Liga MX Femenil recap: 2021 Apertura, Week 11

Liga MX Femenil soldiered on last week, and there were several good games and a few shocking results. Pumas downing Chivas to start the week set the tone, while Atlas and Santos both had to come back to get wins.

UNAM Pumas 1, Guadalajara 0: Pumas are now unbeaten in their past six games including winning all three during that stretch at Estadio Olímpico Universitario as they down Chivas 1-0. Luz Duarte’s second goal of the season, a header in the 84th minute that evaded a jumping defender and the outstretched hand of Celeste Espino, was the difference between the two teams. Chivas meanwhile has now lost two of their last three after winning six in a row.

Pachuca 1, Toluca 1: Both teams needed a win to keep them within striking distance of a Liguilla spot, and neither got what they needed. Karen Becerril’s goal in the seventh put Toluca up, and Viridiana Salazar’s fifth of the season equalized it in the 13th minute,

Puebla F.C. 0, Tigres UANL 3: Puebla hung in there for a good portion of the match, but Tigres eventually broke them down and put up three in the final half an hour. María Sánchez broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute by beating the defender to the ball and hitting a well-placed shot to beat Brissa Rangel. Ten minutes later it was Stephany Mayor’s ninth of the season doubling the lead by getting to an absolutely ridiculous pass from Sánchez and knocking it in past Rangel. Then Maria Sainz had an autogol in the 88th, deflecting a pass from Mayor meant for Katty Martínez past Rangel. Tigres remain perfect on the season, while Puebla sees their slim Liguilla hopes dim even further.

Club Atlético de San Luis 1, Mazatlán FC 1: Mazatlán get their second point in a row, drawing San Luis 1-1. Las Cañoneras got on the board first when Alejandra Escobedo’s header off of a corner kick found the beck of the net in the 14th minute. In the 27th minute however San Luis equalized when Alma Verania López headed a ball into her own net, however it looked like Brenda García ran into goalkeeper Nikol Ramos, impeding her from reaching the ball. Nevertheless the goal stood and each team left with a point.

Necaxa 2, Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0: Necaxa has really come into their own this season, getting ten points out of a possible twelve in their last four games after downing Querétaro 2-0. Querétaro had chances early but it was Flor Rodríguez who put Necaxa up in the 42nd minute on a breakaway with a perfectly placed shot from the top of the box. Andrea Martínez added an insurance goal in the 80th off of a corner kick and Lupita Olvera and the defense picked up their fifth clean sheet of the season as Las Centellas remain out of Liguilla by goal differential.

América 2, Cruz Azul 1: A somewhat boring first half lead to some fireworks in the second as América get past Cruz Azul with a 2-1 win. Dani Espinosa put América up in the 55th with a shot at full speed that clattered off of the far post and in. Diana Monroy hit the crossbar off of a free kick in the 73rd minute, and then a minute later it was Kiana Palacios at the other end hitting the post. Cruz Azul drew level in the 81st when Ana Huerta was left all alone far post on a corner kick and knocked the rebound in. But the prospects of a draw were short lived. A minute after Huerta levelled it Espinosa picked up a second goal, heading in a corner kick to seal the three points for the home team.

Monterrey 3, León 1: An early goal by the visitors off of a mistake wasn’t enough to keep Rayadas down, coming back to beat León 3-1. In the 20th minute Rebeca Bernal and Alex Godínez got their signals crossed, with Godínez picking up a ball back from Bernal to concede an indirect free kick in the box. On the ensuing kick by Marta Cox, the ball ricocheted off of Mariana Cadena and in to give León the lead. Aylín Aviléz put things level in the 36th, picking off a poor back pass and gunning it past Angeles Martínez. Bernal made up for the mistake in the 56th with a header off of a corner kick to give Rayadas the lead. Ten minutes later with a multi-story tifo in her honor as the backdrop, Desirée Monsiváis hit a swerving free kick for the third goal of the evening. Monsiváis almost had a second in the 71st but for a great save from Martínez. Rayadas remain four points behind Tigres, who they’ll face in the Clásico Regio next week.

Club Tijuana 1, Atlas 2: A good first half by Tijuana wasn’t enough as Atlas came back to get three huge points and leapfrog Xolos Femenil in the standings. Angelina Hix had a solid first half, creating several good chances before finally getting a short range shot off of a corner kick to go in the 25th minute. In the second half however it was Atlas creating the chances. They got a big break in the 48th when Tijuana couldn’t clear out a corner kick and Alison González hit a shot into the air. Hix jumped into the air, blocking the shot first with her torso before the ball struck her arm. A penalty was awarded, and Veronica Pérez converted it to tie the score in the 49th. Both teams had a couple of decent chances as the match went on, but it was González in the right place at the right time to knock home a loose ball off of a corner in the 92nd minute to get the win.

FC Juárez 1, Santos Laguna 2: Santos’ unbeaten streak reaches 10 and the club tied their highest ever point total (24) with a win over Juárez at the Borderland. Juárez scored first in the 54th when ex-Guerrera Perla Navarrete hit a shot from distance that took a hop past Nicole Buenfil. Lucy Lara tied the match in the 63rd with an audacious back-to-the-goal shot off of a corner. Mariela Jiménez got the game winning goal in the 80th, capitalizing on a defensive error to tip it in past Diana García.

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Sub 17 results

Guadalajara 1, León 2

Atlas 3, Club Atlético de San Luis 1

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Notes and other things

It’s been one hell of a week in women’s soccer, and first and foremost I hope those of you who have been following any/all of it have taken some time to care for yourself. It’s been a traumatic week for all involved. It’s ok to not be ok, and it’s definitely ok to not fully understand what to feel and how to feel.

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to editorialize on anything that’s happened, because the last thing anyone needs right now is another mediocre white dude (me) spouting opinions and cluttering up the space that should be reserved for those who have suffered harm. However if I’m not using my voice, I’m contributing to the silence that has helped allow the current condition to fester and grow.

I will offer this brief reflection while redoubling my efforts to amplify others voices: This isn’t a problem within one team, one league, one country, or one federation. These are systemic issues globally within women’s soccer that we are only beginning to uncover. Unfortunately, there will be more. It will most likely get much, much worse before it gets better.

We need to listen to the people who have been speaking out about these things. Not just current and former players, but journalists and fans regardless of where they are. We have to stop moving past stories of abuse because they’re not concerning white players or Americans.

I sincerely hope that all of these incidents past, present, and future are given the attention that has been given to the situation surrounding Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim. All too often only the most lurid headlines get any traction. That attention is fleeting, lasting only until the next lurid scandal is uncovered and the original victims are quickly forgotten. We have seen that cycle play out so often, and the victims deserve so much better.

So please don’t forget about Kaiya McCullough. Don’t forget about Sinead Farrelly, or Mana Shim, or the Afghanistan National Team, or Lisa de Vanna, or the victims of Yves Jean-Bart, or the victims of Kenneth Zseremeta, or any other victims of racism, sexual assault/coercion, homophobia, and all of the other abuses perpetrated by vile people.

All of them deserve better from all of us.

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Shea Butter FC is one of the few podcasts I listen to regularly, and their last episode is simply a must. Hosts Sylvia and Skye gave honest, raw, emotional reactions to the news. It touches on the Farrelly/Shim incidents, framing it in the context of the underlying racism and homophobia that is endemic in the NWSL.

Listen to it.

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Uruguay’s Clásico Nacional between Peñarol and Nacional is the oldest rivalry in the Western Hemisphere, and the femenino teams faced off this past week, ending in a 2-2 draw.

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Noemí Guadalupe Villalobos of Atlas scored the first ever goal in the U17 Femenil tournament this past weekend.

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Finally, a young América fan had a homemade sign for Jocelyn Orejel at the Clásico Joven. It went somewhat viral, attracting the attention of Orejel, who now wants to meet this fan and give her shirt to her.

If you have something that should be included in this segment, please reach out to me via twitter or email me at golazodelgringo@gmail.com

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Next week (all records are in W-D-L format, all times as listed):

Friday, October 8:

Mazatlán FC (0-3-8) vs. Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (2-4-5) - 8:00 PM - TVP (Mexico)

Saturday, October 9:

UNAM Pumas U17 (0-0-0) vs. América U17 (0-0-0) - 10:00 AM

Atlas (5-3-3) vs. Necaxa (4-2-5) - 12:00 PM - TVC Deportes (Mexico)

Cruz Azul (4-2-5) vs. León (2-3-6) - 12:00 PM - TUDN (Mexico)

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro U17 (0-0-0) vs. Pachuca U17 (0-0-0) - 3:45 PM

Santos Laguna U17 (0-0-0) vs. Tigres UANL U17 (0-0-0) - 3:45 PM

Atlas U17 (1-0-0) vs. Club Tijuana U17 (0-0-0) - 3:45 PM

Toluca (2-3-6) vs. Santos Laguna (7-3-1) - 4:00 PM - TUDN (Mexico)

Tigres UANL (11-0-0) vs. Monterrey (9-2-0) - 7:30 PM - TUDN (Mexico)

Sunday, October 10:

Mazatlán FC U17 (0-0-0) vs. Necaxa U17 (0-0-0) - 10:00 AM

Club Atlético de San Luis U17 (0-0-1) vs. Guadalajara U17 (0-0-1) - 11:00 AM

Club Atlético de San Luis (1-4-6) vs. FC Juárez (1-2-8) - 5:00 PM - ESPN (Mexico)

Monday, October 11:

Pachuca (2-4-5) vs. UNAM Pumas (3-5-3) - 7:00 PM FOX Sports (Mexico)

Guadalajara (8-1-2) vs. América (7-3-1) - 9:00 PM - FOX Sports (Mexico), NBC UNIVERSO (United States), Telemundo Deportes (Streaming)

Club Tijuana (4-3-4) vs. Puebla F.C. (3-1-7) - 9:00 PM - ESPN+ (Streaming)