Fans of El Tri Femenil still on cloud 9 after historic victory over USWNT

Fans are still giddy about El Tri Femenil’s stunning 2-0 victory over the U.S. women’s team in a Concacaf W Gold Cup group-stage contest in Carson, California.

Jacqueline Ovalle and Mayra Pelayo punctuated the victory with golazos, one in each half. Ovalle’s one-on-one with U.S. goalie Alyssa Naeher has drawn comparisons to Gio dos Santos’ magical goal against Team USA in the 2011 Gold Cup.

Perhaps Ovalle’s goal is not as singularly spectacular as Gio’s, but the circumstances lend it a certain heft, 

El Tri Femenil – No. 35 in the FIFA world rankings – was facing the world No. 2 in the inaugural women’s Gold Cup tournament, knowing that they needed at least a draw to advance out of the group stage. And even a draw might not have been enough. 

But after Ovalle’s slick shot, the Lady Aztecs frustrated the U.S. offense, holding them to nine shots on the night, just two of which were on target.

Then Pelayo – a Florida native and a product of the US soccer system – plunged in the dagger in stoppage time.

North of the border, the reaction was shock: the first-ever home loss to Mexico; the first home loss to a Concacaf team in 23 years and 80 games.

The response down south can best be described as pride and joy.

Eugene Rupinski’s “Golazo del Gringo” blog offered a wonderful post-game wrap (and his substack is a treasure for those who love to follow the women’s game here in Mexico).

Mexico’s record against the Americans coming into the contest was a dismal 2-1-40, their last win more than 13 years in the rear-view mirror.

Mexico’s only previous victories over the USWNT came on July 20, 2007 (a 3-2 win in the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro) and on Nov. 5, 2010 (a 2-1 triumph in Veracruz in a World Cup qualifier that earned las Mexicanas a spot in Germany 2011).

Mexico and the USWNT have advanced to the knockout stage and their opponents will be determined after today's final group-stage matches.

El Tri releases preliminary Nations League list

Mexico manager Jaime Lozano made public a list of 60 players from which he will have to build his 23-man Nations League roster.

El Tri plays Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 21 at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The 60-man list immediately stirred up chatter on social media for who had made the cut and who didn't, for who shouldn't be a candidate and who should have been.

Prominent among those names left off the list is Guadalajara's right fullback Alan Mozo. The right back position has been a headache for El Tri (actually both fullback positions have left much to be desired) since 2018.

Mozo is an aggressive, forward-leaning fullback with excellent passing skills (and crosses have been a weakness on the flanks for El Tri) who is also a solid on-ball defender.

The enigmatic Chivas star has had disciplinary issues in the past, but those appear to be behind him and many comments on social media were clear in declaring him the best Mexican right back. Popular TV Azteca commentator Christian Martinoli ripped Lozano for omitting Mozo.

Lozano is quite familiar with Mozo (both are products of the renowned UNAM academy system) as the El Tri manager coached Mozo while in charge of Mexico's U-23 squad. Mozo played for Lozano at the Toulon Tournament in 2019 (El Tri earned a bronze medal) and during the Olympic qualifying tournaments in 2019-2020.