Last update 6 April, 2024 by Alberto Llopis
At last, in Mexico the ball and has its other half. And it is pink. He 28 July started rolling ball to mark the start of a project in Mexico took many years to materialize: professional women's soccer.
And is that for decades the Aztecs managers, with shortsightedness that characterizes, They not visualized the impact it could have for football and this genre, knowing that today it is played by more than 40 millions of women around the world.
It has long, USA, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Japan have a professional league. Mexico now joins the list in an experiment, on your first attempt, It has undoubtedly been a resounding success.
But that's women's soccer is not new in our country, as a magnificent Aztec team participated in the World (not officially endorsed by FIFA) of 1970 y 1971, played in Italy and Mexico, respectively. Alicia "Pelé" Vargas and Maria Eugenia "Peque" Rubio were two of the best exponents of that representative in the Tricolor third and world runner.
However, the furor caused by the talent and enthusiasm of the women on the court, backed with great assistance "Azteca" stadium at that World Cup 1971, Suddenly he saw off by the authorities of the Mexican Football Federation, who relegated the responsibility to develop women football field amateur, I was not so conjoined at that time.
So it was that was years, decades, and a combination of disinterest and macho, the football authorities did not give more importance to women's participation, so great individuals as Maribel Dominguez, Evelyn Lopez, iris Mora, Monica Gonzalez, Monica Vergara, Patricia Pérez, Andrea Rodebaugh and Guadalupe Worbis took part in the last two decades of generations whose only window was the one who offered them their clubs or the playoffs and international tournaments, those who barely Mexico was classified in the absence of a methodology and systematization in the field.
Mostly, the players came from teams from American universities (because that country is a world power in women's soccer) and some others came from amateur leagues in Mexico. In the absence of an organized league, talents had to seek opportunities abroad, and this is how Maribel Dominguez, antes, Charlyn Corral and today, Levante UD female player, They dared to try their luck at the First Women's Division of Spain (known for sponsorship reasons as Iberdrola Laliga).
At the local project formalized this year, after a brief Cup tournament (disputed between XXX and May, and "test assay"), were 16 the men's teams Liga MX those who decided to form a women's squad, so only two did not integrate his, both in the same city: Lobos BUAP and Puebla, which is the newly promoted to the maximum circuit franchise, which it had no time to include the first tournament.
Campuses were formed by players from the Under-23 (that is to say, born from 1 of January of 1994), supplemented by four U-17, and they could be reinforced by two players Free category. Besides, it was clarified that in this first phase there will be no foreign players, although that is, the Mexico-US may be eligible, provided they meet the requirements stipulated by FIFA.
With campuses in which at least had to be 21 jugadoras, the group 1 She was composed of Tijuana, Pumas, Veracruz, Morelia, Blue Cross, America, Pachuca and Toluca, while the peloton 2 they formed Monterrey, Tigers, Atlas, León, Queretaro, Santos Laguna, Guadalajara and Necaxa.
Were 403 registered players and, as ripped MX League Women Latin demonstrated that it was the best teams interpenetrating, to be directed by Leonardo Cuellar (former Mexican World Cup in Argentina '78), who commanded the selections of women in the country during 18 years, of 1998 a 2016.
Were 380 away goals 224 regular tournament matches, and some clubs were scheduled matches its female branch at its headquarters training, they had to move them to the official stadiums of the virile representations to the great interest of fans, and in a few weeks and several meetings they were transmitted on TV, even international chains.
This delay in formalizing the contest caused two of the best players, Monica Ocampo (Pachuca) and Tania Morales (Guadalajara), two-handed, with a quality that excels obviously rest, find this showcase and veterans (30 years) and curiously lined up in on computers that were finalists. That is to say: What would have happened if not "lands" women's football project in Mexico? Talents like these would have been lost, would we would not have known faces, at least not at these levels.
Both cracks got the most beautiful championship annotations: Tania (nicknamed the "Saved", their physical and technical resemblance to Andrés Guardado, the average Mexican midfielder defending the shirt of Betis in Spain) with an "Olympic goal" in the first leg of the semifinal against America.
And Monica, in the leg of the final, precisely Chivas, a shot esquinado, acute angle shooting, He is shooting a poem recalling the goal achieved by the Chilean Jorge "Mortar" Aravena in previous South American World Mexico '86, contra Uruguay, in Santiago. Apart, was scoring champion, with six goals, en la Copa. She has participated as selected in the U-20 Russia 2006, gold Cup 2006, Germany World Cup 2011 and Toronto Pan American Games 2015.
In the just-concluded League, the leading gunboat was Lucero Cuevas, of America, what in 14 games with the Eagles totaled 15 annotations, which it earned an average of a goal every 70 minutes. And another prominent player is Félix Blanca, del Guadalajara, which undoubtedly owes his caretaker and his great saves having reached the final instance and lift the trophy. Indudablemente, material National Team, and why not?, from exportation.
But competition has not only know and recognize talent on the court, but also on the bench, an activity usually dominated by men. For example, Eva Espejo -bella, intelligent and ready you, in front of Pachuca was champion in the tournament Cup "trial" that was held in May and almost won the double, since it lost the last league match against Guadalajara 24 November.
It is the first coach to be champion in this competition of women's official in Aztec soil and has just won the CONCACAF as the best women's soccer strategist area, After being crowned the first Cup tournament category and a finalist in the league. Other females who demonstrate skill in the art direction are Andrea herself Rodebaugh (Tijuana), Veronica Hernandez (Morelia), Ileana Dávila (Pumas), and Melissa Nunez (Veracruz).
A) Yes, Guadalajara ended a dream year by also winning the women's tournament League-the men had done in May, in the Clausura 2017, surpassing global 3-2 to Pachuca, which in turn he overcame Cup Xolas to Tijuana, by 9-1. A) Yes, Mexico took the step that had been pending since long ago, and it represented something like a debt of honor to the so-called weaker sex.