Angel City FC Welcomes New Sporting Staff
NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City FC Welcomes New Sporting Staff

Published on May 1, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) today announced the addition of two key members to its sporting staff, Leif Gunnar Smerud as Senior Assistant Coach and Larissa Campelo as Soccer Operations Manager.

A UEFA Pro License coach, Smerud most recently managed SK Brann W, which won the Norwegian Toppserien league in 2025 under his leadership. Prior to joining SK Brann, he spent one season at Crystal Palace in the WSL. For nearly a decade, he worked with Norwegian National Teams, serving as head coach of Norway's Under-21 men's team, guiding them to qualification for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the third time in history. He has also worked with both the Norwegian Women's and men National team as interim head coach, as well as spending time as the Deputy Technical Director for the Norwegian Football Federation.

"We are excited that Leif will be bringing his extensive experience at the highest level of both the women's and men's game to our club," said ACFC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. "He will bring both technical and leadership expertise to our esteemed group of technical staff."

Campelo joins Angel City as Soccer Operations Manager after most recently serving with Tampa Bay Sun FC in a soccer operations role, where she supported team and game day operations. Prior to her time in Tampa Bay, she worked with Orlando City SC and the Orlando Pride, gaining hands-on experience managing training logistics, matchday execution, and team services across Major League Soccer and the NWSL. She also spent time at ESPN Wide World of Sports and has served as an operations supervisor and liaison for international clubs and national teams during U.S.-based tournaments and events, working closely with sides such as Arsenal, Flamengo, and Palmeiras.

"Larissa's operational experience coordinating teams from different leagues and countries will be invaluable as we continue to raise our performance standards on and off the pitch," said ACFC Assistant General Manager Matt Wade. "We look forward to having her as part of our operations staff."

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