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NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Scores Second Road Victory

June 11, 2022 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


Angel City FC celebrates a goal
Angel City FC celebrates a goal
(Angel City FC)

LOUISVILLE, KY - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) beat Racing Louisville FC 3-2 on the road tonight, following goals by forward Christen Press and midfielder Savannah McCaskill for ACFC, and defender Gemma Bonner and forward Nadia Nadim for Louisville.

The game swung in Louisville's favor early on, with the home team squeezing Angel City with a high press and preventing them from keeping possession for long. As time went on, LA started to find the spaces Racing were leaving open, finding a few chances in moments of transition and playing balls over the top. The match was back and forth, however, and it was Louisville that struck first, in the 29th minute. Midfielder Savannah DeMelo stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the right edge of the penalty area and sent a curving ball to the top of the six-yard box, where Bonner- facing away from the goal- flicked it backwards past keeper DiDi Haračić to bring the score to 1-0.

Angel City kept pushing, and in the 36th minute, they made good on a direct transition play. Defender Megan Reid hit a long ball over the top of the Louisville back line into the path of Press's run. Press sprinted around Bonner, took a few touches, and cleanly slotted the ball past keeper Katie Lund.

ACFC started the second half on the front foot, notching their second goal of the night in just the 47th minute. Press dribbled past her mark on the ride side of the 18-yard-box and chipped the ball over the top of Lund and the defense to the far post. McCaskill was lurking on the goal line and redirected the ball into the back of the net with her torso.

The game was still a back-and-forth affair, and Angel City had a few close calls before conceding again in the 65th minute. After Reid fouled DeMelo in the box, giving up a penalty kick, Nadim stepped up to the spot and placed her kick to the left, sending Haračić to the right to bring the score level again.

The remaining 25 minutes of regulation were a frenetic, physical affair, with both sides getting chances but neither one able to gain a real foothold on the game. In added time, Angel City earned a penalty of their own after Lund took forward Simone Charley down in the area. McCaskill stepped up to take the kick against her former team and coolly slotted the ball just left of center, wrong-footing Lund and bringing LA ahead again. The score stayed level during almost 10 minutes of stoppage time, and Angel City took home three points in their third game in eight days.

Rookie forward Miri Taylor got her first minutes in this match, and defender Paige Nielsen made her first start. Both played the first 45 minutes and subbed off at the half.

ACFC is on the road again next Saturday, June 18 against OL Reign in Seattle at 7:00 p.m. PST. The game will stream live on Twitch.

POST MATCH QUOTES

Angel City FC Head Coach Freya Coombe:

Opening Statement:

"We knew we had to up it going into halftime, otherwise we would get punished by Louisville. It was great for us to come out and get that strong start in the second half and put them under pressure."

"I think there's a lot of emotion tonight. The game could have gone either way, but it's great to come away with those three points."

On thoughts during moment of double punch in the 63rd minute:

"There were moments where we started to play a little bit better at the start of the second half. I thought we were able to possess the ball and look to create chances, which was good."

"I thought Clarisse's pass to Simone leading to the penalty was absolutely world class, a fantastic ball, and great run from Simone being able to get inside the box."

On Christen's assist to Savannah McCaskill:

"We were talking earlier in the week about our need to get numbers into the box. It was a great example of committing to making those forward runs and showing up in those spaces."

"We knew there were some areas we wanted to exploit against them. It was a great ball, and Savannah provided the creative finish, which is a typical Sav kind of finish, showing class."

On Christen Press's goal in the 36th minute:

"It was not quite the week to be able to work on specific things in training, but in terms of the instruction, that's what we wanted to do. We know that we can play a bit more direct, as long as the quality of the ball is there."

"It was nice [to get] that connection right. We have that ability to play more direct ball, it's not always about possession."

"Being able to put Christen in those positions is something that she'll relish. It's important for our team, and I thought the quality of the finish was great."

ACFC Midfielder Savannah McCaskill

Opening statement:

"It's always nice to get back in front of the fans that supported me. I felt the love from the crowd during warm ups. I am with Angel City now. We came here to get three points and that's what we did. Those are the games that we have to grind out. It was really special that we were able to show heart and grittiness and get the three points."

On what she was able to see from Louisville throughout the match:

"We knew we wanted to get out at their back line and threaten them early. At times we did that. I think we could have exploited the space in front of their back line a bit more. We did a good job of varying our play, whether we went long early and made their backline drop, or caught them really high. Being able to mix it up and get at them was what we wanted to do."

On the penalty kick that won ACFC the game:

"We work on those in training. It was my time to step up and put it away, and that's what I did. Simone made a fantastic run into the box. Clarisse put a fabulous ball in behind to turn their backline and Simone drew the penalty."

"That's what we need in games like this. We need a way to keep going until the last whistle, and I was able to step up and put it back in the back of the net."

On what this win means (coming from behind and scoring three points on the road):

"This is huge. Those three points can be the difference between us making playoffs at the end of the season. That is far off, but those points add up."

"It is important to grind out those games and put them away when we can. Going down a goal early and then being able to fight back; going up a goal, tying again and being able to draw the penalty at the very end of the game. I think it's huge."

"It shows a lot of heart from this group. And that's something that I think we've shown all season. That we are never going to just lay down and let a team win three points easily."

"We're always going to stay in games. We're always going to play until the final whistle, and today we showed that we can win games in tough situations, which I think is really big to carry forward throughout the season."

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Angel City FC celebrates a goal
Angel City FC celebrates a goal
   

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