The hegemony of the royal finals in the Liga MX Femenil is over. After a streak of seven consecutive finals in which at least one of the Monterrey teams, Tigres or Rayadas, disputed the championship, Clausura 2022 dictates a new story thanks to the untimely moment of Chivas and Pachuca.
First it was Chivas who broke the mold by eliminating Tigres with the return match held at Akron Stadium. After losing 0-2 at El Volcán last Friday, the Tapatias needed to win by at least the same goal margin to secure passage to the final, as their position in the table was in their favour.
So it was. The victory of the rojiblancas came through two goals in the final stretches of the respective times: Karol Bernal scored first at minute 44 and the decisive 2-0 corresponded to Kinberly Guzmán at 86′, leaving Tigres’ arsenal lying on the court.
With this defeat, Tigres ended its streak of seven consecutive finals in the Liga MX Femenil, where it boasts four titles, the largest record since the circuit began to play in 2017. The disappointment was seen on the faces of players accustomed to winning like Stephany Mayor or Liliana Mercado, in addition to reaching the final with the exuberant bonus of having eliminated Atlas 9-1 on aggregate in the semifinals.
“We just have a sense of frustration. What I talked about with my footballers was that they keep their heads up, they did their best. The person responsible for this will always be me, I take responsibility. I have no choice but to congratulate the rival, who did enough merit and today what gives him the pass is the position in the table, the one that we lost in the season too”, reflected Roberto Medina, coach of Tigres Femenil at the end of the Serie.
And it is that in the general table of the Clausura 2022, Chivas was in second place with four points more than Tigres, who was third, despite the fact that in terms of goal difference, the regias had a better balance with a +32 for a +21 of the Tapatias, product of 43 goals in favor for those of Nuevo León, the second best figure only behind the 51 of their neighbors, the Rayadas.
Chivas will play its third Liga MX Femenil final after having a record of one win and one loss. The victory occurred in the 2017 Apertura edition, the inaugural tournament of the women’s circuit, where they defeated Pachuca by a score of 3-2; his second appearance was a 4-7 aggregate loss precisely against Tigres.
“The victory is one of the most significant and important that the institution and the team have had, without a doubt this is very important because we beat a team that is one of the protagonists and it really gives me great joy. I am very proud, I feel a lot of emotion, it is well deserved for everything they have done throughout the tournament, we have yearned for and sought this goal of reaching the final”, said Juan Pablo Alfaro, coach of Chivas Femenil.
The other series of semifinals was played between Rayadas, the general leaders, and Pachuca, who entered the league in sixth place overall with a margin of 13 points less than Monterrey (43 against 30 units).
The second leg, held at the BBVA stadium on Monday night, looked complicated for the reigning champions, as they had lost their visit to Pachuca by a score of 0-2, thanks to an inspired performance by the experienced Charlyn Corral, former player of the leagues of the United States and Spain.
Rayadas went ahead at home thanks to a cross shot from outside the area by Yamilé Franco; when the annotation fell at the beginning of the second half, it gave hope of advancing, since the tie at two would give the Monterrey team the automatic pass for their better position in the table.
The party increased even more in the ‘Steel Giant’ when captain Rebeca Bernal, the one who lifted the title of champions just in December 2021, scored 2-0 from the penalty spot at minute 58, which seemed like Rayadas had everything under control to seal his presence in a sixth final.
However, a goal from Esbeydi Salazar almost immediately to Bernal’s penalty put the advantage once again for Pachuca with a 3-2 aggregate that ended like this, despite the insistence of Desirée Monsiváis and Aylin Avilez for the royals. With this, the hegemony of Tigres and Rayadas with a presence in the finals of the Liga MX Femenil was broken.
Pachuca coach Juan Carlos Cacho returns the team to a final after almost five years (they had only participated in the 2017 Apertura edition, which they lost to Chivas) with only seven games since he took over midway through Clausura 2022, but that doesn’t detract from his quest for the title.
The finals of the Liga MX Femenil will be played on Friday, May 20 from the Hidalgo stadium, when Pachuca together with Charlyn Corral, Mónica Ocampo, Lucero Cuevas and company will receive the Chivas of Alicia Cervantes, Carolina Jaramillo and Joseline Montoya, while the The second leg will be on Monday the 23rd at the Akron Stadium field.
Chivas is going for its second title to tie Rayadas as the second top winners of the circuit, while Pachuca wants to join the select group of champions, in which, in addition to the royals and tapatías, is America with its Apertura 2018 crown.
