Home
Natalia Acuña doesn't enjoy a lot of game time in América Femenil, but a positive COVID-19 test for Renata Masciarelli gave her a rare chance to showcase her abilities as a goalkeeper. Sadly, Acuña's performance didn't go according to plan.
She wasn't terrible, but in the memory of those who watched the game, it will be impossible to forget the massive blunder that she made.
Natalia Acuña Fail vs Atlas
The game was still young when Acuña left the posts and slid her body on the edge of the box to stop an attack from Atlas. The goalkeeper caught the ball, and it looked like the play was over. However, one second later came the howler. A combination of wet grass and wet gloves made her lose control of the ball.
Smelling the blooper, Atlas' striker Adriana Iturbide took the ball and scored.
Acuña wanted to disappear. Some teammates were polite enough to pat her back and support her, but also there were some stern looks of disappointment.
Without its new stars Katty Martínez and Alison González, América tried to level the game quickly, but Atlas resisted every attack with poise. And as if that wasn't enough, the Azulcremas had another blow in the second half. Defender Karen Luna was sent off after yelling at the ref. She previously had a yellow card, and yellow plus yellow is always red. You know the math.
The chances of getting one point from this game were shrinking significantly.
And even more, when Janelly Farías wasted a penalty kick over Scarlett Camberos.
Luckily for them, Sarah Luebbert was on their side, wearing the savior armor. The American player brought speed and chaos to the right-wing and assisted Natalia Mauleón for the final 1-1.
Although the draw was not optimal for América, it at least let Acuña get some sleep.
The next game for América will be the Clásico Capitalino against Pumas on Jan. 15. Atlas, on the other hand, will host Mazatlán on Jan. 17.
