Angel City readies themselves for NWSL stretch run with win over Juarez

Time to get going for the stretch run for Angel City FC.

Having not played a match since being eliminated from the NWSL Liga Mx Summer Cup back on August 6, and with NWSL play set to resume on August 24 with a massive match on the road against San Diego Wave FC, Angel City used this friendly match against Juarez to get warmed up for its drive to make the NWSL Playoffs. Messiah Bright and Claire Emslie were the catalysts for Angel City on Sunday night, as Bright’s hat trick and Emslie’s brace led Angel City to the 7-0 win.

“At one point I looked at the scoreboard and it was five shots on goal, five goals, which is amazing,” Angel City head coach Becki Tweed said. “Something that we’ve talked a lot about is being clinical in the final third. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, you have to be able to hit the target and test goalkeepers.That’s what we did really early.”

Bright’s first goal also brought with it a milestone. Bright received a pass from Kennedy Fuller, kept herself onside, then one-timed a volley inside the 18-yard box past keeper Renata Masciarelli into the back net for her first goal in an Angel City shirt. The goal came just a minute into the match, making it the fastest goal in franchise history. Bright’s second goal came in the eighth minute, as she deked Juarez defender Angela Sanchez to get inside the penalty area, took a shot that was blocked, but the ball fell back to the feet of Bright, and seeing Masciarelli out of position, she chipped a ball to the far post area and the ball went in to give Bright a brace before the match was even 10 minutes old. Bright got her hat trick in the 36th minute, as Emslie sent a corner kick into the penalty area, Megan Reid headed a ball forward, Bright fired a ball that was saved by Masciarelli, but she left a rebound inside the six-yard box and Bright came in and finished the rebound chance.

“I blacked out on the first one, but once you get one as a striker, you’re looking for another one, and another one,” Bright said. “I was just hungry to finally be in that position to do that for my team.”

Emslie also stood out for Angel City. Emslie scored her first goal in the 22nd minute, as Reid sent a ball forward to Bright, who then touched a ball to a sprinting Emslie, who then dribbled into the penalty area and slotted a shot past Masciarelli near post. Emslie’s second goal capped off the scoring for Angel City, as she sent a free kick from about 25 yards out past Masciarelli into the back net. Others contributed for Angel City, such as Alyssa Thompson drawing a penalty in the 16th minute, then finishing the play off by converting from the penalty spot, and Megan Reid scoring the game’s second goal in the third minute.