Mexican Women’s National Team Aims for Gold at Pan American Games
The Mexican Women’s National Team has made an unexpected arrival at the Pan American Games, filling in for Canada, which withdrew from the tournament. Despite not originally qualifying, Pedro López’s team is now on the verge of leaving the tournament victorious, with the golden medal in sight.
El Tri, led by Pedro López, is set to face Chile today. However, the Chilean team faces a major problem as they have no available goalkeepers. The Andean team failed to register a third goalkeeper for the tournament, and the other two were forced to leave due to club commitments in Europe.
This predicament makes Mexico the clear favorite for the upcoming match at the Elías Figueroa Stadium in Valparaíso. The Mexican team is expected to clinch the gold medal, marking a historic moment in women’s soccer. The closest they came before was in 1999 when they won the silver medal, losing to the USA in the final.
A victory against Chile not only represents a historic moment for Mexican women’s soccer but also solidifies Pedro López’s position as the team’s coach and Andrea Rodebaugh’s role as the sports director of the Tri Femenil.
Mexico has been in top form throughout the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, winning all their matches in the group phase. With an impressive 16 goals in four games, they boast the championship’s best offense. Furthermore, they have not suffered a loss in over a year under the guidance of the Spanish strategist.
As Chile struggles to find a goalkeeper to face Mexico, they have conducted trials with forwards Yenny Acuña of Sport Bahía de Brasil and Franchesca Caniguan of Universidad de Chile. The decision on who will don the gloves will be made before the match.
However, the Mexican team remains cautious and refuses to underestimate their opponent. Team captain María Sánchez emphasized the need to stay focused, stating, “We have to focus on our game. Things have been heard, but that can also be motivation for them. That’s why we must focus on ourselves.”
Excitement builds as fans eagerly await the Mexico Femenil vs Chile match. The game will be held on Friday, November 3, at 5:00 p.m. (Mexico City time). The transmission will be available through Panam Sports, with minute-by-minute updates during halftime.