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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Falls Short in Tough Home Match Against the Washington Spirit

September 28, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Angel City lost 1-2 to the Washington Spirit at home tonight following goals by forwards Ashley Hatch and Makenna Morris. Forward Messiah Bright scored for ACFC.

The visitors had the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when forward Rosemonde Kouassi made a run up the right, beat her mark, and cut inside to send a pass across the box to midfielder Leicy Santos, whose shot went well high.

Washington didn't take long to follow up with a second attempt; following a ninth-minute corner kick, forward Courtney Brown served the second ball into the 18, where defender MA Vignola initially blocked it. Tara McKeown got her head on the rebound, another attempt that went high.

The visitors had another chance in the 23rd minute, when forward Courtney Brown sent a cross into the six-yard box from the left. McKeown got her head on the ball, once again sending it over the bar.

Angel City had their first chance of the game in the 29th minute, a free kick by forward Claire Emslie from the penalty arc. Emslie sent her shot low through a gap in the Spirit wall, but goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury dove to block the shot for a corner kick.

The visitors finally broke through in the 39th minute. Forward Ashley Hatch stole the ball from defender Megan Reid, carried it a few yards into the penalty area, and put it in the back of the net with a left-footed shot.

Angel City came out of the break swinging, earning a shot in the first minute of the second half. Emslie played a ball into the box that midfielder Kennedy Fuller got her head on, but couldn't redirect towards goal. Reid, who was lurking at the back post, connected with her foot but sent her attempt wide.

LA kept pushing, with defender MA Vignola receiving a flick-on by midfielder Madison Hammond and taking a left-footed shot in the 49th minute.

They found an equalizer in the 51st minute, with forward Alyssa Thompson sending a low cross into the mixer from the left edge of the six-yard box. Forward Messiah Bright was making a well-timed run and tapped the ball into the net from the top of the six with a single touch.

In the 55th minute, Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haračić kept her team in the game with a clutch save. On a transition play, Kouassi found Brown with a lateral pass across the top of the box. Brown's one-touch shot was on frame, but Haračić dove to block it out for a corner kick.

Washington notched the winner in the 78th minute. On a transition play, Kouassi sent a pass diagonally into the 18 to forward Makenna Morris. Haračić came off her line to claim the ball, but as she dropped to the ground, Morris chipped the ball over her and into the goal.

Angel City continued to push over the final 10 minutes of regulation time, including earning a chance in the 84th minute when midfielder Rocky Rodríguez sent a long ball to Thompson in the pocket, who found Emslie with a through ball. Emslie put her shot on frame, but Kingsbury blocked it.

Angel City plays next on Friday, October 4, on the road against the Seattle Reign at 7:00 p.m. PT. The match will stream live on Prime Video.

ACFC Milestones

ACFC Defender Megan Reid earned her 50th career NWSL Regular Season match appearance in tonight's match.

ACFC Forward Messiah Bright earned her first goal with the club, making it her seventh career NWSL regular season goal.

ACFC Forward Alyssa Thompson earned her sixth assist of the 2024 NWSL Regular Season..she is now tied with Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman for 2nd best in league (Croix Bethune in 1st place with 10). That assist is her 8th career in the NWSL regular season.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Defender M.A. Vignola

Thoughts on how the team can get better defensively:

"It's tough. This is really something that we were trying to nail down all through our practices and really the last month of just our defensive shape. That's what kind of broke us in the last 10 minutes of the game."

"We let transition take over and we didn't do what we planned on doing defensively. We had the fight, we had the bite. It's just that final piece that we were missing again tonight."

On facing teams at the top of the table and if the team feels far behind:

"It's crazy. With the team and players that we have, there's a lot of high potential. We just fall short in some of the aspects, but when we're out there all together it doesn't feel like we're far behind."

"With us, it's putting our chances away. What we have grown in all throughout the season is coming closer together and building bonds on and off the field, which I think is starting to show more in our game on the field."

ACFC Forward Messiah Bright

On scoring her first goal with the club:

"Those are the final pieces that we do work on in training, so it was just awesome being able to get my first goal for the club."

"Alyssa [Thompson] put a great ball in with me being in the right place at the right time. I'm trying to hone in on those things a little bit more, especially in games like these where it can be a little frantic. Overall, we'll just put our heads down and continue to work."

On the team's mentality when going down a goal:

"We just have to realize that we are a strong team and we rely on each other a lot in moments like these."

"When we do go down a goal, it's just picking each other up in the huddle, saying positive things to get ourselves going again, and then just trying to fight back and get another goal. It's a part of the game."

"Goals are going to come, goals are going to go against. We just have to realize our strengths with each other and continue to fight through it."

ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed

Overall thoughts on the match:

"We beat ourselves again. We scored the equalizer, had momentum and got ourselves back into the game, which was pleasing. In the last ten minutes we showed the grit we have, but it should not come down to the last ten minutes."

"The positives are that everything is in our control. We aren't sitting here asking questions about why teams are playing through us or causing us major issues. We have to look at ourselves and be accountable for our performances."

"We wanted to dominate the first ten minutes of the game and have their back line facing the wrong goal. We looked to offer the threat of pace and be on the back line so that we could open them up and try to play when they were stretched."

On the club's mindset moving forward:

"We have to minimize mistakes and stop conceding goals. We have to keep ourselves in the race by picking up points and playing with pride. We want to win games and be putting ourselves in a better position this season."

"This is not where we want to be and to get above that playoff line takes extremely hard work, but the minute you stop believing, you're never going to do it. We have to keep believing. It's going to be a battle and a test of our mental strength that we have to overcome. This team will continue to fight and believe."

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