MIAMI – Things are getting tight for the teams in the women’s professional leagues across Concacaf, as the weeks advance, and teams start jockeying for the top spots in the table.
Weeks go by and the Liga MX Femenil teams keep surprising everyone, leaving everything on the field in every game.
Atlas clinched their first win after two weeks without a result, downing Toluca 4-3 on Thursday evening. Fans only had to wait 10 minutes for the first goal of the game, delivered by Zellyka Arce of Atlas via a penalty conversion after a handball in the area. But Las Diablas evened things up in the 17’ when Destinney Duron shot from just outside the area, sending the ball into the back of the net.
In the 31’, Atlas took the advantage again thanks to the always ready Valeria Razo, who received a long pass from Alejandra Lomeli and pushed the ball across for a 2-1 lead. The Atlas lead was extended to 3-1 by Alejandra Franco, whose effort beat the Toluca GK in the 47’. Two minutes later in the 49’, Costa Rica international Carolina Venegas scored the fourth and final goal of the night for Atlas after a great collective play. But Toluca never stopped trying, with Duron scoring two more goals in the 64’ and in the 76’ to make it a 4-3 final.
Two of the most powerful teams clashed this past week, as Tigres visited FC Juarez on Friday evening, with Las Bravas defeating the current champions, 3-1. Juarez opened up the scoring in the 9’ with the help of Jasmine Casarez, who fired home from within the area. Tigres leveled the score at 1-1 just before the end of the first half, with Maricarmen Reyes taking advantage of a rebound in the area to score her third goal in the league.
Las Bravas returned for the second half with a sense if purpose, and in the 61’ Myra Delgadillo sent the ball into the back of the net after a bobble from Tigres GK Cecilia Santiago. The final goal of the night came from African champion Jermaine Seoposenwe, who closed the game with a header in the 63’, sealing Tigres’ first loss of the season.
Tijuana bounced back from their loss last week by winning 1-0 against Pumas on Saturday afternoon. The only goal of the evening was delivered by Daniela Espinosa in the 43’, who scored a great goal from outside the area. With this result, Tijuana now sit seventh in the table.
The games of the Apertura 2023 in Costa Rica are keeping every fan on the edge of their seat, as evidenced by this past week’s results.
After their draw and loss last week, respectively, Perez Zeledon and CS Herediano faced off against each other, collecting a point each as the game ended up in a 1-1 draw on Friday afternoon. The locals took the first lead of the game in the 33’ through Tiffany Rivera. Perez Zeledon looked a good bet to find a second goal, but could not find a way past Herediano GK Priscilla Tapia, who kept her side to within a goal. Tapia’s efforts paid off, as in the 90+5’ Luciana Gonzales converted a penalty to help Herediano return home with a point.
Saprissa FF kept up their scoring pace, this time beating Sporting FC 3-1 on Friday evening. Katherine Alvarado broke open the scoring in the 16’ on a sensational free kick from almost the touchline that went straight into the net. But just 10 minutes later in the 26’, Fernanda Chavarria evened things up 1-1 with a header.
The second half belonged to Saprissa and they regained the lead 2-1 in the 57’ when Yessenia Flores received a pass from Gloria Villalobos and finished. Just before the final whistle, in the 91’, Monica Matarrita scored the last goal of the evening, firing in from outside the area. With this result, Saprissa now sit at the top of the table, with Alvarado as the current top scorer (3 goals).
