Eva Espejo smiles, cries, shouts, but above all she is sheltered in the embrace of her group of players. Having become the first champion coach of Mexican soccer is a merit that echoes beyond her team, Rayadas de Monterrey, as it also gives her a plus as the symbol that opens the doors to new generations.
“Today’s girls are going to be inspired by Eva and, from now on, it will be normal for them to see a player on the court, coaches, referees and a large number of women working in some other area of a team of football. It is important to spread that image of Eva as a champion because these kinds of stories have an enormous impact “, he explains to The Economist, Marianela Camelo, content director at Campeonas MX and Master in Sports Journalism.
In all of Latin America, there were only two champion coaches in a women’s soccer league in 2021: Eva Espejo, with Rayadas, and the Ecuadorian Wendy Villón, with Deportivo Cuenca from her country. In the case of the Mexican, it is the answer of years of crushing stone even before the creation of the Liga MX Women, becoming a historical profile.
“Eva’s title impacts in a very positive way because it gives you hope and illusion that many women can be on a soccer bench as physical trainers, technical assistants, doctors, authority inspectors, there are many possibilities for women and the League MX Femenil is pushing them because, for example, in the U-17 tournament there has to be yes or yes a woman in the coaching staff. Today, this is a reality that years ago seemed very distant, now a big door is opening in a sport that has grown a lot and the league has been a driving force ”, adds Gaby Batocletti, sports journalist and recently titled as Technical Director by the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF).
With only six months in office, Eva Espejo led Rayadas to the second best tournament in its history with 44 points and a goal difference of +35, which are only surpassed by the Apertura 2019, where they achieved 48 and +36, respectively. In addition, he broke the possibility of the three-time championship of his staunch rivals, Tigres, and gave a second star to Club de Futbol Monterrey.
“It is something extraordinary that has to be celebrated because many times when we think of Mexico we do not realize the impact and dimension that this is having internationally. We see other leagues in the world that do not have as many coaches as in Mexico, you can even talk about the United States league and here you have young coaches, like Eva with only 35 years old. When we talk about soccer, we talk about girls dreaming of being players but it is also important that they dream that they can be technical directors and that they can also achieve this, ”says Camelo.
While in the Liga MX Femenil a total of six coaches started the Apertura 2021 tournament, in the NWSL (US league), only two did. For their part, the most renowned South American leagues such as Brazil, Argentina and Colombia had men as champion coaches. The role that Espejo began in 2017, being the first technical director Runner-up with Pachuca, she has joined others such as Carla Rossi, semifinalist with Querétaro, or Karina Báez, debutant with Pumas.
Being a technical director in Mexico is a path in which women are still making their way, because according to Gaby Batocletti’s experience, the average balance is still one woman for every six men who study to become coaches. However, the analyst points out that nowadays there are more and more girls opting to study to be physical trainers or have another position in soccer, something that was not seen frequently before.
“I am a mother of two children, I have work and a home to attend to, it was difficult for me to study for technical director. I thought I knew a lot about football or at least the essentials and when I started studying I realized that I had many things to learn, with the course you have another perspective. Graduating is as difficult as you want it to be, if you are willing to study and learn something else it is like any other career, here it lasts two years, with six hours once a week.
“When I started the course there were only women in the career of technical directors and now there are even active players who are studying the physical preparation course more and more. There is a very good level in the Liga MX Femenil, all the girls have embraced the opportunities that are given to them and that draws attention, that in a country like ours, with hints of machismo, so many girls are appearing is important ”.
The championship also boosts the reputation of Eva Mirror, that already belonged to a tireless fighter who is in constant preparation. Now, Marianela Camelo points out, she will be seen as one of the best-valued coaches in Mexico and, although she could envision horizons such as the United States or South America, she has the confidence of Rayadas to consolidate there and seek to make even more history.
What does the Liga MX Femenil win with Eva Espejo’s title?
“It is worth saying that in such a short time, they have not even been in the league for five years, they have produced incredible fruits and Eva is one of those fruits. The league could say that it started with good foundations, so good that they are already growing and taking root, and that they are giving us something to enjoy, that Eva is a project that did not take whole years, so it is also a definite triumph of the league for giving space not only to female players, but also to more women so that they can develop in other areas. We must amplify this type of message and understand that Mexico is showing the pattern to leagues that have already existed for many more years ”, highlights the director of Campeonas MX.
Records are kept in hearings and attendance
According to figures from Liga MX, the return final of the Apertura 2021 between Tigres and Rayadas, played on Monday night, reached a record streaming audience of 146,505 viewers, which represents an increase of 26% compared to the last edition, the Guardians 2021 between Tigres and Chivas.
Just the profile of Facebook Women’s Tigres registered more than 140,000 viewers at its peak on Monday night, doubling the previous record of 64,608 in the 2020 Guardians royal final edition.
In total, the streams reached more than half a million fans (566,000) throughout various moments of the transmission, also counting with 23,000 interactions thanks to the boost of content on the various platforms of Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil .
In terms of attendance, ‘El Volcán’ received 36,843 fans on Monday night, being the largest capacity of the entire Apertura 2021 tournament in the Liga MX Femenil, despite the fact that only 90% of the property’s capacity was allowed. However, the record for a final is held by the Clausura 2018, when a total of 51,211 also attended a royal final.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx