Erick Rodríguez / ABC Noticias
It was a scoreless affair in the first-leg semifinal matchup between CF Monterrey and Tigres Femenil. Rayadas, who will be without manager Eva Espejo after receiving a red card late in the game, must go for the victory since only victory is helpful to them.
Rayadas’ technical assistant, Julio Cevada, said postgame on Friday that the team must have headed into the second leg on Monday night.
Furthermore, Cevada assured that the team could not think about saving anything, considering that an aggregate tie allows Tigres to advance due to their better position in the table.
“Of course, yes [Rayadas will be offensive from the beginning], we have to go for the result, we have to win there, we have no other option for us to go to the final, we have to win, there is no other option, that’s how we are looking,” Cevada told reporters (h/t ABC Deportes).
Rayadas won the last Clásico Regio Femenil played in the Estadio Universitario on matchday 16 of Apertura 2023. So, the squad will likely attempt to draw from that performance to boost their confidence heading into a do-or-die match.
If Rayadas does not advance to the round, the story of the Mexican coach on the Albiazul bench will end with a bitter taste.
Espejo will leave her position at the end of the tournament, so the squad probably wants to ensure that it’s not the last time people see her on the sidelines for Monterrey.