MIAMI, Florida – The quest to get to the top and advance to the postseason is at the forefront of every player’s mind at this stage of the competition in the various women’s domestic leagues in Concacaf.
There is no easy week in the NWSL, with all 12 teams looking to add as many points as possible to get to the next stage of the competition.
Racing Louisville enjoyed a big win, downing the Portland Thorns 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. Emotions were high from the beginning, as in the 6’ Morgan Weaver of Portland scored the first goal, intercepting a ball that Racing Lousiville GK Katie Lund let loose.
The hosts pulled even in the 60’ on a header by Abby Erceg after a corner kick. Racing Louisville then kept their tally going in the 64’ when Thembi Kgatlana scored after receiving the ball in the area. With this win, Racing Louisville now sits in seventh place.
The San Diego Wave now reside as the leader of the NWSL after defeating the Houston Dash 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Houston played with 10 players from the 33’ on after Michelle Alozie saw a red card for a tackle on Rachel Hill. The only goal of the evening came from the boots of Jaedyn Shaw in the 57’ when she received a pass in the area, firing the ball into the left bottom corner.
Week 9 of the Torneo de Apertura of the Liga MX Femenil gave fans a new leader in the table.
Tigres and Club America faced each other after their international duties, with current champions Club America being defeated at the Estadio Azteca 3-1 by the Amazonas on Wednesday evening.
Club America scored the first goal of the night in the 22’ from the boots of Katty Martinez, who collected a pass in the area, got past the Tigres defense and shot into the bottom left corner.
However, the five-time champions from Monterrey equalized in the 41’ thanks to a header from Nayeli Rangel during a corner kick. In the 44’ Tigres grabbed the lead when Belen Cruz scored from outside the area.
History was written in the 85’, when Jacqueline Ovalle scored the third goal for Tigres via penalty kick. With this goal, she became the top scorer in the history of the club with 95 goals, sharing this milestone with Martinez.
Guadalajara defeated FC Juarez 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. Captain Alicia Cervantes started the scoring for Chivas in the 50’ with a header in the area.
Cervantes was not done, scoring her second goal of the day the same way as the first, with a header, this time via a corner kick in the 56’. With this win, Guadalajara now sits in third place in the table.
The Torneo de Clausura of Costa Rica is in full force right now after six weeks played.
Sporting FC consolidated second place in the table after topping Dimas Escazu 2-1 on Friday evening. Sporting FC started strong, with Fernanda Chavarria scoring the first goal of the night in the 16’. Daniela Coto doubled the lead with a second goal in the 68’.
Dimas Escazu didn’t stop trying for a goal, getting one late on in the 90+3’, from the actions of Yoanka Villanueva, leaving them fifth in the table.
Municipal Pococi secured a win over CS Herediano 2-1 on Saturday afternoon. The visitors broke open the scoring first in the 19’, with Veronica Prieto scoring the first goal of the match. Just a minute later, in the 20’, Pococi equalized thanks to the services of Tanisha Thomas.
Both teams sought the win, trying to break each other's defenses, and it was the hosts who at the end in the 90+5’ found a way through Yirlany Hernandez to earn the three points, putting Pococi into fourth place.
