Angel City Football Club Earns Three Points in Houston to Remain Unbeaten Through First Four Matches of the Season

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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Earns Three Points in Houston to Remain Unbeaten Through First Four Matches of the Season

April 12, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


HOUSTON - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) beat the Houston Dash on the road 3-1 today, following goals by midfielder Macey Hodge, forward Riley Tiernan, and forward Alyssa Thompson. Midfielder Barbara Olivieri scored the lone goal for Houston. The win extended ACFC's unbeaten streak to four games.

The visitors had an early chance in the third minute, with forward Riley Tiernan threading a through ball into the box for forward Alyssa Thompson, but Thompson's angled shot went high.

A fifth-minute attempt by forward Diana Ordoñez- a close-range volley that goalkeeper Angelina Anderson did well to save- was to be Houston's only real threat until the last minute of the half.

Angel City, on the other hand, started pushing for goal early and often, finding the opener in the 13th minute. Forward Claire Emslie sent a low cross from the right wing into the box, where midfielder Kennedy Fuller was lurking. Fuller's shot ricocheted off a defender and fell into the late-arriving run of midfielder Macey Hodge, who sent a low, driven shot past several defenders and into the back of the net.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 30th minute after Fuller combined with forward Alyssa Thompson and then Emslie to work the ball into the final third. As Houston tried and failed to force a turnover just outside the 18, the ball fell to forward Riley Tiernan, who took a touch, turned, and sent the ball just inside the post to bring the score to 2-0.

ACFC kept pushing as the half went on, with Hodge taking another shot from the same area she'd scored from in the 44th minute- but this time, goalkeeper Jane Campbell made the stop.

In the 47th minute, the Dash had their best chance yet after midfielder Sophie Schmidt played a ball over the top for forward Yazmeen Ryan. Ryan sprinted up the left wing, cut inside, and fired off a shot from inside the penalty area, but it sailed over the bar.

After a pair of halftime substitutions, Houston returned from the break with a new spring in their step, with forward Messiah Bright getting a look in the 50th minute. The play started with Houston forcing a turnover in midfield, before Ryan sent a through ball to Bright in the box. The former Angel City striker got one on one with Anderson, but sent her shot wide of the far post.

Thompson answered with an attempt of her own a minute later, scooping up the loose ball after midfielder Alanna Kennedy intercepted a Houston pass. Thompson made a long run up the left, cut inside, and shot from the penalty arc, but hit the post.

Houston answered in the 61st minute. Forward Barbara Olivieri forced a turnover in the final third and tapped the ball sideways to Bright, who made a forward run into the box. Olivieri followed with a run of her own, picking up the lateral pass from Bright and sending her shot past Anderson to bring the score to 2-1.

The game remained a back-and-forth affair as the half went on, but the visitors put the nail in the coffin in the 86th minute. Midfielder Katie Zelem won the ball in the midfield and tapped a short pass to Tiernan, who in turn sent a through ball into the space left by Houston's high defensive press. Thompson again made a run up the left and cut inside, this time finding the back of the net despite Campbell getting a piece of her shot. With the score at 3-1 and just a handful of minutes remaining, ACFC finished out the match for their fourth result in a row.

PLAYER MILESTONES

Forward Alyssa Thompson earned her 50th career NWSL regular-season appearance in today's match.

Rookie midfielder Macey Hodge earned her first career NWSL regular-season goal in the 13th minute.

Rookie forward Riley Tiernan's second career NWSL regular-season goal and first NWSL regular season assist. Tiernan's goal was the 3,500th goal in NWSL regular-season history.

Forward Alyssa Thompson earned her 10th career NWSL regular-season assist and goal in today's match. She is the second youngest player in NWSL history to earn 10 goals and 10 assists. Her first time earning a goal and assist in a NWSL match.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Forward, Alyssa Thompson

On becoming the second youngest player to earn 10 goals and 10 assists in NWSL history:

"It feels really amazing. I am super happy. I've been working really hard to get to this point, and I owe a lot to my teammates for lifting me up and believing in me, knowing that I can do this from the beginning. From their belief I have confidence in myself now to continue to be a better player on the field and score an assist for the team."

On the difference between the club's energy in the first and second half of today's match:

"The first half, I felt as a whole, we were trying to get into the game. It was very hot and when we were pressing, it was kind of disorganized. In the second half, coming into halftime we needed to get this win. It's okay if they play in the back and we got our structure together. We were more organized and able to hold off the pressure for a long time and then able to score after."

Overall thoughts on the team in the first four matches of the season:

"It's honestly amazing that we've been able to start on the right foot this season. Everyone has come in with a really good attitude. The players that we've gotten are really good and all of them are willing to learn and help the team in any way they can.

"We just want to continue this momentum and not harp on these few games, so that we can continue to just play our best and by the end be where we want to be."

ACFC Midfielder, Macey Hodge

On being grateful for the opportunity to play professional soccer and grow with the club:

"It's just a dream come true. I always reflect on how five years ago, I didn't think I was ever going to play soccer again. To be on the stage with the teammates that I have, doing the things that I'm doing is kind of surreal. It keeps everything in perspective for me, being super thankful and grateful for the opportunity that I have.

"To grow up watching some of the people that I'm playing with now in itself is so surreal to me. To be able to learn from the people that I'm around and have them help me grow, it's super amazing. I'm thankful for it all, it feels like a dream."

On scoring her first career NWSL regular-season goal and helping the team win in Houston:

"We're really excited to pick up three points on the road. That's huge in any setting, so just really excited to get the result.

"Also excited to be able to contribute to that win on the score sheet. It feels nice to obviously get the first goal of my career, but the result is the most important."

On today's atmosphere in Houston:

"It was like, 90 degrees and pretty humid. We knew that it was going to be a different atmosphere to play in, but wanted to try to not let it affect us as much as it could and just focus on keeping the ball.

"Scoring early helps with momentum a lot. To get that early goal was nice, and then to get Alyssa's closing goal was great. Things can be kind of iffy at 2-1, so to finish it off and put three away was super big for the group."

ACFC Interim Head Coach Sam Laity

On the game plan and the difference between the two halves:

"When we have players like [Alyssa Thompson] in possession, and especially in transition, we know how deadly they can be. We did identify some spaces that we thought were going to be available against Houston, and in behind the back line ended up being one of them, but what you saw early in the first half was the game plan, and the players executed it to a tee. To be two goals up pretty quickly in a game away from home is really positive.

"And of course in the second half, we dropped off a lot, we looked tired, we looked fatigued, so from then it was about mentality. But good start, really good pictures; second-half mentality, absolutely sensational. The subs that came in made a big, big impact on the game, so kudos to everybody."

On the team's greatest strength:

"It's mentality. Mentality and togetherness. We bend a little bit, but we don't break. We've showed amazing resilience. We started with that in preseason from the very first day. We talked about resilience and grit and determination, bending but not breaking, and the team have shown that.

"When you come away to Houston, certainly after an international break, you're dealing with the temperature, you're dealing with the humidity. They brought on a lot of speed in the second half and got behind us a little bit more, and that caused us some problems."

On the team's offensive success:

"Well, it's service. The team's responsibility is to feed each other, to serve each other, and we spoke a lot in the last week or so about taking advantage of when we've gotten in behind teams. Today we scored two goals from situations that we knew that we would be capable of creating. So, the responsibility of the players is to create high-quality chances for each other and we did that in bucket loads early in the game."

Box Score - April 12, 2025 (Shell Energy Stadium)

Goals:

LA - Hodge 13'

LA - Tiernan 29' (A: A. Thompson)

HOU - Olivieri 61' (A: Ryan)

LA - Thompson 86' (A: Tiernan)

Shots Saves Fouls Offsides Corners

HOU 14 3 6 0 8

LA 13 2 12 2 2

LA Starting XI: Anderson, Angelina; Gorden, Sarah; King, Savy; Vignola, M.A.; Thompson, Gisele; Kennedy, Alanna; Fuller, Kennedy; Hodge, Macey; Emslie, Claire; Thompson, Alyssa; Tiernan, Riley

Subs: Moriya, Miyabi; Zelem, Katie; Hammond, Madison; Press, Christen; Reid, Megan

DNP: Stambaugh, Hannah; Dufour, Julie; Phair, Casey; Press, Christen; Nabet, Lily

HOU Starting XI: Campbell, Jane; Nielsen, Paige; Westphal, Christen; Lind, Katie; Sheehan, Delanie; Olivieri, Barbara; Schmidt, Sophie; Graham, Maggie; Colaprico, Danielle; Ordoñez, Diana; Ryan, Yazmeen

Subs: Bright, Messiah; Gareis, Ryan; Alozie, Michelle; Bachmann, Ramona

DNP: Smith, Abby; Matthews, Zoe; Van Zanten, Kiki; Puntigam, Sarah; Briede, Belle

Check out the Angel City FC Statistics



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