Liga MX Femenil recap: 2021 Clausura, Week 9

This might go down as “the week that ruined the quinelas” with so many shock results. Even so, there were some really good games and at the end of the week Mazatlán FC dropped the following bombshell:

Fans in the stands for the first time in Mazatlán for a Liga MX Femenil game. The first time fans are being allowed to watch a game in 2021. And while the debate on whether or not this should go on is a valid one, Mazatlán should be credited for putting their femenil team on the same footing as their varonil team.

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0, Pachuca 3: Pachuca continues to impress, winning their third out of their last four as they beat Querétaro 3-0. Viridiana Salazar is starting to heat up for Pachuca, scoring her fifth goal of the season in the 38th minute when she was played in on a good ball from Lizbeth Ángeles. Two minutes later Salazar would play a nice ball forward for Mónica Ocampo, who got a touch on the ball to chip it over goalkeeper Diana García for her third goal in seven appearances. Then in the 81st it was Sofia Álvarez with an autogol to seal the win for Pachuca.

Necaxa 3, Puebla F.C. 2: A bit of a barn-burner in Aguascalientes as Necaxa beats Puebla 3-2. Sabina Velázquez got the scoring started in the first minute when she headed a corner kick off of the underside of the bar and in. Then in the tenth minute Necaxa doubled their lead when Luipta Fernández hit a shot from distance that goalkeeper Siena Ruelas got a hand on but couldn’t stop. Puebla got one back in the 37th when Lupita Worbis and Mariana Ramos played a give-and-go that resulted in Ramos getting a shot on goalkeeper Lupita Olvera. Olvera made the save but Worbis continued her run and knocked the rebound into the back of the net. María Acosta made it 3-1 in the 78th minute when she was left unmarked in the box and tapped home a great square ball. Lupita Worbis got her second of the game in stoppage when she converted a penalty, but it was too little too late and Necaxa got their first win of the season.

Atlas 0, Cruz Azul 1: A surprise result if there was one as Cruz Azul holds Atlas scoreless to beat them 1-0 at Colomos. Natalia Enciso’s goal in the 41st was the difference, as both Karla Morales and Ana Gaby Paz put on a goalkeeping clinic. Keeping Atlas scoreless and handing them their first defeat of the season should provide Cruz Azul quite a boost as they’re currently on the outside of the Liguilla picture looking in.

UNAM Pumas 0, Tigres UANL 4: Another shocking result as Tigres brushes Pumas aside. Blanca Solís got things started for Tigres with a wonderful little flick to herself to set up a volley she smashed into the back of the net in the fourth minute. Then in the 13th it was Belén Cruz headed in a corner kick to double the lead. Stephany Mayor got her sixth of the season in the 20th minute by slipping past a defender and hitting an angled shot in the box. María Sánchez rounded out the scoring in the 70th with a left-footed blast. And just like that, Tigres is back atop the leaderboard while Pumas slips to fourth.

Club Atlético de San Luis 1, América 0: San Luis pulls out an upset, downing América 1-0. Stefani Jiménez put on a show in goal, stopping shots from the kickoff literally to the final whistle to get her third shutout of the year. Isabel Kasis got the game’s only goal in the 41st minute when she hit a shot that Natalia Acuña stopped, but gave up a rebound that Kasis’ was able to knock in.

Toluca 0, FC Juárez 0: Juárez is now unbeaten in their last three games as they play Toluca to a 0-0 draw. Juárez goalkeeper Gabriela Herrera put in a great shift, making four saves on the afternoon. There was a bit of controversy as in the 83rd minute when Gabriela Álvarez made a sliding tackle on Yuliana Mora right on the edge of the box. Referee Lizzet García showed Álvarez a yellow card but ruled the infraction had happened outside of the box. It was close, but it looked like on review that García had gotten the call right. Juárez would hang on to draw Toluca, who are now winless in their last four.

Monterrey 2, Santos Laguna 2: A tale of two halves as by the end of the first it looked like Rayadas had the match wrapped up. Deisrée Monsiváis scored in the 18th minute on a defensive error from Santos’ Daniela Delgado, and Yamile Franco scored in the 44th on a defensive error from Nancy Quiñones. It would have been very easy for Santos to pack it in, but instead they fought back in the second half. In the 57th minute Estela “Paleta” Gómez got a great ball forward and then went in on goal. At the last second she played a brilliant pass across for an open Alexxandra Ramírez for her third goal of the season. Ramírez then tied the game in the 82nd minute when she got onto a great ball from Andrea Hurtado and beat Alex Godínez to salvage a point.

León 1, Mazatlán FC 2: Mazatlán are making their case for a Liguilla spot, picking up a win on the road against León. Magie Cortés put Mazatlán on the board in the 27th when she got onto a cross from the far side of the box, hitting it into goalkeeper Angeles Martínez. Martínez couldn’t hold on to the shot however, and Cortés was able to walk it into the net. Meli Ramos picked up her fourth goal of the season in the 35th minute when she was the recipient of a fantastic through ball, getting on to the bouncing pass and shooting past Martínez. Claudia Cid pulled one back for the home side in the 85th when she was able to get to a free kick, but that was all that León could muster on the evening as they lost their third game in a row.

Club Tijuana 2, Guadalajara 1: A fairly even match that Xolos Femenil was able to pick up three valuable points and insert themselves in Liguilla conversations. Just when it looked like the match would go into the half scoreless, Renae Cuéllar was able to get to a loose ball off of a corner kick and put it into the back of the net in the 44th minute. On the other side of the break, Licha Cervantes made a run down the left side of the box and hit a pass in toward some onrushing attackers, but Tijuana defender Karen Hernández Pérez hit the ball into her own net. Then in the 56th minute Rosa Aguiar hit a fantastic volley past Blanca Félix for the game winner.

Next week (all records are in W-D-L format):

Thursday, March 10:

Puebla F.C. (0-3-6) vs. Club Atlético de San Luis (2-2-5) - TVC Deportes (Mexico) - 12:00 PM Central

Cruz Azul (3-4-2) vs. Pachuca (4-2-3) - TUDN (Mexico) - 3:45 PM Central

Tigres UANL (7-1-1) vs. Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (3-1-5) - TUDN (Mexico) - 7:00 PM Central

Friday, March 11:

Santos Laguna (1-3-5) vs. UNAM Pumas (6-1-2) - 4:00 PM Central

León (2-2-5) vs. Monterrey (5-1-3) - FOX Sports (Mexico) - 7:00 PM Central

FC Juárez (1-3-5) vs. Atlas (6-2-1) - TUDN (Mexico) - 7:00 PM Central

Mazatlán FC (3-3-3) vs. Necaxa (1-2-6) - TVP (Mexico) - 8:00 PM Central

Guadalajara (6-1-2) vs. Toluca (4-3-2) - FOX Sports (Mexico), Telemundo Deportes App (United States) - 9:00 PM Central

Saturday, March 12:

América (4-3-2) vs. Club Tijuana (3-3-3) - TUDN (United States and Mexico) - 12:00 PM Central