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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Quotes Ahead of Final Home Match of the 2024 NWSL Regular Season

October 18, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) prepared this week to face Utah Royals FC for their final home match of the 2024 NWSL regular season on Sunday, October 20. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET, streaming live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network, and regionally on Bally Sports SoCal.

Below please find quotes from Head Coach Becki Tweed and forward Alyssa Thompson:

ACFC Forward Alyssa Thompson

On her teammates support of her recent call up to the USWNT:

"It's been really special and has made me very happy. Even off social media, they have been supporting me so much and I feel like I honestly wouldn't be in this position without them.

"They have kept my confidence really high and have always wanted the best for me this season. It's been amazing to kind of see their support there too."

On adjustments she has made this season both on and off the field:

"The biggest adjustment that I had to make was learning who I was as a soccer player again. Last season, there was so much going on, a lot of good things, but I didn't really have the time to think, process and continue to improve.

"This season I've been really honing in on things that I need to work on that will make my game even better and get me into positions where I want to be, like making the USWNT roster.

"Both on the field and off the field have been equally challenging, but also really fun to learn and navigate. I'm more focused in terms of actually being a professional, recovery, and film. I've taken it a lot more seriously than I did last year. The team has helped me a lot and I've grown a lot in that aspect too."

On her working hard to meet expectations and standards:

"Going into the beginning of the season and continuing into the middle, the coaches were helping a lot with film and off the field, but still soccer related stuff. That has helped me a lot with looking over my game and being more cued into my teammates' tendencies and then also my [own] tendencies and how I can improve on those.

"Also, off the field I don't think I've modeled myself off of anyone, but I've honed in more on things like recovery and the extra things that I need to do in order to make my body feel really good going into match day or even going into training. I want to make sure that I put 100 percent into every day because that translates into the game.

"My teammates have been so helpful this season and I feel so close to them. Being able to know that they support me, gives me confidence as well. That has helped me a lot with continuing to grow."

ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed

On Forward Alyssa Thompson's recent call-up to the USWNT:

"Coming into your second year in the league is tough. When you come in as a rookie, you are a new player that people haven't seen before. She has had to mature her game this year and I'm sure she is all over opponent's scouting reports as a key player and that's a compliment, but now we need to get more sophisticated in the way that we play. She has spent time learning to grow and recognize when she can get the ball to feet and when she can run beyond.

"She's got her head down and has applied herself every single day as a professional in the gym, the locker room, and on the field. This is hard work and something that people don't see, the behind the scenes work that Alyssa has put in is incredible.

"This call-up is deserved for her hard work. She has an incredibly bright future and it is going to come with huge successes and also her moments where she will have to learn and deal with adversity. She has been the true definition of a pro this year and I'm thrilled for her.

"She is sure and certain of what she wants. She has taken a step back to think about how she is going to get there step-by-step. With these younger players, everybody thinks they are going to come and be a finished product. When really the most exciting part for Alyssa is where her ceiling can lead her in a few years time.

"She has an incredibly special talent, but that still has to be managed, and it still has to be an approach from her and the staff in helping her reach those goals and develop. She is clear and certain of how she's going to meet those goals and get there, and she has applied herself every single day."

On Defender Gisele Thompson's recent U-20 call-up:

"Any player you can get to play on an international stage is such a great experience. Gisele went out there and the U-20's were inspirational to watch. I enjoyed watching Gisele and the entire group and to see the pros coming into that U-20 group is exciting to see for the future of this country and of the sport.

"She comes back with experience, a whole lot of memories, playing against international opponents and some of the best teams and players in the world. Now balancing out and remembering that she's a human that's 18 years old and making sure she gets the correct support in return.

On Forward Christen Press' return to play:

"We have to be mindful that she was out for two years and has had four surgeries. We need to put her in the best position to succeed. She is working back through some of those moments and the fitness piece as well, not the cardiovascular fitness, but the linking of every part of it together. The muscle memory, the fitness, the technical, there is no doubt in her qualities. It is just about getting her back to a space where her body and mind is safe to continue to grow and there isn't a rush in doing that."

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