Liga MX Femenil 2021 Guard1anes Final match recap: Tigres UANL defeats Guadalajara 7-4 on aggregate

Tigres put a convincing stamp on a dominant season, winning the final leg of their series against Chivas 5-3 and taking the series 7-4 on aggregate. Stephany Mayor and Jackie Ovalle each had two goals in the win as Tigres picked up their fourth Liga MX Femenil title in front of a raucous crowd at El Volcán.

Tigres was on the offensive from the initial whistle, winning a corner kick before the first minute of play had elapsed. In the third they had a free kick deep after Miriam García handled the ball just outside of the area, but the kick went straight into the knee of Licha Cervantes. In the sixth minute Tigres broke through when Stephany Mayor played a ball over her head to Belen Cruz. Cruz’ shot was headed off of the line by a defender but went back to her. She chested it down and played it back to Stephany Mayor, whose shot was headed down but right to Jackie Ovalle, who finally put the ball into the back of the net.

Ovalle added another moments later when Belén Cruz played a great through ball and Ovalle was left wide open with acres of space to shoot at.

Then minutes later it was Stephany Mayor’s turn. Mayor made a couple of good moves in deep and shot past Blanca Félix to make it three unanswered goals for the hosts before the first 15 minutes had elapsed.

The game started slowing down some after the third goal, but Tigres was still the aggressor for the majority of the next ten minutes. Bianca Sierra hit the crossbar on a free kick in the 25th minute, narrowly missing out on adding another goal for the hosts. Tigres had another opportunity in the 32nd minute after a giveaway deep, but a good defensive play by Chivas led to the ball being scrambled away and out of danger.

Tigres countered in the 38th and Ovalle was looking for her hat-trick, but good defense from Jaqueline Rodríguez forced her to take a poor shot that sailed well high and wide of the goal. Chivas pulled one back however in the 40th minute when Miriam García was played in on a free kick, knocking on a header that evaded the diving Ofelia Solís and went into the back of the net to draw Chivas within two on aggregate.

Then a minute into stoppage time Chivas got another free kick and while this one was stopped and cleared, it went only as far as Joseline Montoya and she hit a long distance rainbow of a shot that almost beat Ofelia Solís. Solís however did well to read the shot and make a jumping grab to thwart the opportunity and preserve the lead going into the half.

Chore Mejía made some substitutions to start the second half, and switching out Michelle González for Kinberly Guzmán and Victoria Acevedo for Isabella Gutiérrez changed the tone of the match. Chivas was able to hold possession and create some opportunities, and it paid off in the 57th minute when Caro Jaramillo was played forward and hit a fantastic volley up and over Solís to draw Chivas within two on aggregate.

Tigres came right back though. In the 64th minute, Stephany Mayor ripped a shot from the top of the box that went just wide of the net. In the 68th, Stephany Mayor made a lungbusting run down the right side that was played perfectly by the Chivas defender, who ran step-for-step with Mayor and executed a perfect sliding tackle in the box to dislodge the ball and concede only a corner kick.

Chivas kept pressuring, throwing more and more forward in desperate attempts to claw another goal back. Tigres wasn’t done though, and in the 89th minute Blanca Solís stuck the dagger into the heart of the opposition with a header off of the free kick.

Then a minute later Stephany Mayor made a run down the left and hit a shot that went between the legs of Blanca Félix to add an exclamation point on the victory for Tigres.

It wasn’t quite over, as Chivas drew one back on the absolute last play of the game when Gabriela Valenzuela hit a close range shot.

Tigres has been the best of the best in Liga MX Femenil, and they cemented their status as a dynasty with their fourth win out of seven tournaments where a trophy was awarded.

Tigres UANL: Ofelia Solís; Natalia Villarreal, Bianca Sierra, Greta Espinoza, Cristina Ferral; María Sánchez (Nayeli Rangel, 64’), Nancy Antonio (Katty Martínez, 82’), Liliana Mercado, Jackie Ovalle (Karen Luna, 81’); Stephany Mayor, Belén Cruz (Blanca Solís, 66’)

Guadalajara: Blanca Félix; Damaris Godínez (Lía Romero, 79’), Michelle González (Kinberly Guzmán, 46’), Miriam García (Gabriela Valenzuela, 54’), Jaqueline Rodríguez; Miriam Castillo, Victoria Acevedo (Isabella Gutiérrez, 46’); Anette Vázquez, Carolina Jaramillo, Joseline Montoya; Licha Cervantes

Scoring: Tigres UANL - Jackie Ovalle (7’, 12’), Stephany Mayor (13’, 90’), Blanca Solís (89’); Guadalajara - Miriam García (40’), Carolina Jaramillo (57’), Gabriela Valenzuela (90+3’)

Disciplinary: Tigres UANL - None; Guadalajara - Michelle González (Yellow - 24’), Miriam García (Yellow - 75’)