Liga MX Femenil recap: 2020 Apertura, Week 7

With América drawing Atlas 0-0, only Rayadas are still perfect after seven. The gulf between the top four (Rayadas, América, Tigres, and Chivas) and number five Atlas is rather large, with Atlas five points behind América, Tigres, and Chivas and seven behind Monterrey. Atlas’ goal differential (a respectable +7) also trails Tigres and Chivas by 10 and Rayadas by 13. Atlas is still a team to be feared, but the top four have just been on another level to start the Apertura.

UNAM Pumas 1, Guadalajara 2: A match that lived up to its billing as two of the best teams in the league faced off on tv in the United States and Mexico. Chivas got off to the early lead when Alicia “Licha” Cervantes got a running kick at a corner kick by Nicole Pérez, knocking it in past Melany Villeda. Chivas almost had a second after a crazy sequence when a chileño attempt went into the box, the flick on hit the bar, and then a shot from distance is saved and the rebound is knocked in by Licha but she was played in an offside position. Pumas equalized in the 41st when Dani García headed a ball in from the right wing that Blanca Félix swatted, but it went straight to Edna Santamaría who finished the chance. Pumas had an opportunity to add another before the half but Félix came off of her line and made herself big to stop the Anisa Guajardo shot. The tide turned toward Chivas after the half, and it would pay off when Gabriela Álvarez brought down Carolina Jaramillo in the box. Nicole Pérez nailed the penalty. Pumas had a couple of chances late including a shot in the 94th minute that beat Pérez but was ruled offside. Ultimately however Chivas would hold on to get their sixth win in seven tries.

Cruz Azul 0, Necaxa 2: Necaxa gets their first win since February 2 as they beat Cruz Azul 2-0 in Jasso. A fairly even and dull first half opened up in the second when Cruz Azul goalkeeper Karla Morales made a rare mistake, clearing the ball right into the legs of Estefany Hernández. “Fan” settled the ball and shot hard, and while Morales was in position the ball hit off of her leg and went in. Cruz Azul didn’t look quite like they knew what happened, and were a bit disorganized after the goal. In the 73rd, Necaxa hit Cruz Azul on a fantastic counterattack, playing Dulce Alvarado onside past the defense and in on Morales. Alvarado’s shot was true and Necaxa had the 2-0 win.

Atlas 0, América 0: A hard fought game between two very tough teams. Both goalkeepers put on a show, with both Ana Gaby Paz and Jaidy Gutiérrez keeping clean sheets for Atlas and América respectively. Atlas hit the post twice, and América’s defense bailed Gutiérrez out on more than one occasion. This was Atlas’ third shutout of the season while only América’s second.

Toluca 2, Tijuana 1: Toluca struck first when in the 41st minute Yadira Toraya headed a ball in an attempt to clear it but instead put it past her own goalkeeper, her second autogol in as many weeks. The lead wouldn’t last however as Renae Cuellar came down field and hit a swerving goal from just outside of the box before halftime to draw the sides level. After the break, Tijuana had a few good chances, with Toraya smashing a free kick off of the crossbar in the 66th. But Toluca pulled it out in the 92nd minute when a wide open Natalia Mauleon hit a shot that beat goalkeeper Itzel González and secured all three points for the home side. Toluca however parted ways with manager Agustín Contreras on Tuesday.

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 1, Tigres UANL 3: Another win for Tigres, keeping themselves just two points behind superlíder Monterrey. Alondra Camargo put Querétaro on the board first when she got to a bouncing ball off of a corner kick and hit one in through traffic. The lead was relatively short lived however as Tigres equalized in the 34th minute when Bianca Sierra was positioned perfectly to knock in a loose ball off of a corner kick for her first Liga MX Femenil goal. After the break Belén Cruz gave Tigres the lead when she hit a shot from the top of the box on a set play off of a corner kick in the 55th. Katty Martínez converted a penalty in the 66th to add an insurance goal and keep pace with Licha Cervantes for the goalscoring race. While Tigres finds themselves in second place behind Rayadas, they have now conceded exactly one goal in every game to their opponents in their last ten, going back to February.

Pachuca 3, Puebla F.C. 1: Pachuca have slumped recently but get three crucial points as they down Puebla 3-1. Karla Jiménez got the scoring started when she hit a left footed blast off of a perfect pass from Viridiana Salazar in the 34th minute. Then in the 57th Paola Monroy took advantage of a mistake by Brissa Rangel to knock in her first goal of the season. Monroy would lose a key one-on-one battle ten minutes later against Andrea Ortega as Ortega got her first of the season to draw Puebla within one. But with time running out Fátima Arellano hit a perfect cross from the right wing in to Lizbeth Ángeles, and her header ensured Pachuca took home all three points on the day.

Monterrey 6, Mazatlán FC 0: By far the most lopsided match of the week as the reigning champs handle business against Mazatlán. Christina Burkenroad continues to score goals, netting her seventh in as many games when she converted a corner kick with a well-placed shot through traffic in the 29th. After the break is when Rayadas really opened things up however. In the 47th, Rebeca Bernal converted a penalty to make it 2-0. Diana García made it 3-0 on a shot from distance in the 52nd. Dinora Garza scored from almost the same spot as Bernal in the 74th on a rocket into the top of the net. Yamile Franco hit a shot from the top of the box on the left side in the 86th minute, and Desirée Monsiváis rounded things out as the clock struck 90 when she drew goalkeeper Mariana Zárraga way out of the area and hit a shot into the empty net.

Santos Laguna 1, León 1: A heartbreaker for Santos, who lead for almost the entire game. Estela “Paleta” Gómez got her second goal of the season in the 15th minute when she played a perfect give-and-go with Cinthya Peraza. Santos held on, but in shades of their last match against León conceded a goal in stoppage time on a set piece. Last season it was Liliana Sánchez knocking in one off of a corner kick in the 91st to win it, this season it was Joselyn De La Rosa in the 97th knocking in a corner kick to tie it.

Club Atlético de San Luis 2, FC Juárez 3: A wild one in San Luis Potosí as Juárez wind up on top by a 3-2 score line. Atzimba Casas put Juárez up in the 24th when she got a ball from deep, managing to stay onside and then beat goalkeeper Heidi González to the far post. Paola Alemán drew the home side level in the 31st when she hit a shot from about 12 yards out past Stefani Jiménez. The teams stayed level until the 63rd when Carmen González got on the end of a beautiful ball from deep by Cindy Caro, smashing a volley into the back of the net. Then in the 79th Casas fought her way through the Atleti defense and hit a shot that beat González for her second goal of the night. Karen Vázquez drew San Luis within one in the 82nd when she tucked one in on the near post past Jiménez, but it wasn’t enough as Juárez hung on for their second win of the season.

Next week:

Thursday, September 24:

Club Atlético de San Luis (2W 0D 5L) vs. Cruz Azul (1W 2D 4L)

Friday, September 25:

Necaxa (1W 0D 6L) vs. Monterrey (7W 0D 0L)

Saturday, September 26:

América (6W 1D 0L) vs. Mazatlán FC (2W 0D 5L) - 12:25 PM Eastern / 9:25 AM Pacific (TUDN, TUDN USA Facebook)

Sunday, September 27:

Tigres UANL (6W 1D 0L) vs. UNAM Pumas (4W 1D 2L) - 10:25 AM Eastern / 7:25 AM Pacific (TUDN)

Puebla F.C. (2W 1D 4L) vs. Santos Laguna (1W 2D 4L)

Monday, September 28:

Guadalajara (6W 1D 0L) vs. Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (2W 2D 3L) - 6:00 PM Eastern / 3:00 PM Pacific (Telemundo Deportes App)

FC Juárez (2W 1D 4L) vs. Toluca (2W 1D 4L)

León (2W 2D 3L) vs. Atlas (4W 2D 1L)

Club Tijuana (0W 0D 7L) vs. Pachuca (4W 1D 2L)