SAN LUIS POTOSÍ (Interstat) — F. Caicedo scored twice before halftime and Juarez W made that lead stand in a 2-1 Liga MX Femenil victory over Atl. San Luis W on Sunday. Caicedo struck in the 4th minute and again in the 30th, giving the visitors a commanding start and forcing the home side to chase the match. Atl. San Luis W responded after the break but could not find an equalizer. Liliana Mercado set up both Caicedo goals and later was shown a yellow card. The result gave Juarez W its eighth win in this competition and handed Atl. San Luis W its first loss in the competition.

Juarez W opened with purpose and needed little time to break through. Caicedo’s finish in the 4th minute quieted the home side, and her second in the 30th doubled the advantage. Mercado provided the assists on both goals, repeatedly finding space in the attacking third. The two-goal cushion allowed Juarez W to dictate tempo through midfield and defend with a lead that held into halftime. Atl. San Luis W struggled to create clear chances before the break, though it remained within reach because the deficit stayed at two.

Atl. San Luis W adjusted after the interval and pushed more numbers forward. The home side’s pressure produced a reward in the 75th minute when Enyer Higuera scored to cut the deficit to 2-1. Higuera’s finish gave Atl. San Luis W hope and turned the final stretch into a tense affair, with Juarez W forced to absorb pressure and protect its edge. Juarez W dropped deeper in response, while Atl. San Luis W searched for a second goal that would have changed the result. The visitors survived the late pressure and closed out the win.

The match grew increasingly physical as Atl. San Luis W chased the game. Arevalo S. was booked in the 7th minute for the home side, while Juarez W’s Kaci A. and Mercado L. received yellow cards in the 11th and 19th minutes. Delgado D. was cautioned in the 58th, Contreras R. in the 76th and Castillo M. in the 90th. Both sides made changes after halftime as legs tired and the game opened. Atl. San Luis W made a halftime substitution involving Arevalo S. Juarez W made substitutions involving Kaci A. and Herrera Monge M. in the 64th and Caicedo in the 73rd. Atl. San Luis W made a substitution involving Bello A. in the 84th. Juarez W made substitutions involving Espinoza G. and Solorzano A. in the 88th, and Atl. San Luis W made substitutions involving Sanchez M. and Macias N. in the second minute of stoppage time.

The result moved Juarez W to 8-3-0 in this competition and 8-3-0 across all competitions. Atl. San Luis W fell to 1-1-1 in this competition and 1-1-1 across all competitions. Juarez W’s recent form had included a 5-1 home win over Club Tijuana W and a 2-0 victory at Club Leon W before a 1-0 loss at Guadalajara Chivas W. Atl. San Luis W had beaten Queretaro W 1-0 and drawn 1-1 at Tigres UANL W in its previous two matches. Juarez W next visits Atletico SL W and then hosts Queretaro W before trips to Puebla W and a home match against Monterrey W.

Caicedo’s two goals were the decisive attacking returns for Juarez W, while Mercado’s two assists underscored her role in creating the opening chances. Higuera’s second-half goal was Atl. San Luis W’s only breakthrough, and the home side could not build on it despite increased pressure over the final 15 minutes. Juarez W managed the closing stages with a compact defensive shape and limited Atl. San Luis W to hopeful efforts from outside the penalty area. The final whistle confirmed a win that had been built on Caicedo’s early finishes and Mercado’s service.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atl. San Luis W 1, Juarez W 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Juarez W with a 77.3 percent probability to win. Juarez W had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.