Angel City Football Club Earns First Win of the 2025 NWSL Regular Season to Remain Unbeaten Through First Three Matches

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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Earns First Win of the 2025 NWSL Regular Season to Remain Unbeaten Through First Three Matches

March 31, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) earned their first win of the year tonight, besting Seattle Reign FC 2-1 at home. Forwards Alyssa Thompson and Riley Tiernan scored for ACFC, with midfielder Ji So-Yun notching the consolation goal for the visitors.

The first half would see Angel City dominate possession 65-35% and outshoot Seattle by 9-2. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller got the proceedings started with an early chance, running onto a slipped through ball from forward Claire Emslie in the first minute, driving into the box, and firing a low left-footed shot toward the far post, but her attempt went just wide.

Seattle followed up with their first chance of the game in the third minute when midfielder Ji So-Yun capitalized on an Angel City giveaway and sent a through ball to forward Maddie Dahlien. Dahlien sprinted into the box and got one on one with goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, but her shot was also wide.

The hosts opened the scoring in the eighth minute with forward Alyssa Thompson's second goal in three games. Midfielder Alanna Kennedy won the ball in midfield and tapped it to Fuller, who quickly looked upfield and sent a pinpoint through ball into the box for Thompson. The 20-year-old sprinted onto the ball, took a few touches to off-balance the defense, and buried a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Claudia Dickey to put Angel City up 1-0.

The home crowd's jubilation was short lived, though, as Seattle was awarded a penalty for a foul by defender Gisele Thompson against forward Ana-Maria Crnogorčević in the ninth minute. After a video review, Ji stepped up to the spot in the 12th minute and confidently sent her shot into the right side of the net at chest height to level the score.

Angel City had another chance in the 16th minute when Seattle incompletely cleared an Angel City cross. The ball fell to midfielder Katie Zelem just outside the penalty area, where the Manchester native fired off a hard shot, but her long-range attempt was saved.

In the 27th minute, Alyssa Thompson played a lateral ball into the box for Fuller, but a pair of Reign defenders partially cleared the ball; Kennedy was making a run into the box and took a sliding shot that went wide.

Defender M.A. Vignola had a chance in the 35th minute, running onto a slipped ball from Thompson and taking a low left-footed shot, but it also went wide. Thompson facilitated another chance in the 41st minute, this time finding Emslie at the top of the box, where the Scotland international took a left-footed shot that Dickey stopped but failed to collect; Fuller pounced on the loose ball, but her attempt was saved.

The second half got off to a relatively slow start, with a batch of Reign subs in the 61st minute injecting new urgency into the game. One of those subs, forward Nérilia Mondesir, had a look from inside the box less than a minute after entering the game, but wasn't able to get much power behind her shot, and it rolled wide of the goal.

Angel City wasted no time answering Seattle's renewed energy, finding the game winner in the 63rd minute. Zelem found Emslie to the left of the penalty area with a short pass, and Emslie sent a cross into the center of the 18 where forward Riley Tiernan was lurking. Tiernan had space and headed the ball past Dickey for the go-ahead goal.

Tiernan's goal was her first as a professional.

LA came close a final time in the 72nd minute when Fuller hip checked a defender off the ball, dribbled past the next defender, and shot for the near post- but her attempt went wide.

After the international break, Angel City is back on the road in two weeks, facing Houston on Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. That match will stream live on Paramount+.

ACFC Player Milestones

ACFC earned its first win of the 2025 NWSL Regular Season and remained unbeaten through the first three games for the first time in club history.

Forward Alyssa Thompson earned her 11th career NWSL Regular Season goal in the 8' of the match. She is now tied for second all-time in club history.

Midfielder Kennedy Fuller earned her second career NWSL Regular Season assist in the 8' of the match, her second this season.

Forward Riley Tiernan scored her first career NWSL Regular Season goal in the 63' of the match. The Tiernan sisters are just the second set of sisters to both score in the NWSL (after Sam and Kristie Mewis).

Midfielder Claire Emslie earned her ninth career NWSL Regular Season assist, her eighth since joining ACFC (the most in club history).

Special Recognition for USWNT Legends

During halftime, ACFC paid special tribute to the 14 former USWNT legends who are founding investors of the club. Several were in attendance including Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach, Joy Fawcett and more. As part of the club's Women's History Month Celebration, the honorees were joined in the field by ACFC Co-Founders Natalie Portman and Julie Uhrman, controlling owner Willow Bay, and the legendary Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss. A banner was revealed honoring the women who paved the way and it will be displayed at every ACFC home match moving forward.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Forward, Riley Tiernan

Thoughts on her progress made since joining ACFC:

"At first it was definitely intimidating. Once I got here I knew I had to show how much I can do everyday at practice and training. Everyday was a tryout so I just put my best foot forward and did what I could do and got the spot."

On being one of the younger teams in the league:

"For me, being a rookie, I was intimidated the first two games playing in front of a huge crowd. This game I was able to let the pressure fall off a little bit. I was able to find myself and be a little calmer on the ball and keep the ball.

"Everyone came out today and did so well. When that happens, it's the most fun thing ever. No one likes losing, but winning together is what we practice for and train for. When you get the result, that's all you can ask for."

On the game winning goal:

"That was a dream come true honestly. We talk a lot in training about getting in the box and winning those first and second balls. We did that really well today and it showed. I know that when Claire [Emslie] gets the ball, she's playing it in the box. Right place, right time it connected to my head and it went in."

ACFC Midfielder, Kennedy Fuller

On confidence going up into his season:

"Rookie season is difficult for everybody. You come into a new environment with new people. As a 17-year-old it's difficult, but I think being able to have the support [helps].

"My first season didn't go how we wanted, but to come in the second season and do it with some of my best friends and some of the newer players is so fun. We're enjoying it and that's one of the biggest differences, being able to see everybody with a smile on their face after the game is so good to see."

On Alyssa Thompson's goal

"I have been working on my relationship with Alyssa. She has an eye for the goal. When she sees red, it's the goal. My job as a ten is to figure out how I can be the most dangerous. If Alyssa is in the right spot then I am going to play that ball and she's been in the right spot a bunch of times. To be able to put it there for her and her to do her thing is my job."

On being one of the younger teams in the league:

"We have a split between veterans, more experienced players and then we have younger players like Alyssa and Gisele [Thompson]. We have a ton of younger players so being able to bounce ideas off each other and come from the same place. Being able to bounce ideas off with a bit of an age gap is a lot easier for us."

ACFC Interim Head Coach, Sam Laity

Thoughts on bringing in Riley Tiernan (Invitee to Training):

"Can't take full responsibility. I was not at the club when they brought in Hannah [Johnson], Riley [Tiernan], and Hodgy [Macey Hodge]. The staff did an amazing job of scouting the type of people we want at the club and profile.

"Riley kept showing up in practice every single day, every time we reflected on training sessions. She showed up in all the clips. She started to be a bit more dynamic with the ball and started to get stronger and stronger. Started to make contact and get physical."

On progression of the club three games in:

"The performance from this game has been developed from the last games. Today we put a lot of really good things together. The first half performance I believed if we played a little bit quicker and cleaner we would have scored more goals.

"I liked to see more goals and us finishing the game off early today. We want more high percentage chances. This is the foundation of this young, energetic team and we are going to have enormous growth and the most potential. My job, the staff's job, and the players' job is the collective responsibility to get this team to the standard. They are capable."

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