Liga MX Femenil, Week 13: Monterrey loses top spot

equalizersoccer.com

20 April 2023

Liga MX Femenil, Week 13: Monterrey loses top spot

C.F. Monterrey, for the first time this current Liga MX Femenil season, is not in the top spot on the table. Rayadas is on a tough stretch, drawing three times and losing once in the last four games. Monterrey’s last win took place on March 13 against Pachuca.

Their first loss of the season came against a Toluca side that is pushing for a playoff spot — and currently sits in ninth place, breathing down Atlas’ neck for the final Liguilla slot.

Monterrey went on the road to Toluca and were blanked in Week 13, with Toluca earning the 2-0 win. Mariel Román found the opening goal in the 32nd minute, thanks to a nearly wide-open shot at the top corner of the penalty area. However, it was Toluca’s second goal that put Monterrey on their skates — primarily due to the work of Diana Guatemala, who entered the match in the 62nd minute.

The defending on the goal above is tough to watch, especially from a side like Monterrey that commanded the first place spot. However, in recent weeks, Monterrey hasn’t had problems with their scoring — except in this game — but has looked shaky on defense.

Monterrey primarily plays a 4-4-2 formation, with Rebeca Bernal, Alejandra Calderón, Mariana Cadena and Lizette Rodríguez on defense.

Rodríguez and Calderón are 36 and 32, respectively. It might be time for Rayadas to test out some younger defenders. In Week 12, the team punched their ticket to the Liguilla — although where they finish on the table is still up for grabs. If there was any time to test out new players, it’s now. Valeria Del Campo, a Costa Rican international defender, sits on the bench. Samantha Simental is another defender who shows promise. Both players entered the Toluca match.

C.F. Monterrey manager Eva Espejo has a lot of thinking to do before her side takes on Club Tijuana in Week 14 — and should consider a tactical change or two.

Highlight: Pachuca 5, Necaxa 1

Talk about consistency! Pachuca has been red-hot in the last four games, winning three of the contests. Tuzos isn’t just jumping up on the table either. Charlyn Corral and Jenni Hermoso, the engines of their offense, have taken a big lead in the Golden Boot race.

Corral leads the Golden Boot chart with 16 goals, while Hermoso follows behind with 15 goals. There’s no one close to them, too. Christina Burkenroad, Kiana Palacios and American forward Mia Fishel sit tied in third place with 10 goals apiece.

Corral, you guessed it, scored another hat-trick in Pachuca’s 5-1 victory over Necaxa. Corral has scored a whopping four hat-tricks this year (against Tijuana, Santos Laguna, Toluca and now Necaxa). While it wasn’t a clean sheet — Saira López scored in the 12th minute for the visiting Necaxa — Hermoso’s brace also showed Tuzos fans plenty to be confident about.

The Mexican international Corral has a history of not wasting any time to score. It doesn’t get much better than this goal, though, at an extremely tough angle and just 1:20 seconds into the game.

Corral also scored in the 38th and 47th minutes, while Hermoso scored in the 36th and 85th minutes. There is few offensive input from other players on Pachuca. These two veteran stars are the engines that keep Tuzos running.

A handful of other players have one or two goals on the season, but if Pachuca wants to win a title, they’re going to rely on their star players. It’s just up to opposing defenses to find a solution for Corral and Hermoso.

Pachuca will go on the road to face Atlas on Sunday, April 23.

Highlight: Santos Laguna 3, FC Juárez 2

Is FC Juárez Femenil’s luck running out? Just like C.F. Monterrey, the underdogs of the Clausura have been struggling the last few weeks. In their last five games, Juárez has compiled one win, two losses and two draws. Now, the team has slipped down to seventh place with 21 points — and there are some teams looking to take their spot.

Their competition from Week 13 doesn’t have much of a shot, but Santos Laguna will take the three points. Cinthya Peraza scored a brace in Santos’ win, while Sofía Varela added a goal. In fact, Peraza and Varela scored in the 26th and 27th minutes, respectively.

Peraza picked up the rebound — well, the second rebound — of a chance in the box from Varela and struck past goalkeeper Stefani Jiménez. Varela snuck her chance underneath Jiménez while the broadcast still showed the replay of the first goal.

Juárez didn’t go down without a fight, though. Blanca Solís was responsible for the two goals for the visitors. As the teams went into the locker room at halftime with Santos leading 2-0, Solís came out swinging in the second half. Her first goal, in the 52nd minute, was off a header on a breakaway play, while her equalizer in the 59th minute came off a tap-in at the far post on a free kick.

However, the game-winning goal belonged to Peraza. The 29-year-old from Mazatlán, Mexico, picked up the loose ball in the box — while Varela did enough to distract the Juárez defender in front of her — and put it to the right of a diving Jiménez.

FC Juárez’ road to the playoffs isn’t going to be easy, especially with Week 14’s contest against a confident Toluca and a Week 15 tilt with UNAM Pumas, another side that has a slim hope of making the Liguilla.

Other Clausura Week 12 Scores

*A quick note, another team has qualified for the Liguilla: the current top-spot holder Chivas de Guadalajara. Chivas won against Club León this week, 3-0, with goals from Gaby Valenzuela, Caro Jaramillo and Alicia Cervantes.

Querétaro 1-0 Atlético San Luis
UNAM Pumas 1-1 Club América
Puebla 2-0 Cruz Azul
Club Tijuana 1-1 Atlas
Chivas de Guadalajara 3-0 Club León
UANL Tigres 5-0 Mazatlán

Liga MX Femenil Clausura 2023 Table | Week 13

Readers of The Equalizer can now save 50% on their subscription to our partner publication, The IX. Delivered six days a week, The IX will help you catch up on the latest headlines in women’s soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics.

Looking Ahead: Clausura 2023 | Week 14 & Week 15

*All Times in Eastern Time.All matches on ViX streaming for free.

**Please note, we will not have Week 14 coverage of Liga MX Femenil on the site next week, due to me being on vacation. I am the only Liga MX Femenil writer on staff, so we will have a Week 15 update, with tidbits from Week 14, the first week of May! Thank you for understanding!