Angel City Football Club Earns Draw in Down to the Wire Match against North Carolina Courage

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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Earns Draw in Down to the Wire Match against North Carolina Courage

October 12, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


RALEIGH, NC - Angel City drew 1-1 on the road in North Carolina tonight, following two stoppage-time goals- one by ACFC forward Christen Press and one by Courage forward Olivia Wingate.

The hosts dominated the first half, earning their first chance in the 12th minute. On a transition play, forward Ashley Sanchez combined with midfielder Manaka Matsukubo to set up midfielder Aline Gomes. The Brazilian received the ball inside the 18 and sent a shot past her mark, but it sailed wide of the far post.

In the 28th minute, Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haračić made a big stop. Courage defender Malia Berkely played a long ball over the top to forward Tyler Lussi, who took a single touch to beat her mark and play the ball into the penalty area. The ball fell into Sanchez's run, and she made an attempt on goal with the outside of her foot that Haračić blocked.

That blocked shot was the first in a flurry of chances by the Courage; their next came two minutes later when defender Feli Rauch made a run up the left wing in transition and once again sent the ball into the run of Sanchez, near the penalty arc, but Sanchez's shot went wide. They had another look in the 32nd minute when Matsukubo beat her mark and sent a short lateral pass to Sanchez. This time, her shot was on target, but proved an easy save for Haračić.

The game settled down over the final 15 minutes of the half, with just one more real chance for either side before the break. That came in the 40th minute, when Berkely again sent a ball over the top, this time for Rauch. In a footrace with Angel City defender Sarah Gorden, all Rauch could do was send a one-touch lob toward the goal from a few yards short of the 18-yard line- an attempt that went wide.

The second half started fairly quiet, with a 54th-minute chance by North Carolina being the biggest play in the opening minutes. Sanchez sent a short diagonal ball to Lussi as she sprinted into the box; Lussi fired off a shot from 10 yards, which went just high of the crossbar.

Things picked up for Angel City starting in the 70th minute, when they had their first real look of the game. Midfielder Katie Zelem sent a diagonal ball to forward Christen Press, who cut left into the 18. She put an angled shot on frame, which goalkeeper Casey Murphy blocked. Forward Sydney Leroux took a crack at the rebounded ball, hitting the crossbar, and then sending her follow-up attempt back to Murphy.

The visitors had another near miss in the 85th minute, with Press picking up the second ball after a scramble in the six-yard box. She again put her shot on target, with Murphy again blocking it.

Angel City continued to push as regulation time ended and the officials indicated eight added minutes. In the 97th minute, Zelem found Press on the right wing, and the forward dribbled into the box, made a cut to the left to beat her mark, and fired a shot into the far corner of the net to bring the score to 1-0.

In the 100th minute, Courage midfielder Denise O'Sullivan lofted a diagonal ball over the top. Forward Olivia Wingate received the pass, sprinted into the penalty area, and sent a low shot into the net to equalize.

Angel City are at home next Sunday, October 20, at 4:30 p.m. against the Utah Royals, their last home game of the regular season.

ACFC Milestones

Forward Christen Press made her 100th career NWSL regular season match appearance in tonight's draw.

Midfielder Katie Zelem earned her first career NWSL regular season assist in the 97' of tonight's match.

Forward Christen Press earned her 48th career NWSL regular season goal in the 97' of the match, making it her first goal since June 11, 2022 against Racing Louisville FC. She is now the 10th NWSL player to score a goal in her 100th regular season game.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Forward Christen Press

On her first goal since returning from injury:

"It was a lot to process in a short time period. Scoring at the end of the game how I did, you think it's going to be the game winner, and we all thought that and it wasn't the case. The group is devastated by that and we know we have to be better."

"I've been playing a very different role on this team. I am on a massive multi-year comeback journey, but the role I've had with this team has been energy and mentorship-style role modeling and this loss was gut wrenching for the group because it felt like it was going to go a different way."

On her goal tonight:

"I couldn't even tell you how the goal went, I have no idea. It felt like an out-of-body experience. I'll go back and watch it and I hope that it is a good goal and I hope that I'm proud of it and I hope I'm gonna be like, 'That's a quintessential Christen Press goal.'"

"I've been rewatching my old goals all the way back to 2012 and I can see how my goal scoring has changed over time. I wanted to figure out who I am going to be now since returning from injury and still making my way back. I can't wait to see what thirty-five year-old, four-ACL-surgery Christen Press looks like when she scores a goal."

On what it's like to be a goal scorer:

"You have to keep a steady head as a goal scorer no matter how your team is playing, you have to believe the next time the ball drops to you, you're going to score."

"It's too funny because since I got injured, people were counting the amount of days I didn't play soccer, but I was counting the amount of days I had not scored because my true love is scoring."

ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed

Thoughts on tonight's match:

"We came into this game knowing that we had to get three points and knowing that this was a huge game for us. In the second half we fought, we were brave. We came out front foot and really took it to the Courage. This is a really difficult place to come and play. They haven't lost here in 21 games now."

"I'm just proud of how brave we were in the second half. It's devastating to not pick up all three points. If you look at how hard it is to come and play here, a point here in this league is a good result."

On halftime adjustments in tonight's match:

"We had to be a little bit more front footed. Our objective defensively was to set a block and stop them from playing through us. They often play through teams, but I think it led us to sink a little bit."

"When we did break and get out, it was all really compact. In the second half we pressed a little bit higher and were able to win the ball back in spaces that we could really hurt them from. We moved the ball quicker attacking-wise and that allowed us to open up some more spaces and used the wide channels. In the first half, we didn't use the wide channels enough. We played a lot of direct and jam balls into a midfield that was really tough to play into."

"We just got a grip of the second half a little bit more. That helped in terms of momentum. They were a little more tired in the second half. When the game opens up and you have quality players to bring off the bench, those players can really make an impact."

On Christen Press's impact in tonight's match:

"Christen was able to get in on the ball facing forward and connect. The game wasn't chaotic when she came in."

"She's been working hard to get to this point and I'm glad that she was rewarded with a goal tonight, but I think you could see the quality that she can bring to the game in the 30 to 40 minutes that she got tonight."

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