The Xolos women’s team played the first leg of their Liga MX Femenil quarterfinal matchup against Rayadas this Friday, November 10, at the Estadio Caliente.

The match was played just before Club Tijuana’s final regular season home game of the Liga MX 2023 Apertura against Pachuca.

The Club Tijuana ladies put in a respectable effort against a Monterrey side, which is one of the heavy favorites to take the title. In the first 30 minutes of play, the border city team had the more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, but it was all for not, as Rayadas scored the opening goal of the clash in the 33rd minute.

San Diego native Christina Burkenroad opened the scoring with a goal from a shot inside of the penalty area. Jermaine Seoposenwe provided the assist on the play that allowed the visitors some breathing room after several missed scoring opportunities by pTijuana.

The first half of the encounter ended 1-0 in Monterrey’s favor in what was a frustrating match for the Xolos women’s team. Irvine, Calif. native Angelina Hix was generating the most offensive play for the Club Tijuana ladies but immediately picked up an injury at the start of the second half. The injury seemed serious, but Xolos Femenil Head Coach Juan Romo said after the game that he hadn’t received any updates about her health. Romo did say he was “optimistic” about Hix’s fitness, but it is unclear if she will be able to play the second leg in Monterrey.

The Aztec Canines struggled to produce offense after Hix’s departure from the game, and Rayadas kept on pressing and eventually scored a second goal in the 67th minute of the match. Nicole Perez scored an incredible “Olimpico” goal directly off a corner kick that really lowered the intensity of the match.

However, that intensity came back in the final instances of the match when Daniel Espinoza scored to make it a 2-1 game in the 90th minute. The Club Tijuana ladies were very close to tying the match, but a shot by Melissa Herrera was stopped on the goalline by Rayadas.

The result was a disappointing one for Xolos Femenil, given how formidable Rayadas can be in Monterrey. However, the result still keeps Xolos Femenil very competitive  and in the fight for a semifinal spot if they can craft a perfect match in the return leg.

Xolos Femenil Head Coach Juan Romo expressed how proud he was of his team for giving a full fight in the match. “I saw them fighting to the end, trying to make a comeback. Being confident and believing that it is not over, we need to compose ourselves to make a comeback”, said Romo.

Xolos Femenil play the second leg of this quarterfinal matchup on November 13 at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Francisco Velasco

Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.