The Mexican Soccer Weekend
The recently concluded weekend was different for Mexican soccer. In the previous days, the Women's Liga MX took its first steps in our football and with it, hundreds of stories began to unfold. One of the notable stories, perhaps due to their minority, is that of the coaches. Despite having 16 teams in this branch, only five coaches are in charge of leading some squads. Who are they and where do they come from? Here we present them to you.
EVA ESPEJO-PACHUCA
Eva Espejo is one of the youngest coaches in the league, as at 31 years and six months, she is in charge of directing the Tuzas team. She has in her hands the squad that has spent the most time preparing to compete in the women's tournament, as they finished assembling their squad in December. Under her leadership, the recruiters of Bella Airosa conducted nearly 500 trials to build a competitive squad. Today, after winning the Copa MX title, Pachuca is one of the top favorites to win the AP17 championship.
MELISSA NÚÑEZ-VERACRUZ
Melissa Núñez had a love affair with football from a young age, driven by her brothers and father's love for the sport. However, it was Melissa Núñez, the coach of Veracruz, who was able to fulfill her dreams in this scenario. "I am convinced that there is a lot of female talent in Mexico to play football, I experienced it in the trials we conducted in the state," she said in an interview for the club itself. Her mission will be complex: to achieve what seems impossible in the first team - winning the league title.
ILEANA DÁVILA-PUMAS
She arrived at Pedregal with the intention of continuing her development and what better way to do it than with the team she always admired and was passionate about. Ileana thought she would barely be heard in CU, so she requested to start from scratch, even as an equipment manager if necessary, as long as she was helped to enhance her abilities. Rodrigo Ares de Parga, president of the feline institution, appeared on the scene and did so to support Dávila, first giving her the helm of the Pumas Under-13 category and a couple of weeks later, the reins of the women's team.
VERÓNICA HERNÁNDEZ-MORELIA
With over five years at Monarcas Morelia, this veteran fitness coach got her chance to demonstrate her knowledge on the bench with the opening of the Women's Liga. Verónica Hernández remained in various Monarcas youth teams, always in charge of youth players, and a couple of months ago, the management entrusted her with the helm of the women's squad. In the Cup, the Michoacán team lost all three of their games, but that changed in the start of the Apertura 2017, where they already defeated Veracruz.
ANDREA RODEBAUGH-TIJUANA
She is the most experienced coach in this group. Unlike the other four, Andrea had a notable career playing for the national team as a footballer almost twenty years ago, even competing in a World Cup with Mexico. After retiring as a professional, she transitioned to coaching and even led Mexican youth teams, in addition to her role at FIFA, where she is a spokesperson. Today, leading the Xolas, she wishes to leave her mark as a coach and make history, as she has already accomplished in the past.