Mexico women's national football team

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Mexico women's national football team
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)
El Tri Femenil
La Tri
AssociationFederación Mexicana de Fútbol
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean)
Sub-confederationNAFU (North America)
Head coachChristopher Cuéllar
CaptainStephany Mayor
Most capsMaribel Domínguez (112)
Top scorerMaribel Domínguez (80)
FIFA codeMEX
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 31 Increase 4 (15 March 2024)[1]
Highest21 (January 2011)
Lowest31 (December 2002)
First international
 Mexico 9–0 Austria 
(Jesolo, Italy; 6 July 1970)
Biggest win
 Mexico 10–0 Malta 
(Bristol, England; 28 June 1997)
 Martinique 0–10 Mexico
(Bridgeview, United States; 18 October 2014)
Biggest defeat
 United States 12–0 Mexico 
(Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 18 April 1991)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1999)
Best resultGroup Stage (1999, 2011, 2015)
CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup
Appearances7 (first in 1991)
Best result Runners-up (1998, 2010)

The Mexico women's national football team represents Mexico on the international stage. The squad is governed by the Mexican Football Federation and competes within CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football. It has won gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games and a silver medal in the Pan American Games team, as well as one silver and one bronze in the Women's World Cup prior to FIFA's recognition of the women's game. When it placed second in 1971, Mexico hosted the second edition of this unofficial tournament. In addition to its senior team, Mexico fields U-20 and U-17 squads as well, with the latter having reached the final during the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Coached by Leonardo Cuéllar for most of the team's official existence, La Tri's senior squad has participated in three Women's World Cups and one edition of the Summer Olympic Games.

The senior squad was first established in 1963, but its first FIFA-recognized game was in 1991.

History

Unofficial era

Although not officially recognized by FIFA until 1991, Mexico's team was actually established in 1963, when many countries still had bans on women's football.[2] In the 1950s, both Costa Rica and Argentina witnessed increased interest in the women's game and held tours in various countries. In 1963, Las Ticas, the Costa Rican women's national football team, spent six months in Mexico conducting a tour to increase exposure of the game. Observing the success of Las Ticas, Mexico formed its first team to play in opposition to the Costa Rican squad.

Led by Alicia Vargas, Mexico placed third in the 1970 Women's World Cup, a tournament FIFA has yet to acknowledge. Mexico fell 2-1 in the semifinal to hosts Italy before defeating England 3-2 in the third place match. The following year, Mexico hosted the 1971 Women's World Cup, which has also yet to be officially recognized. The squad reached the final but fell 3-0 to Denmark. An estimated 110,000 people attended the final at Estadio Azteca,[3] which is the largest crowd ever to witness a women's soccer game; FIFA has not recognized this attendance record either.

Modern era

In the 1980s, when a series of mundialitos took place, Mexico participated in the 1986 edition.[4] Mexico was placed in Group A along with Italy and Japan, but the team did not advance beyond the first stage.

Mexico's first official appearance in the Women's World Cup was in 1999, when the United States hosted the tournament. The team also qualified in 2011 and 2015, hosted by Germany and Canada, respectively. Likewise, the team qualified for the Summer Olympic Games in 2004. In all four instances, El Tri Femenil failed to advance beyond the group stage; in fact, the team has yet to win a single game in either major tournament.

The first official coach for the Mexico women's national football team was Leonardo Cuéllar. One of his first objectives was to qualify for the 1999 Women's World Cup.[5] The team accomplished this by placing second to Canada in the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship. However, much controversy arose regarding the nationalities of the recruited players. Preference was given to US-born players of Mexican heritage, largely because Mexico did not have an official league at the time. Andrea Rodebaugh, the team's then-captain, argued that the team's main goal was to qualify; she also wanted to strengthen the team and celebrate its official recognition.[6] Despite the controversy, the team went on to participate in the 1999 Women's World Cup with a mix of US-born and Mexican-born players.

In recent years, an increase in young talent developing in Mexico brought an increase of expectations from Mexican football fans and media alike. Following their worst ever World Cup finish in 2015, fans began calling for Cuellar's resignation or firing. In 2016, the women's national football team failed to qualify for the Olympics, and lost to Costa Rica which was the turning point in the team's history since many thought the defeat resulted in Mexico becoming the fourth best team in CONCACAF. With these results and Leonardo Cuellar's controversial decision to not bring Charlyn Corral and Kenti Robles, whom had terrific seasons at their clubs in Spain's Primera División, onto the squad[7] led to him resigning from his position in April 2016.[8] Roberto Medina became the head coach in 2017.[9]

In 2018 Mexico won the Central American and Caribbean Games by defeating Costa Rica 3-1 in the final.[10]

At the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship Mexico entered as the third highest ranked team behind the United States and Canada. At the tournament Mexico finished third in their group with a record of one win and two losses, which included a surprising 2-0 loss to Panama. As a result of not advancing to the knockout round, Mexico was unable to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.[11]

Notable matches

Mexico's first recorded international game was against Austria during the 1970 Women's World Cup, when squad beat the European side 9-0 in the group stage. However, to participate in this inaugural tournament, teams had to qualify, so La Tri played against other teams prior to this match.

Before the modern era, Mexico defeated England 2-1 in the third place match of the 1970 Women's World Cup, the first edition of the tournament. In front of a record-breaking crowd, the team also reached the final of the 1971 Women's World Cup, but fell 3-0 to Denmark.

Among the most notable victories is when the team finished second in the 2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. Hosts of the cup, Mexico defeated the United States in the semifinal for the first and only time before falling to Canada in the final.

Coaching staff

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2020 Cyprus Women's Cup.[12]

Caps and goals as of 11 March 2020, after the match against  Czech Republic.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Cecilia Santiago (1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 29) 64 0 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
12 1GK Itzel González (1994-08-14) 14 August 1994 (age 29) 3 0 Mexico Tijuana

2 2DF Kenti Robles (1991-02-15) 15 February 1991 (age 33) 73 3 Spain Real Madrid
3 2DF Arianna Romero (1992-07-29) 29 July 1992 (age 31) 47 1 Unattached
4 2DF Kimberly Rodriguez (1999-03-26) 26 March 1999 (age 25) 8 1 United States Oklahoma State Cowgirls
5 2DF Jimena López (1999-01-30) 30 January 1999 (age 25) 21 2 United States Texas A&M Aggies
13 2DF Ana Lozada (1997-07-22) 22 July 1997 (age 26) 1 0 Mexico América
15 2DF Monica Flores (1996-01-31) 31 January 1996 (age 28) 11 0 Mexico Monterrey

6 3MF Alexia Delgado (1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 24) 8 0 United States Arizona State Sun Devils
7 3MF Mirelle Arciniega (1992-08-13) 13 August 1992 (age 31) 3 1 Mexico Puebla
8 3MF Bri Campos (1994-02-03) 3 February 1994 (age 30) 4 0 Sweden Umeå
10 3MF Yamilé Franco (1992-07-07) 7 July 1992 (age 31) 12 1 Mexico Monterrey
14 3MF Jennifer Muñoz (1996-11-04) 4 November 1996 (age 27) 2 1 Mexico América
16 3MF Amanda Pérez (1994-07-31) 31 July 1994 (age 29) 8 0 Portugal Sporting CP
18 3MF Diana García (1999-11-11) 11 November 1999 (age 24) 2 0 Mexico Monterrey
20 3MF Brenda León (1993-09-08) 8 September 1993 (age 30) 1 0 Mexico Cruz Azul

9 4FW Kiana Palacios (1996-10-01) 1 October 1996 (age 27) 21 2 Spain Real Sociedad
11 4FW Viridiana Salazar (1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Mexico Pachuca
17 4FW Mariela Jiménez (1997-12-13) 13 December 1997 (age 26) 1 0 Mexico UNAM
19 4FW Atzimba Casas (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994 (age 29) 1 0 Mexico Juárez

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up to the squad in the last 12 months.

This list may be incomplete.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Emily Alvarado (1998-06-09) 9 June 1998 (age 25) 6 0 United States TCU Horned Frogs 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
GK Bianca Henninger (1990-10-22) 22 October 1990 (age 33) 7 0 Retired 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
GK Alejandría Godínez (1994-02-24) 24 February 1994 (age 30) 2 0 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE

DF Bianca Sierra (1992-06-25) 25 June 1992 (age 31) 56 0 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
DF Rebeca Bernal (1997-08-31) 31 August 1997 (age 26) 23 0 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
DF Jocelyn Orejel (1996-11-14) 14 November 1996 (age 27) 12 0 Mexico América 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
DF Janelly Farías (1990-02-12) 12 February 1990 (age 34) 11 0 Mexico Guadalajara 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
DF Mariana Cadena (1995-02-13) 13 February 1995 (age 29) 3 0 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
DF Andrea Sánchez (1994-03-31) 31 March 1994 (age 30) 4 0 Mexico Guadalajara 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
DF Mónica Rodríguez (1998-08-03) 3 August 1998 (age 25) 1 0 Mexico América 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
DF Reyna Reyes (2001-02-16) 16 February 2001 (age 23) 0 0 United States Alabama Crimson Tide 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE

MF Stephany Mayor (1991-09-23) 23 September 1991 (age 32) 79 14 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF Karla Nieto (1995-01-09) 9 January 1995 (age 29) 25 0 Mexico Pachuca 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF María Sánchez (1996-02-20) 20 February 1996 (age 28) 24 3 Mexico Guadalajara 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF Liliana Mercado (1988-10-22) 22 October 1988 (age 35) 22 1 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF Lizbeth Ovalle (1999-10-19) 19 October 1999 (age 24) 18 4 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF Diana Evangelista (1994-11-05) 5 November 1994 (age 29) 4 0 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
MF Dinora Garza (1988-01-24) 24 January 1988 (age 36) 30 5 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Nancy Antonio (1996-04-02) 2 April 1996 (age 28) 15 1 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Joana Robles (1994-07-26) 26 July 1994 (age 29) 13 0 Mexico Atlas 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Cristina Ferral (1993-02-16) 16 February 1993 (age 31) 11 1 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Belén Cruz (1998-11-07) 7 November 1998 (age 25) 3 0 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Ana López (1994-02-09) 9 February 1994 (age 30) 1 0 Mexico Pachuca 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Silvana Flores (2002-04-18) 18 April 2002 (age 22) 0 0 England Chelsea 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Nicole Pérez (2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Mexico Guadalajara 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Maricarmen Reyes (2000-04-23) 23 April 2000 (age 24) 0 0 United States UCLA Bruins 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
MF Mónica Ocampo (1987-01-04) 4 January 1987 (age 37) 91 17 Mexico Pachuca Training camp, October 2019

FW Renae Cuéllar (1990-06-24) 24 June 1990 (age 33) 37 10 Mexico Tijuana 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
FW Daniela Espinosa (1999-07-13) 13 July 1999 (age 24) 12 0 Mexico América 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
FW Adriana Iturbide (1993-03-27) 27 March 1993 (age 31) 6 1 Mexico Atlas 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
FW Charlyn Corral (1991-09-11) 11 September 1991 (age 32) 53 29 Spain Atlético Madrid 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
FW Kaitlyn Johnson (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994 (age 29) 23 8 United States Chicago Red Stars 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
FW Katty Martínez (1998-03-14) 14 March 1998 (age 26) 10 1 Mexico UANL 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE
FW Desirée Monsiváis (1988-01-19) 19 January 1988 (age 36) 5 3 Mexico Monterrey 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship PRE

Player records

  • Maribel Dominguez: Mexico's top international goal scorer of all time, among both men's and women's squads, earning her the nickname "Marigol." Current coach of the U-17 women's team.
  • Stephany Mayor: Among the first-ever out LGBTQIA+ Mexican athletes and featured along with her fiancée Bianca Sierra in the New York Times.[9]
  • Mónica Ocampo: Scored a golazo against England in the 2011, which was selected by fans as the greatest Women's World Cup goal ever.[13]
  • Nicole Pérez: Honored as one of CONCACAF's Women's Best XI for 2018.[14]
  • Tanna Sánchez: Honored as one of CONCACAF's Women's Best XI for 2018.[14]
  • Cecilia Santiago: Youngest goalkeeper ever to appear in a Men's or Women's World Cup.
  • Bianca Sierra: Among the first-ever out LGBTQIA+ Mexican athletes and featured along with her fiancée Stephany Mayor in the New York Times.[9]

Most capped players

Top goalscorers

Results and schedules

  Win   Draw   Lose

2019

12 December Friendly Brazil  6–0  Mexico Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Brazil
18:00
Report Referee: Thayslane de Melo Costa (Brazil)
Assistant referees: Leila Naiara Moreira da Crus (Brazil)
Assistant referees: Daiane Caroline Muniz dos (Brazil)
Fourth official: Rejane Caetano da Silva (Brazil)
15 December Friendly Brazil  4–0  Mexico Estadio Fonte Luminosa, Araraquara, Brazil
15:30
Report Referee: Rejane Caetano da Silva (Brazil)
Assistant referees: Daiane Caroline Muniz dos (Brazil)
Assistant referees: Leila Naiara Moreira da Crus (Brazil)
Fourth official: Thayslane de Melo Costa(Brazil)

2020

29 January 2020 (2020-01-29) Olympic Qualifying Mexico  1–0  Jamaica Edinburg, TX, United States
19:00 Report Stadium: H-E-B Park
Referee: Katja Koroleva (United States)
Assistant referees: Kathryn Nesbitt (United States)
Assistant referees: Felisha Mariscal (United States)
Fourth official: Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua)
1 February 2020 (2020-02-01) Olympic Qualifying Mexico  6–0  Saint Kitts and Nevis Edinburg, TX, United States
14:30
Stadium: H-E-B Park
Referee: Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua)
Assistant referees: Brooke Mayo (United States)
Assistant referees: Kathryn Nesbitt (United States)
Fourth official: Crystal Sobers (Trinidad and Tobago
4 February 2020 (2020-02-04) Olympic Qualifying Mexico  0–2  Canada Edinburg, TX, United States
17:30 Stadium: H-E-B Park
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (United States)
Assistant referees: Felisha Mariscal (United States)
Assistant referees: Brooke Mayo (United States)
Fourth official: Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua)
7 February 2020 (2020-02-07) Olympic Qualifying Mexico  0–4  United States Carson, CA, United States
19:00 Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
Assistant referees: Chantal Boudreau (Canada)
Assistant referees: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (Jamaica)
Fourth official: Myriam Marcotte ((Canada)
5 March 2020 2020 Cyprus Women's Cup Mexico  1–1  Croatia Larnaka, Cyprus
13:00
Report
Stadium: GSZ Stadium
8 March 2020 2020 Cyprus Women's Cup Slovakia  2–2  Mexico Larnaca, Cyprus
18:00 Report
Stadium: AEK Arena

Competitive records

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup Record
Year Round Position MP W D* L GF GA
China 1991 Did not qualify
Sweden 1995
United States 1999 Group Stage 16th 3 0 0 3 1 15
United States 2003 Did not qualify
China 2007
Germany 2011 Group Stage 11th 3 0 2 1 3 7
Canada 2015 Group Stage 22nd 3 0 1 2 2 8
France 2019 Did not qualify
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 To be determined
Total 3/9 9 0 3 6 6 30
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
FIFA Women's World Cup history
Year Round Date Opponent Result Stadium
United States 1999 Group stage 19 June  Brazil L 1–7 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
24 June  Germany L 0–6 Civic Stadium, Portland
27 June  Italy L 0–2 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough
Germany 2011 Group stage 27 June  England D 1–1 Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
1 July  Japan L 0–4 BayArena, Leverkusen
5 July  New Zealand D 2–2 Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Canada 2015 Group stage 9 June  Colombia D 1–1 Moncton Stadium, Moncton
13 June  England L 1–2
17 June  France L 0–5 TD Place, Ottawa

Olympic Games

Summer Olympic Games Record
Year Round Position MP W D* L GF GA
United States 1996 Did not qualify
Australia 2000
Greece 2004 Quarter-Finals 8th 3 0 1 2 1 8
China 2008 Did not qualify
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016
Japan 2020
France 2024 To be determined
United States 2028
Total - 1/6 3 0 1 2 1 8
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

CONCACAF Women's Championship

CONCACAF Women's Championship Record
Year Round MP W D* L GF GA
Haiti 1991 Group Stage 3 1 0 2 9 16
United States 1993 Did not enter
Canada 1994 Third Place 4 1 1 2 6 19
Canada 1998 Runners-up 5 3 1 1 20 6
United States 2000 Group Stage 3 1 0 2 10 7
CanadaUnited States 2002 Third Place 5 3 0 2 11 7
United States 2006 Third Place 3 2 0 1 6 2
Mexico 2010 Runners-up 5 3 0 2 11 7
United States 2014 Third Place 5 3 0 2 17 7
United States 2018 Group Stage 3 1 0 2 4 9
United States 2020 Semifinals 4 2 0 2 7 6
Total - 40 20 2 18 101 86
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Pan American Games

Pan American Games Record
Year Round Position MP W D* L GF GA
Canada 1999 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 1 2 15 9
Dominican Republic 2003 Third Place 3rd 4 3 0 1 10 5
Brazil 2007 Fourth Place 4th 5 3 0 2 6 1
Mexico 2011 Third Place 3rd 5 2 2 1 3 2
Canada 2015 Third Place 3rd 5 3 0 2 10 7
Peru 2019 Fifth Place 5th 4 2 1 1 10 5
Chile 2023 To be determined
Total - 6/6 29 16 4 9 64 29
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Central American and Caribbean Games

Central American and Caribbean Games Record
Year Round Position MP W D* L GF GA
Puerto Rico 2010 Withdrew
Mexico 2014 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 11 1
Colombia 2018 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 18 3
Panama 2022 To be determined
Total - 2/3 10 9 1 0 29 4
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Algarve Cup

The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and longest-running women's international football events and has been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup."[15]

Portugal Algarve Cup record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA GD
2005 9th place 4 2 1 1 5 7 −2
2006 8th place 3 1 1 1 9 4 +5
2013 8th place 4 2 0 2 4 4 0
Total 3/27 11 5 2 4 18 15 +3

Overall official record

Competition Stage Result Opponent Position Scorers
Haiti 1991 CONCACAF Tournament Group stage 0–12 United States United States
1–3 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago
8–1 Martinique Martinique 3 / 4
Canada 1994 CONCACAF Tournament Group stage 0–9 United States United States
0–6 Canada Canada
3–1 Jamaica Jamaica
3–3 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 3 / 5
Canada 1998 CONCACAF Tournament Group stage 3–2 Costa Rica Costa Rica
7–1 Haiti Haiti
2–2 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 1 / 4
Semifinals 8–0 Guatemala Guatemala
Final 0–1 Canada Canada
United States 1999 World Cup Group stage 1–7 Brazil Brazil Domínguez
0–6 Germany Germany
0–2 Italy Italy 4 / 4
Canada 1999 Pan American Games Group stage 1–1 United States United States
2–3 Canada Canada
5–1 Costa Rica Costa Rica
5–1 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 3 / 5
Semifinals 2–2 (PSO: 5–3) Canada Canada
Final 0–1 United States United States
United States 2000 Gold Cup Group stage 3–4 Canada Canada Domínguez 2, Mora
7–0 Guatemala Guatemala Mora 4, Domínguez 3
0–3 China China 3 / 4
United States 2002 Gold Cup Group stage 0–3 United States United States
5–1 Panama Panama Gómez 2, Domínguez, Leyva, Sandoval
2–0 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 2 / 4 Gerardo 2
Semifinals 0–2 Canada Canada
Third place match 4–1 Costa Rica Costa Rica Domínguez 2, González, Mora
Dominican Republic 2003 Pan American Games Group stage 1–0 Costa Rica Costa Rica Worbis
3–1 Argentina Argentina Mora, Rosales, Worbis
Semifinals 2–3 Canada Canada Leyva, Mora
Third place match 4–1 Argentina Argentina Leyva, Mora, Moreno, Rosales
Greece 2004 Summer Olympics Group stage 1–1 China China Domínguez
0–2 Germany Germany 2 / 3
Quarterfinals 0–5 Brazil Brazil
United States 2006 Gold Cup Group stage 3–0 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Domínguez, González, P. Pérez
Semifinals 0–2 United States United States
Third place match 3–0 Jamaica Jamaica Ocampo 2, Domínguez
JapanMexico 2007 World Cup qualification AFC-CONCACAF play-off 0–2 2–1 Japan Japan Domínguez, Leyva
Brazil 2007 Pan American Games Group stage 5–0 Paraguay Paraguay Corral 2, Ocampo 2, Valdez
0–1 Argentina Argentina
2–0 Panama Panama Worbis 2
3–2 United States United States U20 López 2, Worbis
Semifinals 0–2 Brazil Brazil
Third place match 1–2 Canada Canada Worbis
Mexico 2008 Summer Olympics qualification Group stage 8–1 Jamaica Jamaica López 4, Morales 2, Ocampo, Worbis
1–3 United States United States 2 / 3 Worbis
Semifinals 0–1 Canada Canada
Mexico 2010 Gold Cup Group stage 7–2 Guyana Guyana Domínguez 4, Garza, Worbis
2–0 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Domínguez, López
0–3 Canada Canada 2 / 4
Semifinals 2–1 United States United States Domínguez, V. Pérez
Final 0–1 Canada Canada
Germany 2011 World Cup Group stage 1–1 England England Ocampo
0–4 Japan Japan
2–2 New Zealand New Zealand 3 / 4 Domínguez, Mayor
Mexico 2011 Pan American Games Group stage 0–0 Chile Chile
1–1 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Domínguez
1–0 Colombia Colombia 2 / 4 V. Pérez
Semifinals 0–1 Brazil Brazil
Third place match 1–0 Colombia Colombia Ruiz
Mexico 2012 Summer Olympics qualification' Group stage 5–0 Guatemala Guatemala Domínguez 3, Diaz, Garza
7–0 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Guajardo 3, Diaz, Ruiz, Saucedo
0–4 United States United States 2 / 4
Semifinals 1–3 Canada Canada V. Pérez
United States 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship Group stage 0-1 Costa Rica Costa Rica
10–0 Martinique Martinique Samarzich, Duarte 2, Mayor, Guillou (o.g.), Garciamendez, Garza, Ocampo 2, Noyola
3-1 Jamaica Jamaica 2 / 4 Mayor, Corral 2
Semifinals 0-3 United States United States
Third Place Match 4-2 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Mayor, Ocampo, Corral 2
Canada 2015 World Cup Group stage 1–1 Colombia Colombia V. Pérez
1–2 England England Ibarra
0-5 France France 4 / 4
Canada 2015 Pan American Games Group stage 0–1 Colombia Colombia
3–1 Argentina Argentina Noyola, Rangel, Ruiz
3-1 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 2 / 4 Mayor 2, Ocampo
Semifinals 2-4 Brazil Brazil Romero, Rangel
Third place match 2-0 Canada Canada Ocampo, Mayor
United States 2016 Summer Olympics qualification Group stage 6-0 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Domínguez 3, Garciamendez, Rangel, Johnson
0-1 United States United States
1-2 Costa Rica Costa Rica 3 / 4 Domínguez
United States 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship Group stage 0-6  United States
4-1  Trinidad and Tobago Corral 2, Johnson, Sanchez
0-2  Panama 3 / 4
Peru 2019 Pan American Games Group stage 2-0  Jamaica Palacios, Corral
1-2  Paraguay Mayor
2-2  Colombia 3 / 4 Caracas (o.g.), Corral
Fifth place match 5-1  Panama Ovalle 2, Rodriguez, Mayor, Martínez
United States 2020 Summer Olympics qualification Group stage 1-0 Jamaica Jamaica Cuéllar
6-0 Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis Palacios, López, Mayor, Cuéllar 2, Mercado
0-2 Canada Canada 2 / 4
Semifinals 0-4 United States United States

Head coaching history

1. Nicolás Rodríguez: As La Tri’s first official coach between 1991 and 1998, Rodríguez took an inexperienced and under-resourced squad to the 1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sending only one qualifier from the confederation to the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, this tournament fielded eight teams divided into two groups. Matches were also only 80 minutes long. In Group A, Mexico lost to eventual winner United States 12-0, its worst ever appearance. With a loss against Trinidad and Tobago and a win against Martinique, Mexico finished third in the group, failing to advance to the semifinals. Likewise, during the 1994 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which determined the two qualifiers for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, Mexico finished in third place, failing to reach the international tournament yet again.

2. Leonardo Cuéllar: Once a highly-touted player for the Mexico men’s national football team, Cuéllar took over El Tri Femenil after a brief stint as the women's soccer coach at CSULA. Head coach until 2016—a period of 18 years—Cuéllar had a questionable record. As head coach, Mexico only qualified for the world cup on three occasions and the Olympics once; his teams never won a single game in any major tournament, nor did they finish first in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. Common criticism of his leadership was his nepotism and overreliance on US-born players. Cuéllar was never at risk of losing his job despite dubious results, and he even hired close allies, including his son Christopher Cuéllar. He also regularly held tryouts in the United States without doing the same in Mexico.

Initially charged with taking the squad to the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which would award 1.5 qualification slots to the 1999 Women's World Cup, he was successful in qualifying for the team's first ever appearance at the official tournament. Finishing first in its group and winning against Guatemala in the semifinal, Mexico eventually fell 1-0 to Canada in the final. Mexico went on to qualify for the cup after defeating Argentina in the CONCACAF-CONMEBOL playoff match. Cuéllar was very lucky to qualify. The tournament expanded from 12 teams to 16 teams and the United States was the host, so their squad automatically qualified; had these two changes not been made, Mexico would have likely been out.

Cuéllar went on to schedule friendlies and participate in organized tournaments, but with few victories. The team qualified for 2011 and 2015, but his coaching style remained consistent. Frustration grew among his players after his call-ups involved much controversy. As players like Charlyn Corral and Kenti Robles demanded change, Cuéllar began to omit them from future squads. Likewise, he discriminated against Stephany Mayor and Bianca Sierra for being in a relationship, leading to their infrequent call-ups as well. His reign eventually ended when Mexico failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

3. Roberto Medina: Promoted from U-20 squad to the senior team without any official announcement from the FMF, Medina served as head coach from 2016 to 2018. With few victories—including a 3-0 win against Venezuela early in his tenure, his technique was essentially a continuation of Cuéllar's style. Though he was praised after Mexico won the gold during the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, he was relieved of his position after failing to advance out of the group stage during the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship. With losses to Panama and the United States, Mexico did not qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup despite having the Liga MX Femenil and the most talented generation it had seen up until this point. Historically weaker teams, such as Jamaica and Panama, advanced further than the squad, signifying that other teams had surpassed Mexico. After his ouster, he became head coach of Tigres. Medina had been the U-20 coach one other time, but elected to coach a men's team just before a world cup.

4. Christopher Cuéllar: With no official announcement, Cuéllar Jr. replaced Medina after the team failed to qualify for 2019. Cuéllar, the son of Leonardo Cuéllar, was promoted after serving as the U-20 women's squad coach. Like his predecessors, Cuéllar Jr. has had limited results. During the 2019 Pan American Games, La Tri finished in fifth place after failing to advance beyond the group stage despite the absence of both the United States and Canada. Throughout his first 21 games as DT, the team has had 6 victories, 5 draws, and 10 losses. Their best win has been against the Czech Republic, ranked 28th in the world (with whom they've also tied), whereas their worst loss was against Paraguay, ranked 48th. Despite upcoming dates like the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Cuéllar Jr. was seen working with men's teams. #FueraCuellar has trended on Twitter multiple times.

Domestic recognition

In various occasions, fans have showed up in large numbers to support La Tri. When Mexico played against Denmark in the 1971 Women's World Cup final, over 100,000 showed up at Estadio Azteca. Likewise, when Mexico played Argentina in a playoff game to qualify for the 1999 Women's World Cup, over 70,000 fans were in attendance.

Until recently, attention around the women's team was dwarfed by the men's squad. Few matches were televised or advertised, limiting knowledge around the team's achievements and struggles. Former ESPN commentator Nelly Simón frequently advocated for more attention to this team. Likewise, after winning the gold medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, Kenti Robles called on news outlets and fans to pay more attention to them. However, with increased attention in the women's game after the establishment of the women's league in 2017, more games have been televised. Since then, millions watched Mexico play in the U-17 world cup final against Spain in 2018.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Costa Rica women have history to draw on in first Women's World Cup". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Mundial (Women) 1971". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  4. ^ Garin, Erik (11 April 2019). "Mundialito (Women) 1981-1988". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  5. ^ Lewis, Michael (21 January 2012). "Mexico's Leonardo Cuellar Has Turned 'Las Tri' into a Global Power". Fox News Latino. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  6. ^ Jensen, Mike (17 June 1999). "Mexican Soccer Team Has American Accent Half Of The Improbable Women's World Cup Squad Comes From North Of The Border". The Inquirer. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Monica Gonzalez urges Mexican federation to seize opportunity to promote women's game". espnW. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  8. ^ Baxter, Kevin. "Mexico's women's soccer coach Leonardo Cuellar steps down". latimes.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Vilchis, Raúl (6 July 2017). "For Teammates in Love, an Island Oasis". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Central American & Caribbean Games Women". Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Panama qualified for the semifinals of the 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship". 10 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  12. ^ https://miseleccion.mx/noticias/3085/Convocatoria-de-la-SNM-Femenil-para-la-Copa-Chipre-2020
  13. ^ "Ocampo strike voted Women's World Cup's Greatest Goal". FIFA. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  14. ^ a b "United States spearheads Concacaf Women's Best XI". Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Women's game thriving in the Algarve". FIFA. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2014.

External links