Angel City Football Club Comes up Short in Hard Fought Battle Against Seattle Reign FC

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 Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Comes up Short in Hard Fought Battle Against Seattle Reign FC

September 7, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) lost 2-3 at home tonight to the Seattle Reign following goals by forwards Alyssa Thompson and Sydney Leroux. Defender Sofia Huerta, midfielder Ji So-Yun, and forward Tziarra King scored for Seattle.

After being pinned into their defensive third in the early minutes of the game, Angel City opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Forward Sydney Leroux won the ball in the midfield and sent a diagonal pass to Thompson as she made a run up the left. Thompson dribbled into the box, burst past her mark, and sent a close-range angled shot past goalkeeper Claudia Dickey and into the back of the net.

Seattle had their first real chance of the game in the 11th minute, with forward Tziarra King taking a diagonal shot from just inside the 18, but defender Jasmyne Spencer blocked it out for a corner.

In the 31st minute, Seattle defender Sofia Huerta stepped up to take a penalty kick following a foul by goalkeeper DiDi Haračić against forward Jordyn Huitema in the box. Huerta sent her shot to the right, with Haračić diving left, to bring the score to 1-1.

The Reign continued to work their way into the game as the half went on, with Haračić making a pair of clutch saves in the 35th minute to keep the score level. After Seattle won the ball in their attacking third, Huitema sent a short diagonal pass to King, who put a low shot on target from close range- but Haračić dove to block it. The keeper claimed the ball when King took a second shot with the rebounded ball.

Haračić had another pair of saves in the 45th minute, first stopping an attempt by midfielder Quinn from outside the 18, then claiming Huitema's shot on the rebound.

Seattle stayed on the front foot heading into stoppage time, with midfielder Ji So-Yun taking a one-timed shot off a service by forward Ana-Maria Crnogorčević near the penalty spot that flew over the crossbar in the 48th minute.

In the 51st minute, Huitema headed a cross by defender Shae Holmes down into the middle of the box, where Ji scooped up the ball, beating her mark to place her shot just inside the near post to put Seattle ahead going into the break.

The visitors notched what would end up being the game-winner in the 59th minute when Crnogorčević sent a cross from the right corner of the 18 into the run of King near the far post, where she one-timed it past Haračić and into the back of the net.

In the 66th minute, Thompson dribbled into the box from the right and took an angled shot, which Dickie blocked; the rebounded ball nearly fell to Leroux at the far post, but the forward didn't quite connect.

The hosts scored but had their goal pulled back following a video review in the 67th minute. On a corner kick play, Leroux sent a pass to defender M.A. Vignola, who hit the back of the net on a low shot from the edge of the 18- but Leroux was ruled to have been in an offside position upon review.

ACFC had a second goal pulled back following a review in the 85th minute. Dougherty Howard served a long ball into the box; it took several bounces, but the Reign failed to clear it, and it rolled to midfielder Madison Hammond near the edge of the six-yard box. Hammond sent it inside the far post, but her goal was nullified following review for a foul on the play by Leroux.

Angel City finally pulled one back in the 99th minute. Vignola sent a cross past her mark and into the six-yard box from the left edge of the penalty area, and Leroux headed the ball over Dickie's head and into the net.

Angel City plays next on the road in Louisville on Saturday, September 14 at 4:30 p.m. PT live on ION.

ACFC MILESTONES

Midfielder Katie Zelem appeared in the Starting XI for the first time in her NWSL career.

Forward Alyssa Thompson now has eight career regular season goals, making her second all-time for most goals by a teenager. She's also tied with Claire Emslie for most consecutive games, scoring a goal (3) in club history.

Forward Sydney Leroux scored her 47th career NWSL regular season goal, and is now tied for 8th on the all-time scoring list along with ACFC forward Christen Press.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Team Captain and Defender Sarah Gorden

Thoughts on the match overall:

"We kept fighting until the very end. Obviously, it wasn't the result that we wanted, but I'm really proud of the group for grinding, fighting, and being warriors till the end."

"We had chances up until the last minute. We could have won that game. We could have put more goals away. We have a few things that we need to clean up. Our transition defensively wasn't good enough and we had a different starting lineup. We had a few things we needed to figure out as far as knowing where different players are going to be on the field. It kind of showed in our defensive transition."

"We were getting opened up and we weren't in the right spots. We have to go back to the drawing board and figure that out. There were a lot of moments where we had the ball and were moving it around. We were crisp and felt like we were getting chances. I'm proud of the fight until the end despite the result."

On the identity and culture of this team:

"After the win against Chicago in stoppage time when M.A. played that sick ball, I left thinking like this is who we are. We are warriors when our backs are against the wall. When you're counting us out, when you're telling us we don't have the right players, we see all that and we like our backs against the wall."

"That's when we show up. We're a second half of the season team and this is who we are, and we know that's who we are. All the girls are very secure in our identity. Even if it's the 90th minute, that's why we're still fighting until the end because we know what we're capable of. The culture, the identity, everything is there right now and we know what we have to do."

ACFC Defender M.A. Vignola

On getting back to the Starting XI after working through injuries:

"Up until this point for me, it's been pretty hard trying to find my place again within the team and trying to get that starting spot back. The girls have been nothing but helpful, pushing me, and allowing me to be my best self."

"With their help I was able to get right back to where we picked up. I wouldn't want to do it with any other group of girls. Honestly, the strength that they give me is incredible."

On Christen Press when she enters the game:

"Christen is a world class player and we all want to get her the ball because we know how good she is."

"So when I have the ball and Alyssa has the ball, we're looking for Christen at all times. With her coming back from her injury, she's still finding her style of play, where she is now, and getting her groove back. That's going to continue anyway. She gets more and more minutes after taking two years off. We all want to get her the ball.

"We all know she's a brilliant soccer mind and she's incredible on the ball. We like to move off of her and be options for her. I do think she absolutely changes the game and also opponents are scared of her."

ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed

On the match overall:

"Coming back from two goals disallowed by VAR is tough, but I think it has helped us grow. We put the ball in the back of the net four times and we created chances. That is a massive growth mindset from us that we can keep going and we can dig out moments."

"We have to put that first half of the season behind us, and we need to use that second half mentality and fight that we had through the rest of the season because that second-half team wins games. That second-half team gives us a real chance to go into the postseason."

"I was extremely proud of the entire group, on and off the field. There was an energy and a vibe and it was like a never say die attitude and ultimately that is going to put us through to the end of the season"

On the team's growth in the second half of the season:

"Where we've grown since the first half of the season is in our identity and being sure of who we are, and by buying into who we want to be and that is now coming out on the field. It takes time and this club is only three years old, but you can start to see our identity is clear."

On Forward Alyssa Thompson's growth:

She's remained true to who she is and the way that she plays. The confidence and belief that the team has shown in her- they've rallied around her. She works incredibly hard every day in training and the entire club believes in her and her talent and she knows that. It's important for her to continue to grow as a player, but she really just has to love the game."

POOL REPORTER Q&A:

Question 1: In the 67th minute, Jasmyne Spencer was fouled and it appeared that the ref signaled for the advantage to be played, the play eventually led to M.A. Vignola's goal that was disallowed due to #2 being in an offside position. Why was't the play brought back for an Angel City free kick at the spot of the foul on Spencer?

Answer: The advantage materialized.

Follow Up Question: How did an advantage materialize with Leroux, who would have received the pass in an offside position?

Answer: The pass was made.

Question 2: In the 86th minute, Madison Hammond scored, but the goal was disallowed. Why did the contact by Sydney Leroux on Julia Lester reach the threshold of a clear and obvious error?

Answer: There was a clear foul by the attacker.


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