NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Falls to Portland Thorns FC in 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Away Match

June 1, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


PORTLAND - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) fell 3-2 tonight on the road against the Portland Thorns in a 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup match that saw them come back from a two-goal deficit, then give up a third late in stoppage time.

Portland opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when forward Izzy D'Aquila sent a long diagonal ball from deep on the right wing to forward Michelle Vasconcelos as she sprinted into the box on the left. Vasconcelos muscled past ACFC midfielder Madison Hammond as she tracked her run and one-timed the ball past Goalkeeper Brittany Isenhour.

The Thorns doubled their lead in the 46th minute, when midfielder Olivia Moultrie sent a free kick diagonally toward the six-yard box, where D'Aquila made a play for the ball but couldn't quite connect. However, Moultrie's attempt brushed past her and landed in the goal.

Angel City pulled one back in the 61st minute, when forward Scarlett Camberos laid a pass off to midfielder Clarisse Le Bihan, who took a few touches to get into the box and sent a hard left-footed shot toward the far post and into the back of the net.

Two minutes later, fast on the heels of a Portland chance where D'Aquila hit the crossbar, forward Alyssa Thompsonsprinted into the box on a transition play. Goalkeeper Shelby Hogandove to claim the ball but failed to gain control of it. As Thompson made a play for the ball, Hogan dove again, knocking Thompson down. No foul was called on the play, but upon review, the center ref pointed to the spot. Forward Claire Emsliestepped up to take the kick and sent her hip-height shot to the left and into the net to level the score in the 66th minute.

In the 76th minute, Portland forward Morgan Weaver sent a sideways pass from just inside the

Late in stoppage time, forward Christine Sinclair floated a ball toward the top of the six-yard box, where Weaver flicked it on with a scorpion kick-like touch, sending it onward and into the net.

POST-MATCH QUOTES

ACFC Defender Megan Reid

Thoughts on the match:

"I think for any team, it is so important to be put in these situations where you are down a goal or down two goals and to know that as a team you have the belief to come back from something like that. Having these experiences at this part of the season is so important in order to know you can do that further down the season."

"It is learning the lesson that we have to stick out games in those last couple of minutes in extra time. We have to hunker down and be a brick wall."

On the days leading up to this match:

"I think we had a game [on Saturday vs. OL Reign] where we were not ourselves. Those games happen. I think everyone was extremely upset about it and we felt it, soaked it in, and then tried to start fresh. Took a day off and let everyone clear their minds and get back to a good starting point and jumped off from there.

"I think we had a great mindset coming into this game, great energy, just wanting to play and get back out there and show the world what we can do."

On what the focus will be upon returning to LA:

"We will keep focusing on our fundamentals. Making sure we are dangerous on attacking set pieces, that we are a bit more solid on our defensive set pieces, and our ability to have more teeth in our traps on the sidelines. Just the smaller details that we need to refine over the next couple of days."

On the team's fight:

"I think we are an incredibly resilient team. I think you can have one, two, three goals on us and we will still have the belief that we can come back and put the ball in the back of the net and make it hell for you. You have to have that belief and if you don't, you're really going to struggle in a league like this. Overall, it was a much improved performance from our last match, and we are going to keep on improving and growing from here."

ACFC Head Coach Freya Coombe

Thoughts on the match:

"It was a pretty even affair for the most part. A few mistakes cost both teams, but we made a few mistakes that credit to Portland, took advantage of and capitalized on. I was pleased with our fight and spirit to get back into the game, and there was momentum with us, but unfortunately we couldn't hold on. They've shown themselves to be a good team in the dire moments of games and they did it again tonight."

On the team's fight to come back:

"I'm pleased with our response after the game over the weekend. A part of it is we looked at who we are as a team and our values. The big thing for us is showing who we are as a group and our qualities and they lived that today with the fight back."

"We weren't dead and buried. We showed belief. Individuals led the group. Claire Emslie led the team well and really dug deep. Alyssa [Thompson] showed herself to be such a great threat as well. Also, Scarlett had a fantastic game.

"It was real energy from our forward line and Sarah [Gorden] as always, mopping up anything in behind, which is great."

On Mackenzie Pluck's progress in training and her minutes tonight:

"She's coming into us now after finishing graduate school at Duke University. She's been in our environment for longer, getting more consistent training sessions, which has been great."

"She's someone who shows great ability on the ball and is able to work terrifically hard. She can turn on the sixpence, as we say, and is able to be a threat in front of goal. A big thing for us is continuing to have waves of attacking threat throughout the 90 minutes of the game."

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