Undefeated Cuenca women’s football team goes for first national championship

Formed just six months ago, the Cuenca Lionesses hope to do something tonight the Cuenca men’s football team hasn’t done in 15 years: win a national championship. The team is also likely to do something else the men rarely do: fill Alejandro Serrano stadium with fans.

Credit: El Tiempo

With a 24 – 1 record in the first season of professional women’s competition in Ecuador, Cuenca hosts the Ñañas of Quito in the first Ecuador Super League championship match. The winner will compete in the South American championship tournament that begins in October.

Made up of players from Venezuela, Peru and Guatemala, as well as Ecuador, the Lionesses have been the league’s highest scoring team, routing their opponents in two recent games by scores of 21-1 and 13-0.

“We are a scoring machine and do not apologize for it,” says Cuenca’s top goal-maker Madelin Riera. “We look forward to Saturday’s game and hope to move on to compete with the best teams in South America. We understand we are standing at the door of history and we are grateful for the opportunity to play in the first championship game.”

The game begins at 7 p.m.