Match Recap: Atlético de San Luis 1-5 Tigres

Tigres went to Alfonso Lastras stadium on a mission: get another three points in order to keep closing the gap with Chivas.

As expected, Tigres started strong and in less than ten minutes, Uchenna Kanu already had two chances to score. Goalkeeper Nicole Buenfil came out big against the Nigerian in a 1v1 where she prevailed.

A water break was called minutes before the half-hour of the match, in which Tigres dominated possession. San Luis was disciplined defensively, letting the opponent move the ball and reach the final third, but without letting them shoot on frame. Nonetheless, the Amazonians didn’t give up and started to find opportunities to test the defense in different ways.

After 39 minutes of blocking shots flawlessly, Tigres found their path to scoring. It was Jacqui Ovalle who sent a cross from the left to the six-yard box. Kanu showed her strength and even though she was well marked, jumped higher and with a header beat Buenfil. The Nigerian is on fire, having scored 6 goals in 7 games.

San Luis’ coach Fernando Samayoa finished the first half complaining to the referees for a no-call foul he saw prior to the Tigres’ goal and then for a yellow card to Joana Robles for a soft foul on Stephany Mayor. Things got even more heated when Bianca Sierra also received a yellow card after the halftime whistle for something she said to a San Luis player on her way to the locker room.

Tigres came out in the second half looking to double the lead and they almost did at minute 50. It was a miracle the ball didn’t go in.

San Luis had only one look in the first half, with Joana Robles being the protagonist of it, but was unable to shoot thanks to the good goalkeeping of Ceci Santiago. Nonetheless, they were going to have another chance in the second half with a good combination between Robles and Bea Parra. The Spaniard didn’t lose any time and shot right away to get the equalizer.

It was Parra’s fifth goal of the season and the no.13 in the league.

The Amazonians answered right away with a ball that hit the crossbar one minute later.

Bad news for San Luis came at the 58th minute when Daniela Carrandi couldn’t continue in the match and was replaced by Ortega.

The visitors had a free kick at minute 60, when a well-placed shot made Buenfil come out big again and made what was, probably, the save of the match.

Tigres was pushing for another goal and they got rewarded via Jacqueline Ovalle, who went on a solo mission. Despite being heavily marked, she found the opportunity to shoot and beat the goalkeeper.

But Tigres was on a mission and only four minutes later, Anika Rodríguez put things 3-1 after Buenfil couldn’t contain the ball following a powerful shot. The goalscorer found the ball right outside the box, shot on frame, and extended the lead.

After some substitutions from both teams, San Luis tried to close the gap in the score. But since Tigres was well organized in defense and wasn’t letting the opponent step one foot in their box, Parra shot from a distance and forced Santiago to make a save. The Spaniard had two more great chances but Santiago did well in both.

Mia Fishel, who was pretty quiet during the entire match, finished on a high note with a screamer after the 90th minute. Not happy having scored four goals, Stephany Mayor went on a 1v1 with Buenfil, won that duel, and scored the fifth goal of the match.

And with that, Tigres took another three points on the road. It was the ninth victory for them with coach Carmelina Moscato at the helm.

After the final whistle, the game finished on the field but not outside of it. Coach Samayoa was furious with the referees, alleging that goalkeeper Ofelia Solís was mocking her players. Regarding this, Tigres’ coach Carmelina Moscato assured the press that she was going to investigate the situation with her staff while coach Samayoa said he wasn’t going to stay put with the opponent mocking his players.

It’s not the first time Tigres players get involved in situations like this, which can give a lot of thought about the “Felinas” fair play.