Club América Femenil, commonly known as América Femenil or simply América, is a Mexican professional women's football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. The club competes in the Liga MX Femenil and has been the women's section of Club América since 2016.[1] The team plays its home games at the renowned Estadio Azteca, with Cancha Centenario, situated within their training grounds, serving as alternative venue.
Club América Femenil is one of only four clubs to have clinched the Liga MX Femenil title, achieving this feat twice.[2]
América Femenil main rival is Chivas. The matches between the two are known as El Clasico Nacional, and is regarded as one of the most intense rivalries in Liga MX Femenil.[3]
History
Founding and first league tournament
Club América Femenil was founded on 5 December 2016, on the same day that Liga MX Femenil was announced.[4] Former Mexico women's national football team manager, Leonardo Cuellar, was appointed as the first manager of the team in February 2017.[5] In preparation for the first season of Liga MX Femenil in the second half of 2017, the team participated in a preparation tournament, the 2017 Copa MX Femenil.[6] The club first league match in history was a 1–0 victory against Tijuana on 29 July 2017.[7]
In its first Liga MX Femenil tournament (Apertura 2017), América ended the regular phase of the tournament 1st with 35 pts, but the team was eventually eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoffs by national rivals and eventual champions C.D Guadalajara, in the first instance of the Clasico Nacional femenil between the two institutions.[8]
América won its first league title in history by winning the Apertura 2018 tournament. During this tournament, America ended the regular phase in 3rd place with 35 pts in the general standings and second in its group. In the playoffs, The team eliminated Toluca (5–3) in the quarter-finals, and Pachuca (1–0) in the semi-finals to reach the final against Tigres. América eventually won the final against Tigres on penalties (1–3) at Estadio Universitario after a 3–3 draw on aggregate (2–2 at the Azteca, 1–1 at Estadio Universitario).[9]
2019 to present
For the Clasura 2019 tournament, América once again had a great regular phase, ending second in the overall standings with 38 pts, but was unable to achieve a second consecutive title after being eliminated by Tigres in the semi-finals of the playoffs.[10][11]
Leo Cuellar decided to step down from the position of manager after 4 years in charge on 27 March 2021, after a 2–4 defeat at home against Chivas. Previous to this defeat, the team was coming from a string of bad results and an overall irregular performance throughout the Guardianes 2021 tournament that put the team at risk of not qualifying to the playoffs for the first time.[12] The club appointed Cuellar's assistant, Hugo Ruíz, as interim for the rest of the tournament.[13] América ended-up qualifying to the playoffs by ending in the 8th place during the regular phase, nonetheless América's participation in the Guardianes 2021 tournament ended after being eliminated in the playoffs's quarter-finals by eventual champions Tigres.[14]
On 4 June 2021, Craig Harrington was appointed by the club as the new manager of the team.[15]
On 18 July 2021, the club announced the signing of American player Stephanie Ribeiro, the first foreign player to play for the team.[16]
With Harrington as the new manager and with foreign players in the roster for the first time (Sarah Luebbert and Stephanie Ribeiro), América was able to have a better campaign during the Apertura 2021 tournament than in the previous Guardianes 2021 tournament. In this Apertura 2021 tournament, América ended the regular phase in the 5th place with 31 points.[17] In the playoffs the team defeated national rivals C.D. Guadalajara in the quarter-finals (2–1), but they were once again eliminated by then current champions Tigres in the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 5–2.[18][19]
After América's elimination against Pachuca in the quarter-finals of the playoffs of the Clausura 2022, the club decided to dismiss manager Craig Harrington on 8 May 2022, after just two tournaments due to the results that the team achieved throughout the regular season and in the playoffs of the Clausura 2022.[20] For this Clausura 2022 tournament, América ended in the fourth place during the regular season with 37 points.
On 28 May 2022, the América Femenil U-17 team became champions of the first Liga MX Femenil U-17 tournament (Clausura 2022) by winning the final against Santos on penalties at Estadio Azteca after an aggregate scoreline of 3–3.[21]
On 17 June 2022, the club announced Spanish manager Ángel Villacampa as the new manager of the team ahead of the Apertura 2022 tournament.[22]
The team played its first international match against a European team when it faced German Bayer 04 Leverkusen on 5 July 2022, at Estadio Azteca. This match was also the first time that a Liga MX Femenil team played against a European team. The match ended in a 1–0 victory for America with a goal from Janelly Farías.[23]
In August 2022, the club participated on its first international competition, the 2022 The Women's Cup. During this tournament, América defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 on the quarter-finals to advance to the semifinals. On the semi-finals América was defeated 2–1 by OL Reign. América ended up winning the third place of the tournament by winning the third place match 5–4 against A.C. Milan.[24]
América returned to a Liga MX Femenil final after four years during the Apertura 2022 tournament. The team ended the regular phase of this tournament in 4th place with 36 pts. In the Liguilla, América defeated Tijuana with a 3–0 aggregate score in the quarter-finals, and Chivas in the semi-finals with a 6–4 aggregate score. In the final, América faced Tigres once again, just as in the Apertura 2018 final. However, unlike the Apertura 2018 final, Tigres defeated América this time with a 3–0 aggregate score to crown themselves champions.[25][26] The first match of this final at the Azteca broke the previous attendance record in the league after 52,654 persons attended the game.[27]
During the Clausura 2023, América reached the league final for the third time in history after finishing the regular phase of the tournament in the third place with 37 pts. In the liguilla, América eliminated FC Juárez in the quarterfinals, and Tigres in the semifinals. During this run, América's victory against Tigres at the Estadio Universitario was the first time that the team had won at that stadium. Additionally, America also ended Tigres's run of 54 consecutive matches without a loss at their home-ground.[28] In the final, América faced Pachuca for the first time at this stage. América ended up obtaining the league title by defeating Pachuca with a 4–2 aggregate score in the final (1–2 at the Hidalgo and 2–1 at the Azteca). Additionally, the second match of this final broke the league's previous attendance record of 52,654 spectators which occurred during the previous tournament final, after 58,156 fans attended the game at the Estadio Azteca.[29] América's campaign to win the Clausura 2023 league title was also the first time that a team in Mexican football (men & women) had won all their liguilla matches.[30]
Club América Femenil plays its home matches at the historic 81,700 seats Estadio Azteca, and at an alternative field named Cancha Centenario that is located at their trainings grounds, which has an estimated capacity for 1,000 persons.[31][32]
América Femenil play its first match in history at the Estadio Azteca on 19 August 2017, in a game against Morelia for matchday 4 of the Apertura 2017. The game ended on 5–0 victory for América.[33]
On 11 October 2023, América announced that the Cancha Centenario field will be expand it with the objective of converting it into a small stadium. The expansion of this field is in part due to the planned closure of the Estadio Azteca so that it can be remodeled in preparation for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.[34]
Due to the remodeling of the Azteca for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, América will temporally be playing most of its home games at the Ciudad de los Deportes stadium while the remodeling work is completed.[35]
As of 12 September 2024[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
