Dafne Juárez and Antonia Sánchez win gold medals
Mexico reaches 21 gold medals at the Pan American Games in Asunción
Dafne Juárez and Antonia Sánchez win gold medals
▲ Mexican Dafne Juárez (338), who took the gold, runs behind fellow Mexican Sabrina Salcedo (353), winner of the silver, yesterday during the 1,500-meter competition at the Junior Pan American Games. Photo @asu2025
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, August 21, 2025, p. a11
Yesterday, the athletics team added two gold medals to the Mexican delegation's haul at the Junior Pan American Games being held in Asunción, with 11 medals won for a total of 95, just three days before the end of the competition.
Middle-distance runner Dafne Juárez took the crown in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 4:23.58 minutes, while her compatriot Sabrina Salcedo won silver and Ecuadorian Carmen Alder took bronze.
“It was a very strategic event; at times we were going slowly. We knew it would come down to the last lap, when we had to close things out quickly. There were faster competitors than me, but I felt good and was able to pass the Ecuadorian competitor to win silver. I'm happy with this result, especially because the gold medal stayed in Mexico. It was a collective visualization; everyone came to do their job, their own race. The goals are similar; two Mexicans in the same event is a very good thing. Each had their own strategy, but when I saw her pass, it gave me the strength to fight for second place,” Salcedo said at the end of the race.
In the 400-meter hurdles, Antonia Sánchez won gold, beating Caribbean athletes Michelle Smith of the Virgin Islands and Daynea Colstock of Jamaica, who finished second and third, respectively. Sánchez's gold medal, which she completed in 55.91 seconds, was Mexico's third in athletics, where they have won 10 medals.
"This is a dream come true. At first, I didn't believe it, but it's a reminder to follow your dreams and with perseverance, you'll achieve your goals," said the Mexican runner.
Silver in weightlifting
In weightlifting, Leonardo Torres won the discipline's first medal with the Argentine medal in the 71 kilograms. He lifted a total of 274 kilos (124 in the snatch and 150 in the clean and jerk). In the women's division, María Verdín also took silver in the 58 kilograms, lifting a total of 189 (84 in the snatch and 105 in the clean and jerk).
Ángel Segura took silver in the 60-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling category, losing to American Hopper Black. Diego Macías also took second place, losing to Star-Spangled Banner competitor Payton Jacobson. Dorian Trejo won Argentina's final medal of the day in the discipline, losing to Venezuelan Juan Díaz.
In other sports, José Enrique Gil finished third in the C1,000-meter canoeing final, Jaime Palomino took bronze in water skiing slalom, and Pablo Font did the same in the figure category.
Mexico remains in fourth place in the medal table with 95 medals (21 gold, 39 silver and 35 bronze), below leaders Brazil, Colombia (2) and the United States (3).
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, August 21, 2025, p. a11
With two penalties scored by Uruguayan Luis Suárez, Inter Miami eliminated Tigres from the 2025 Leagues Cup after winning 2-1 in the quarterfinal match played yesterday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in which the American team was without its star player, Lionel Messi.
The Pistolero 's goals came in the 23rd and 89th minutes, giving the Garzas their ticket to the semifinals, where they will face Orlando City, which also eliminated Toluca from the tournament. Ángel Correa scored for the Monterrey team in the 67th minute.
In the most exciting quarterfinal match of the tournament, which Mexican national team coach Javier Vasco Aguirre was present, the Argentine star was expected to start. He returned to the U.S. league this weekend after being injured earlier this month. However, he was again out due to muscle discomfort, although he was in the stadium and watched the game from a box seat.
The team coached by Argentine Javier Mascherano took the lead after the referee called a handball by Mexican Javier Aquino. Aquino slid into the Tigres area to intercept a Jordi Alba cross, and due to the momentum of the play, he touched the ball with his left arm. Suárez was tasked with taking the shot, and although his shot toward the right post was guessed, he managed to beat the attack of Mexican goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán.
At the start of the second half, the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) team created a clear chance to score, after Diego Lainez launched a shot from outside the area in the 57th minute that went just wide of the base of the left post.
It wasn't until the 67th minute that Tigres finally managed to pull one back, after Correa, following a pass from Juan Brunetta, slipped into the area between two defenders, Gonzalo Luján and Marcelo Weigandj, and unleashed a shot that Óscar Ustari couldn't stop, thus putting the score at 1-1.
However, in the final minutes, Aquino committed another handball in the box, so the referee, after reviewing the incident with VAR, was unforgiving and awarded a penalty again. Suárez was again chosen to take the penalty, and with a powerful right-footed shot, he beat Guzmán for the second time to seal his team's victory and a place in the semifinals.
In the other quarterfinal match, played yesterday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, Orlando City defeated reigning Liga MX champion Toluca 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regulation time, thereby also securing their ticket to the next round.
▲ The 25-year-old forward was a key player for the Amazonas team, where she is the club's all-time leading scorer with 136 goals. Photo @TigresFemenil
Karla Torrijos
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, August 21, 2025, p. a12
Mexican Jacqueline Ovalle is close to making the most expensive signing in the history of women's soccer if her transfer from Tigres to the Orlando Pride of the United States goes through for a fee close to two million dollars.
Although neither club has officially announced it yet, according to various reports, the deal is close to being finalized, as the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) transfer window closes on Monday, and it could be unveiled in the coming days.
The national team member also has a contract with the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) until the summer of 2026; however, the U.S. team is willing to pay her buyout clause to add her to its roster.
With her signing, La Maga , who has dazzled with her spectacular style of play and whose fame increased after the scorpion-like goal she scored in the match against Chivas in the 2025 Clausura tournament, would mark a milestone in women's soccer, both globally and in the Liga MX Femenil.
The most expensive signing in women's soccer to date was Canadian forward Olivia Smith, who moved from Liverpool to Arsenal a month ago for $1.3 million.
That figure surpassed the previous record of $1.1 million that Chelsea paid to the San Diego Wave last January for American defender Naomi Girma.
The departure of Ovalle, who has been with Tigres since the 2017 Apertura tournament, in which the Liga MX Femenil was officially launched, would mean a significant departure for the Amazonas, as she is the club's all-time leading scorer, with 136 goals.
Likewise, the 25-year-old forward, originally from Aguascalientes, was a key player in helping the Monterrey-based team become the Liga MX Femenil's most successful team, contributing to the team's six league titles and three Campeón de Campeonas titles, with which she has played 294 matches in total.
Everything seems to indicate that last Friday's match, corresponding to the seventh round of the 2025 Apertura tournament and in which Tigres fell 2-3 to the reigning champion, Pachuca, was Ovalle's last game in Mexican soccer, as after the final whistle, he was seen leaving the field in tears.
At the Orlando Pride, the current champion of the U.S. women's league, the tricolor attacker would share a locker room with the legendary Brazilian soccer player Marta, who just last August 2 led her national team to its ninth Copa América title.
Additionally, in the NWSL, Ovalle will reunite with fellow Mexican Rebeca Bernal, formerly of Rayadas de Monterrey and now a member of the Washington Spirit.
For now, the forward continues training for the Liga MX Femenil All-Star match against Barcelona, which will take place this Friday at the Universitario Stadium, home of Tigres.
Violence erupts at Copa Sudamericana match
▲ Following clashes between fans of Argentina's Independiente and Universidad de Chile, 10 people were injured and 90 were arrested. AP Photo
AP and AFP
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, August 21, 2025, p. a12
Buenos Aires. The Copa Sudamericana round of 16 match between Independiente and visiting Universidad de Chile was suspended yesterday at the start of the second half due to fan violence, which has so far left 10 injured and 90 arrested.
From the visiting section of the Libertadores de América stadium in Buenos Aires, Chilean supporters reportedly threw objects at home fans, forcing police intervention and the partial evacuation of that section.
Despite security measures, the violent incidents continued, leading to clashes between the two teams. Uruguayan referee Gustavo Tejera ordered the match to be stopped.
With the score tied at 1-1 (2-1 in favor of Universidad de Chile on aggregate), CONMEBOL announced on the tournament's social media that the match had been canceled.
"The match is temporarily suspended due to disturbances in the stands of the University of Chile," Independiente reported on its account on the social network X. "Pending a resolution, the teams retired to the locker rooms."
The 1-1 draw in Avellaneda favored the Chilean side, who had won the first leg 1-0 in Santiago, to advance to the quarterfinals. Independiente had to win by one goal to force a penalty shootout.
Mexican clubs eliminated from Leagues Cup semifinals
From the editorial staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, August 21, 2025, p. a31
Liga MX was left without representatives in the Leagues Cup semifinals, following the eliminations of Puebla and Pachuca to Major League Soccer (MLS) teams Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy, respectively.
The La Franja team fell 4-3 in a penalty shootout to Seattle, after a scoreless draw in regulation at Lumen Field. Ricardo Marín and Nicolás Díaz missed their shots, allowing the American team, which thrashed Cruz Azul 7-0 in the group stage, to advance to the next round.
Meanwhile, Pachuca, the Mexican tournament leader and last remaining player in the binational competition, lost 2-1 to the Galaxy, thanks to an own goal by Alonso Aceves in the 27th minute and another goal by German Marco Reus in the 37th. Meanwhile, Alexandre Zurawski scored for the Tuzos in the 97th minute in the game played at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Since the Leagues Cup officially launched in 2023, no Liga MX team has been crowned champion in three editions. Inter Miami, with Lionel Messi, was crowned champion in the inaugural year, and Columbus Crew, one edition later.
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