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Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
Club América Femenil clinched their first international trophy on Saturday, defeating the Washington Spirit 5-3 in a recklessly entertaining Concacaf W Champions Cup final in Pachuca, Mexico.
Washington erased an early two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the second half, but it was quickly erased due to a mistake in the back. América substitute Irene Guerrero scored the eventual game-winner in the 79th minute, and captain Scarlett Camberos added a fifth goal in stoppage time. Brazilian forward Geyse scored a brace. Camberos was named the player of the tournament.
The América captain scored a hat trick on Wednesday in a 4-1 semifinal win over reigning NWSL champions Gotham FC. With Saturday’s victory, América booked a berth in the 2027 FIFA Champions Cup and the 2028 Club World Cup alongside Barcelona, who won the European title earlier in the day.
The NWSL will not be represented at the 2027 FIFA Champions Cup, which will be held in Miami. Gotham won the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup last year, which also qualified them for the 2028 Club World Cup. Gotham lost 3-0 to Pachuca in Saturday’s third-place match.
Saturday’s final got off to a frantic start with three goals in 10 minutes. Moments after Leicy Santos missed an open goal from six yards out in the 22nd minute, Club América struck at the other end of the field. Camberos dribbled down the left flank and crossed the ball to Aylín Aviléz, who took her shot in stride to give the Liga MX Femenil champions the lead.
Geyse doubled América’s lead five minutes later after nutmegging Spirit defender Esme Morgan in the box and slamming her shot into the net.
It looked like the Spirit might unravel until Washington forward Sofia Cantore took matters into her own hands. Cantore picked up the ball in her own half and dribbled about 40 yards without being challenged before firing a driven, hopeful shot from about 35 yards out that beat América goalkeeper Itzel Velasco.
Rosemonde Kouassi scored the equalizer for the Spirit 36 seconds into the second half, then gave her team the lead 12 minutes later after beating her defender on the right flank and chipping Velasco from a tight angle.
The goal was Kouassi’s sixth of the tournament, giving her the Golden Boot. But Washington’s lead was short lived. Three minutes after Kouassi’s go-ahead goal, Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver dribbled in front of her own goal line as Geyse closed her down.
MacIver tried to clear the ball across the goal and Geyse deflected it into the net from a yard away. The goal quickly shifted momentum back to América.
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“That’s where we knew and we noticed this had nothing to do with tactical or physical condition; it had to do with passion and pride,” América head coach Ángel Villacampa said.
Guerrero gave the Liga MX Femenil champions the lead in the 79th minute when she drifted free of the Spirit’s defense and latched onto a low cross from Camberos.
The Spirit conceded again in stoppage time as they threw numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Geyse tackled Washington captain Tara Rudd at midfield and ran toward goal. Camberos hustled to join her and slid to the ground to score América’s final goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
“It’s been a great experience for the team,” Spirit head coach Adrián González said. “I know that right now that probably we are not going to see it with the result after losing a final.
“It’s always hard, because you put a lot of effort…I couldn’t be prouder. I think we are going to learn from this and I am sure that we are gonna keep getting in finals and for sure we will win finals in the future.”
