Liga MX Femenil recap: 2023 Clausura, Week 2

A record-setting week in Liga MX Femenil, and perhaps not in a good way. Three games had a team score more than three goals, with Pachuca’s 10-2 mauling of Toluca and América’s 7-0 thrashing of Puebla serving as reminders that some teams are still head and shoulders further down the road of advancement than others. Still, at least in the case of Toluca, I don’t think it’s as much an indictment of them as it is a validation of Pachuca making a statement of their intent.

Still there were plenty of close games, and it’s especially encouraging seeing teams like Santos, Juárez, San Luis, and Querétaro win or keep themselves in games against good opponents.

Game of the Week

Monterrey 2, Santos Laguna 1: After a disappointing Apertura, it’d be easy to think that Santos’ success in the 2022 Clausura was nothing more than capturing lightning in a bottle. But they got a solid 2-0 win over San Luis (themselves a team who are becoming more fundamentally sound) and gave Rayadas all that they could handle. Santos pulled out to an early lead, taking advantage of a poor play by goalkeeper Claudia Lozoya. A goal by Diana Evangelista in first half stoppage equalized it, and while Rebeca Bernal’s rocket of a free kick in the 60th minute won it for Monterrey, Santos didn’t go down without a fight. They might be ready to make a return to the Liguilla with continued performances like this one.

To be fair to Monterrey, they did start a younger squad, opting to keep Alex Godínez, Christina Burkenroad, Silvana Flores, and Aylin Aviléz on the bench for most of the match in Flores and Aviléz’ cases and all of the match for Godínez and Burkenroad. But the lineup they put out was solid and Santos played them well. Rayadas fans could count themselves a bit lucky, and perhaps this early season scare will serve as motivation down the road.

---

Other scores:

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro 0, FC Juárez 1

UNAM Pumas 1, Tigres UANL 3

Atlético de San Luis 3, León 1

Club Tijuana 1, Cruz Azul 1

Necaxa 1, Guadalajara 4

Pachuca 10, Toluca 2

América 7, Puebla F.C. 0

Mazatlán FC 0, Atlas 2

---

Sub 18 results

Week 2

Necaxa 1, FC Juárez 0

Tigres UANL 2, Guadalajara 1

UNAM Pumas 1, Puebla F.C. 1

Pachuca 3, Querétaro 0

América 1, Toluca 0

Atlas 1, Santos Laguna 1

Atlético de San Luis 1, Mazatlán FC 1

Monterrey 0, León 0

Week 3 (all records are in W-D-L format, all times as listed):

Saturday, January 21

Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (0-0-2) vs. Necaxa (1-0-0) - 3:45 PM

Guadalajara (0-1-1) vs. Atlético de San Luis (0-2-0) - 3:45 PM

León (0-2-0) vs. Mazatlán FC (0-1-0) - 3:45 PM

Puebla F.C. (1-1-0) vs. Toluca (0-0-2) - 3:45 PM

Santos Laguna (0-2-0) vs. Monterrey (0-2-0) - 3:45 PM

Sunday, January 22

Cruz Azul (1-0-0) vs. América (2-0-0) - 11:00 AM

Club Tijuana (0-1-0) vs. Atlas (0-1-0) - 11:00 AM

FC Juárez (0-0-2) vs. UNAM Pumas (1-1-0) - 11:00 AM

---

Notes and other things

ViX is now doing a post-game version of “Ellas en ViX” that does highlights of Liga MX Femenil matches. They ran it after the end of the América-Puebla match, their latest of the night on Monday. It’s wild to think it was only a couple of seasons ago the only way to watch a lot of matches was pirate streams, and now there are pre- and post-game shows devoted to the league.

---

Maria Itzel wrote a good article around Licha Cervantes’ career arc, from her season at Atlas to breaking the 100 goal barrier with Chivas in Week 1.

---

Formiga and her partner Erica married on January 7. We wish the happy couple all the best in love and life.

---

Iceland international Sara Björk wrote a story for Players Tribune detailing how Olympique Lyonnais dealt with her pregnancy. It was not good, and with the case going to FIFA and the club being ordered to pay all of her back wages.

---

In better news regarding OL, Melchie Dumornay has signed with the club.

---

NPR did an article on the lack of diversity in women’s soccer in the United States, speaking with Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith among others about what was being done and what work still remains.

---

I had the opportunity to attend the 2023 NWSL Draft in Philadelphia, and it was a great time. I got to finally meet in person people I have talked with and collaborated with on projects as well as catch up with old friends. I highly recommend going to one if you can. It’s powerful to be in a large convention center room full of people celebrating women’s soccer.

Don’t ever let them tell you no one pays attention.

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

---

Game of Next Week

Juárez (2-0-0) hosts Pachuca (2-0-0) in what should be a firecracker of a match. Juárez has built a nice project in the Borderlands, and while it’s taken a couple of seasons to fully put it all together conventional wisdom has them breaking into the Liguilla for the first time in club history. Pachuca however has assembled a juggernaut that put up ten against a good Toluca side and looks like they’re poised to finally get their first star. These teams have combined to score a total of 19 goals and allowed two in the first two weeks, so it will be interesting to see those dynamics fully play themselves out.

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

Friday, January 20:

FC Juárez (2-0-0) vs. Pachuca (2-0-0) - 5:05 PM

Atlas (1-0-1) vs. Necaxa (0-0-2) - 7:06 PM

Saturday, January 21:

Cruz Azul (0-2-0) vs. Atlético de San Luis (1-0-1) - 12:00 PM

Sunday, January 22:

América (1-1-0) vs. Club Tijuana (1-1-0) - 5:00 PM

Monday, January 23:

Toluca (0-0-2) vs. Gallos Blancos de Querétaro (0-0-2) - 5:00 PM

León (1-0-1) vs. UNAM Pumas (0-0-2) - 5:05 PM

Monterrey (2-0-0) vs. Mazatlán FC (0-0-2)

Santos Laguna (1-0-1) vs. Guadalajara (2-0-0) - 9:06 PM

Tuesday, January 24:

Puebla F.C. (0-0-2) vs. Tigres UANL (2-0-0) - 3:45 PM