Alejandría Godínez was up to the task, earning her fourth shutout of the season.

León 3, Club Atlético de San Luis 0: León gets a good solid win over San Luis, beating them 3-0 at the Nou Camp. Daniela Calderón put the hosts up for good in the eighth minute when she was able to get to a free kick rebound and hit a shot that went over the scrum and into the top of the net. Six minutes later Calderón would get a pass, split the defenders, and then hit a square ball out to a wide open Paulina Gómez who hit the ball in stride, beating Cintia Monreal to make it 2-0. In the 19th minute, Sanjuana Muñoz would convert a penalty to finish the scoring on the evening. Maria Martínez got her first shutout of the season in her first start.

Tigres UANL 3, Monarcas Morelia 1: A good win by Tigres but Morelia should be able to take some positives from the match. Both teams had decent chances throughout the first half, with both Tigres’ Ofelia Solís and Monarcas’ Diana García coming to the rescue on more than one occasion. Tigres would finally break through in the 36th minute when Stefany Mayor made a run, drew the defense in on her, and then passed it over to Katty Martínez who knocked it past García. Just before the half Jackie Ovalle hit a golazo, getting the ball inside of the box, cutting hard to her right, and hitting a blast with her right foot into the top of the net. Monarcas would get one back in the second half however when Lizette Rodríguez drove through the Tigres’ defense and beat Solís with a hard shot in the 48th minute. Morelia would fight and claw for an equalizer, but Mayor would seal things up in the 64th when she was played in on a brilliant ball and hit a shot that beat García to the far post. The goal was Mayor’s sixth goal in her last three games.

Tijuana 3, América 0: Another surprising result, although not necessarily a shock. Xolos Femenil are good, and when they have their entire team available to them they’re one of the more well put-together squads in the league. Renae Cuéllar put Tijuana on the board in the eighth minute with a golazo, hitting a looping shot that went up and over goalkeeper Jaidy Gutiérrez. Eight minutes later, Cuéllar got her second of the evening on a header off of a corner kick. Inglis Hernández rounded out the scoring on the evening in the 38th minute when she got her head onto a great cross from Veronica Pérez.

Next week:

Clubs have off the weekend of March 6 through March 9. Games resume on March 13.

Friday, March 13:

Querétaro (0W 3D 6L) vs. Monarcas Morelia (3W 1D 5L)

Saturday, March 14:

UNAM Pumas (3W 4D 1L) vs. Cruz Azul (4W 3D 2L)

Sunday, March 15:

Guadalajara (4W 3D 2L) vs. Toluca (2W 1D 6L)

Puebla (3W 2D 4L) vs. León (4W 1D 3L)

Monday, March 16:

Pachuca (5W 1D 3L) vs. Tijuana (4W 1D 4L)

América (5W 2D 2L) vs. Tigres UANL (7W 1D 0L)

Club Atlético de San Luis (2W 2D 5L) vs, Necaxa (2W 3D 4L)

Monterrey (5W 2D 1L) vs. Atlas (7W 1D 1L)

Santos Laguna (0W 2D 7L) vs. FC Juárez (1W 3D 5L)