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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Ends 2024 NWSL Season with Loss to Portland Thorns FC

November 2, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


PORTLAND - Angel City fell 3-0 tonight in their final match of the 2024 NWSL Season on the road against the Portland Thorns FC following goals by forwards Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver.

In the eighth minute, goalkeeper DiDi Haračić had a big save when forward Morgan Weaver sent a ball into the box for Smith. Smith fired off an angled shot, which Haračić dropped to a kneel to block, and defender Sarah Gorden cleared the ball.

The Thorns opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Smith made a long run up the left wing into the 18-yard box and shot from a few yards outside the six-yard box. Haračić blocked the shot, but the rebound fell to Sinclair, who trapped the ball, cut to the left to beat her mark, and fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net.

Angel City had a chance in the 22nd minute when forward Christen Press played a ball into the box for forward Sydney Leroux. Leroux attempted a lateral pass which was blocked by a Thorns defender, and the ricocheted ball fell back into Press's path. She made a cut to the left and fired off a shot, but the defense blocked it.

Portland doubled their lead in the 26th minute. Midfielder Sam Coffey forced a turnover in the center third and found a diagonal pass to Smith as she made a run up the left half-space. Smith sprinted into the box and sent a left-footed shot past Haračić and inside the far post to put the hosts up 2-0.

Sinclair had another look in the 32nd minute- a header off a missed clearance of a service by midfielder Hina Sugita- but her attempt went wide.

Weaver notched Portland's third goal in first-half stoppage time. Sugita received a sideways pass from Sinclair at the top of the 18 and lobbed the ball to the far post, where Weaver headed it into the back of the net.

Angel City had a few chances early in the second half, starting with another shot by Press in the 51st minute. Gorden played a looping ball into the box that Sinclair blocked with her head, and Press volleyed the rebound towards goal, but it was blocked out. In the 54th minute, Leroux got her foot on a cross into the six-yard box by defender Jasmyne Spencer, but Portland goalkeeper Shelby Hogan saved.

Press got one more look in the 58th minute, again off a cross by Spencer, but her curving shot went just over the bar.

In the 62nd minute, Sinclair found Sugita in the box on a transition play, but Spencer got in front of Sugita and blocked her shot from close range.

Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie had a chance in the 82nd minute from inside the box that Haračić dove to save.

The match marked the retirement of NWSL and Canadian National Team legend Sinclair, who has played for the Thorns since the inception of the league.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Defender Gisele Thomson

On positive takeaways from the season:

"Growing and learning from this whole entire experience. All of the players on my team, I've gotten so close with and they've just wanted the best for me. They were super supportive for the whole entire thing and I've learned so much from them, so just taking away different advice was very helpful."

On traveling ACFC fans:

"It's amazing people travel everywhere and kind of crazy just seeing them here. They support us and we love having this amazing fan base. I feel very connected and grateful to have them. It makes playing more motivating, so it's an amazing feeling."

On getting through the tough times as a team:

"We've all been through a lot and it has been really hard. We are trying to look at the positives and still grow as a team as we look to next year. We just want to keep growing and building. And we're a really strong team and we're all just trying to stay positive."

ACFC Defender MA Vignola

On positives from the season:

"There's a lot of good and there's a lot of bad with this season. When we look at the end and the result that there was tonight, it kind of sums up everything that's happened. We need to be able to lock in in the first half and complete games in 90 minutes. And that's not really what we've been able to accomplish this year.

"With the good, it gives us positives to be able to know that we have a team that can go really far in this league and that we have the players that are determined and we all want to fight for this together. We need to move on from this, think about the things that we need to be able to fix and take them into next year."

On getting through the tough times as an individual and a team:

"Speaking for me, the season was the toughest just coming in and out with injury and not being able to be consistent and play. I feel like that's kind of the feeling that everyone's had, not being able to be consistent. We've had different lineups each game, with players in and out.

"That it's going to be really important for us next season to build relationships on the field. Looking at everyday training, those are the things that we're going to have to specifically think about.

"We say this all the time, we have the team, the grit, and the love of the game. We have the energy and now we just need to put the pieces together."

ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed

On her reflection of the season:

"It's about continuing to grow. I'm going to take some time to reflect on the season as a whole, but something that is huge for us is that we conceded way too many goals in transition and it was the same story tonight. We conceded all three goals in transition moments of us having the ball and then within three or four passes, we conceded three goals."

"We've conceded sixteen goals in defending transition this season, and that's a problem. In this league especially, that's something we have to be in control of and look at. It hasn't been about us not being able to score goals, it's been about naive moments that we've conceded too many goals and we've given away too many points from leading positions."

On Alyssa and Gisele Thompson:

"We've had young players contribute a lot of minutes this year. You can see the impact that Alyssa and Gisele [Thompson] have in tonight's game. Alyssa came off the bench since she was with the National Team and we had to make smart decisions based on how much we can get out of her after being away for a week and she was extremely impactful. She created moments where she got inside the box, looked threatening, and she joined other players in."

"This is the second game this year that [Gisele Thompson] completed 90 plus minutes and that takes time in your rookie year.

"A huge positive from tonight's game is that we got an impactful Alyssa Thompson off of the bench and we got Gisele another 90 minutes in the NWSL."

On Portland's celebration of Christine Sinclair:

"I take a step back at the end of the game and watch Portland celebrate Christine Sinclair's retirement. It has taken years to make this club successful, and that's something that teams need to strive for in the NWSL. Being able to be part of that tonight and see it is something that motivates the club and myself to continue to get better."

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