Club America femenil open season with a loss against Club Puebla at home

Club America femenil players line up for the match day squad picture | Photo via twitter @AmericaFemenil

Mexico City, Mexico - All eyes where on Club America's femenil team as they opened their Liga MX Apertura 2019 campaign against Club Puebla on Monday July 22. After being absent in last weeks league opening weekend due to their bye week, expectations were high for the Lady Aguilas who opened in front of their home fans at the Azteca Stadium for the first time in their club history. Looking to emulate the run they had last year, in which they crowned themselves champions, Leonardo Cuellar had the task of getting this team ready for the opening match in which 3 points were vital to start on the right foot. Unfortunately for this side, things just did not go right for them in this game and therefor lost 0-1.

A revamp team with many changes and some notable absences for this game, went out and stepped on the pitch Monday night looking to claim their first 3 points of the season against a Puebla side that was coming off a not so good 3-0 loss. All signs pointed to Club America being favorites to win this game, but as the result shows these ladies came up short of expectations. Now questions will be asked of this team as to whether or not they're capable of competing against the "big" teams and how truly vast this squad is.

The team line-up with a 4-4-2 formation that saw some notable players get the start in this opening match: J. Gutierrez, M. Rodriguez (c), E. Fuentes, A. Lozada, X. Rios, E. Verdugo, Z. Hernandez, J. Gutierrez, M. Hernandez, D. Cazares, K. Resendiz

The opening minutes for this side would ultimately foreshadow exactly what this game would be for Club America. It was more than notable that this was the opening game for these ladies as they began a game with impressions and plenty of questionable actions on the field. So much that in just five minutes into the match a defensive mistake would cost this team a goal and ultimately the match. Even after being down a goal so early the response from Cuellar's side was just not there. Many of the players with their heads down and the rest with a look of confusion on their face as they now had a mountain to climb to try and get back into this game. A task they where not able to complete with 85 min still left to play.

Undeceive and sluggish was the narrative of this match for Club America, as no one really stepped up to the plate for this side. Poor passing and decision making thru out the whole stretch of this match showcased exactly how this team became its own enemy on the pitch. After being a goal up Club Puebla played their cards right and played to the frustration of Club America players, sat back closing down spaces making it difficult to get anything going for them. Even being able to catch the Lady Aguilas on counter attacks a couple of times during the match, but never really capable of closing down the game.

Long faces all around turned into faces of desperation as this side was unable to find any way to break down a locked down Puebla side. Which ultimately resulted in them resorting to the oldest trick in the book, long balls forward. Even during the late stages of the game these passes where deemed useless as they too where imprecise and never really carried any real threat. The few chances this team was able to conjure up in front of goal where not taken and only added to the frustration of the team as they couldn't find a way to best the defense and the goalkeeper. And after 90 minutes where up Club Puebla was the victories side and 3 points where dropped by the home side.

Questions will now be asked of both the players and manager, as to why they where unable to put in a good performance after a good preseason display. Even with the departure of some notable key players for them, the team talent at hand was expected to do more, especially in their opening match. Cuellar's tactics will also go under a bit of scrutiny as they have in seasons past as many question the continues of the ex-Mexican National team manager and whether or not he is the right person to head this team going forward.

Club America femenil's next match will be away against newly promoted side Atletico San Luis on Monday July 29 at 6:00pm PST.