Maricarmen Reyes is headed to Liga MX Femenil. 

The 22-year-old midfielder has signed with Tigres Femenil, following her national championship with UCLA women’s soccer. Though she was eligible for the NWSL draft, Reyes did not register. She opted instead to follow in the footsteps of former Bruins teammate and current Tigres Femenil figure Mia Fishel.

Mia Fishel was initially selected fifth overall by the Orlando Pride during the NWSL Draft, but declined the move to join Liga MX Femenil. Despite heavy backlash, her controversial decision has paid off for the striker. 

The striker led Tigres Femenil to their sixth league title since 2016, while becoming the first foreign-born player to win Liga MX Femenil’s Golden Boot with 17 goals. Her recent efforts also landed her at number 88 on the Guardian’s top 100 players of 2022. 

But Fishel’s success abroad has yet to earn her a US women’s national team call up. Though head coach Vlatko Andonovski claims she ‚is on our depth chart‘, many claim her lack of involvement with the national team stems from her choice to play in Liga MX Femenil instead of the NWSL. 

Maricarmen Reyes is not expected to face a similar problem. Born in California to Mexican parents, the dual-nationality figure chose to represent the Mexican women’s national team. 

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