In a short period of time, Liga MX Femenil has gone from a modest league to one that has produced record crowds, countless golazos, and a social media reach that is among the best in the world. The attendance of 51,211 at the EstadioBB was the same as the crowd that 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 - Soccer on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games, replays The emergence of a new generation of players, especially those with roots in both the U.S. and Mexico, has been made possible by the success of the league. While it has experienced its own set of growing pains and challenges, it has made huge strides both on and off the pitch. Christina Burkenroad said that Liga MX Femenil's style of play is creative. Burkenroad was one of the first dual-nationals to be allowed by the league in the summer of 2019. The 28-year-old Mexican-American, who previously played in the National Women's Soccer League and in Europe, credits the league's technical prowess with helping her be more comfortable with the ball. More known for technicality than physical play, the matches of the Liga MX Femenil provide endless flashes of inventive brilliance. In a playoff game last December, Burkenroad was able to watch one of these noteworthy moments first-hand from 18-year-old teammate Aylin Avilez, who provided a highlight-reel assist for Burkenroad's goal in a 2-1 win for Rayadas. ¡ G O L A Z O ! 💥¡ G O L A Z O ! 💥¡ G O L A Z O ! Gran jugada de @AylinAvilez1 que empujó @cburky2 ⏱| 55´ @Rayadas 1️⃣ (1) -(2) 1️⃣ @AtlasFCFemenil #VamosPorEllas ⚽🎀 pic.twitter.com/S7AEvRNMwY
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Monterrey won the Apertura title last season, with up-and-comers playing alongside Burkenroad.
Many young players are already at the professional level.
The league has focused on the development of the next generation of talent. The regulations stated that each team could only use two players over the age of 23. The rule has been dropped, but teams are now required to give a minimum amount of minutes to U20 players per season.
Last summer, the league allowed two non-Mexican roster spots per squad. Mia Fishel joined Tigres UANL in January, making her the league's biggest international addition.
Fishel is a forward for the U.S. youth national team. The 20-year-old from UCLA shocked many in the American soccer world when she decided to instead move to Mexico after being selected by the Pride as the No. 5 pick in the NWSL draft last December.
I need to be in control of my career with the draft, I only knew I was going to the Pride two minutes before I got called. I think it's unnecessary for a new player to be in that situation. Fishel said that he deserved better than that.
Tigres in Mexico took the offers very seriously and kept in touch with the club's front office.
Fishel was initially told by others that the league was not going to be competitive, or that it was not going to push her, but at her first practice with Tigres she noticed that it mimicked a full national team training.
Tigres laid out why she should be at the club, acknowledged her talents, and then highlighted how she could challenge herself.
Fishel said that if more players are going to be recognized, they will come here.
El remate de @miafishel10 para su segundo del partido. 🥵 pic.twitter.com/jqq1gWFuIS
— Tigres Femenil 🐯 (@TigresFemenil) March 28, 2022
Uchenna Kanu, a Tigres player who joined the club in the winter, said that she didn't know much about Tigres or Femenil before joining, but was immediately impressed.
Kanu, a Nigeria international who previously played in Sweden with Link, said that the game is competitive.
The league is actually growing and the players are getting better.
Burkenroad noted that the players from outside of the league were surprised. One of her favorite things is watching other foreigners come to this league and see their minds blown.
Itzel Gonzalez, who is on loan at Sevilla from Tijuana, applauded the league's move to bring in names from abroad and highlighted the influence it has had on more than just Femenil.
Gonzalez, who is also a keeper for Mexico's national team, said that international players allowed to play in our league made the league take a huge step forward.
New additions like Fishel, Kanu and others across the country have provided subtle changes to tactics and created more variety in approaches for clubs in Mexico.
Gonzalez said that he sees different teams adopting different styles of play. The style of play in different teams and at the national team level is influenced by the type of players that we have.
Tigres have won six of the league's first eight titles and are at the center of the growth of the league. The 18-team league has experienced challenges despite the improved status of the two clubs.
The level of play on the pitch, access to training facilities and stadiums, more games being televised, travel accommodations have all improved. There is more that could be done with salaries. The men's teams in the men's league are paid more than the women's teams, but the men's professionals are paid less than their male counterparts.
Janelly Farias told The Guardian that some players in the Femenil were only being paid $100-$200 per month. Mexican outlet El Economista reported last year that monthly player wages can range from 7,000 to 150,000 pesos. A source for ESPN said that the average range for most in the league is between $300 and $7,000 per month, but that very few players get over $5,000.
The minimum annual salary for the NWSL is $35,000. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Trinity Rodman can make more than $250,000 per year.
With these numbers in mind, one can be left wondering if a new addition like Fishel is the sign of things to come or simply a flash in the pan for Liga MX Femenil. It shows the necessary changes that must be made in order to compensate those on the lower end of the financial spectrum.
Burkenroad said that the investment in every single team could be helpful.
Finding the right balance is important. There was a debate about whether Mexican-born players should be allowed in the league. Even though she was a member of the Mexico national team, it was difficult to know that she wasn't able to play in the league.
When it was announced, I was not happy that I could not play in it.
The framework for a player like Fishel to become involved in the league was laid down when Burkenroad, Cuellar and other dual-nationals were able to join. It will be difficult to find a balance that will allow those who want to participate in the competition to do so.
Fishel thinks that if they can allow more international players to come to this league and bring their different perspectives of their play to any team that they come on, that will help grow the league and grow each team as well.
The league had to deal with the controversy it found itself in earlier this year with Club America manager Craig Harrington, who was given a three-match ban in January after allegations of improper language in a game against Monterrey. The incident raised eyebrows due to the fact that the coach of the Utah Royals, who was fired in November 2020, was back on the bench for America.
Three days after the incident, Farias released a statement saying that there was still a long way to go to bring women's soccer to the place. Disrespect has no place in our sport or our daily lives.
Eva Espejo, the manager of Monterrey, was critical of the actions of Harrington after the game.
The Athletic reported that Paul Riley, the former manager of the Portland Thorns, was able to coach elsewhere in the NWSL despite two players complaining that he sexually coerced them. Five male coaches were ousted last year, at the time half of the league's teams, and it spurred multiple ongoing investigations into inappropriate behavior by players across the league. These incidents offer specific lessons from which Liga MX Femenil can learn when it comes to accountability, hiring practices, and player safety.
It might have gone under the radar, but there was a big moment for Mexico's women's national team last November.
El Tri Femenil continued their progress with a stunning win and a draw against Canada, a team that just won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.
The core of the roster in those games against Canada was made up of Gonzalez and a number of Femenil players.
Gonzalez said that the most important thing is that the players have continuity and the chance to keep improving on a daily basis.
Mexico failed to qualify for the Women's World Cup, but is hoping to get a spot in the next edition. The domestic league will be a big reason why El Tri Feminil will make it to the tournament.
Prior to the founding of the Liga MX Femenil, it was normal to see some national team players train on their own. Thanks to the regularity of the league, the strides have been made.
Mexico is on the right path to get to the Women's World Cup and the Olympics. Should the team book a spot at those tourneys, it will do so via the CONCACAF W Championship, which will be hosted in the city of Monterrey.
Gonzalez said that there was a sense of responsibility and a sense that the national team could reach that next level.
The ability to take Mexican women's soccer to another level was made possible by veterans like Cuellar, who are now leaders for a new generation of talent.
The league is in my country, it is with the country that I represent in the international stage.
After scoring the first goal in NWSL history, the 31-year-old's pace has yet to slow down. In her first year in Femenil, she has already amassed 55 goals.
She is able to highlight the value of being involved in a league that wasn't in the US, and she is also able to take part in a deep-rooted connection that I have to my culture.
It is better for the next generation and that is why we have been playing it all these years.
The fandom has continued to grow despite the dip in attendance numbers due to the coronaviruses epidemic.
Burkenroad said that his social media following went up 20,000 people in a matter of months. It is not like we are making millions on the field. How can we market ourselves with sponsors? This league really helps with that.
The social media impact with Tigres has already been seen by Fishel. The young American has seen tens of thousands of new followers online after joining the club.
Fishel said that he feels like a celebrity because he is often seen taking photos or signing autographs with Tigres fans.
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