The final two are set for the Liga MX Femenil 2023 Apertura Gran Final.
Tigres and Club América will compete in the two-legged final on Friday, Nov. 24, and Monday, Nov. 27. Both matches are slated to begin at 9 a.m. The matches will air on ViX+.
This is Tigres’ eighth trip to the Gran Final, winning five titles. Meanwhile, Club América are the reigning champions, defeating Pachuca in the spring Clausura. América has competed in three finals, winning two — both against Pachuca.
Their lone final loss was to Club Tigres in the 2022 Apertura.
To punch their ticket to the final, Tigres took down C.F. Monterrey, while América took down Chivas de Guadalajara. Tigres won on a more controversial goal, while América and Chivas had a seven-goal affair between two legs. Take a look and catch up on what happened before this weekend’s Gran Final.
Tigres 1, Monterrey 0
After a scoreless first leg match on Rayadas’ home field, the teams met up at El Volcán on Monday night. Stephany Mayor scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute, but not without controversy.
Tigres got the ball in the attacking half, and crossed the ball over to Lizbeth Ovalle. The veteran midfielder headed the ball down, but Pamela Tajonar blocked the shot out, instead of grabbing the ball. Maricarmen Reyes raced to gather the ball up quickly, slide tackling into a Monterrey player.
The referee whistled to play on, giving Tigres new life. The ball found its way to Mayor in front of goal and she smacked it on the valley past Tajonar. Rayadas played holler at the referee but a decision had been made to keep the goal.
Monterrey could not find the back of the net in the last few minutes. Tigres, on the other hand, advanced to their ninth Gran Final. Keeping a clean sheet against Monterrey isn’t easy, when facing off against the likes of Christina Burkenroad, Myra Delgadillo and Jermaine Seoposenwe. Tigres needs more lethal play from Reyes and Ovalle, their regular-season standouts. But, the defense can be satisfied with two clean sheets.
Club América 4, Chivas 3
Four different players found the back of the net for Club América in their two legs against Chivas. Club América didn’t dominate on the defensive side of the ball — letting three goals past them — but stunned offensively.
Katty Martínez and Alison González scored in the first leg, while Kiana Palacios and Andrea Pereira scored in Leg 2. To kick things off, Martínez scored off a header during the run of play, with midfielder Angelique Saldivar providing the assist. Meanwhile, González — whose time with América has been riddled with injuries — scored after winning a ball on a breakaway and then taking on Chivas goalkeeper Blanca Félix, slipping the ball through her legs.
At home for Leg 2, América were able to keep Alicia Cervantes off the score sheet — after she scored two goals in Leg 1. However, Chivas got on the board first thanks to Casandra Montero. The home field advantage propelled América, though, as Palacios and Pereira scored within five minutes of each other.
In the 75th minute, Palacios put a hard strike into the top of the goal, just narrowly sneaking it underneath the crossbar. In the 79th minute, Pereira picked up a loose ball off a corner kick and sent it, through traffic, into the low far corner of the net.
Club América were able to hold off Cervantes and company for the last 10 minutes and stoppage time, punching their ticket to a second-straight Gran Final.
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