Angel City resumes NWSL play with massive win

Not a bad way to jump back into league play for Angel City FC.

Angel City got perhaps its biggest result to date this season. Heading down south to face San Diego Wave FC on a hot Saturday afternoon, Angel City turned out be all business. Alyssa Thompson was the catalyst, as her brace got Angel City back into the playoff chase with a 2-1 win at Snapdragon Stadium.

“It was super important for us,: Thompson said of the win. “We have been talking a lot about the second half of the season and how we want it to be different from the first half. Getting this win already starts the momentum and we can build on that and just continue.”

The win was indeed big for Angel City, as it moves them into the ninth spot in the league standings. More importantly, the three points earned gets them to within a point of Racing Louisville for the eighth and final playoff spot with nine games to go.

“We deserved to win the game,” Angel City head coach Beck Tweed said. “We put in a good performance. We looked comfortable in possession, and played with freedom. We looked like we really enjoyed the game, which is something we’ve been focused on.”

Thompson got Angel City going in the 20th minute. Meggie Daugherty-Howard played a ball forward intended for Thompson, Wave FC defender Hanna Lundkvist tired to cut off the pass, but the ball took a bad deflection, and Thompson kept her run to get to the ball, she then touched into the penalty area, deked keeper Kailen Sheridan and fired the ball into the unguarded net to give Angel City the lead.

Thompson didn’t need anyone else to get her second goal of the match int he 29th minute. Thompson dribbled past the halfway line, then all the way down the left side into the penalty area, Thompson took the ball to the around the penalty spot area, then fired a shot that went through the hands of Sheridan and into the back net.

“I’m feeling really good,” Thompson said. “I feel like in training, I’ve been feeling a lot better and my teammates have helped me a lot with just reminding me and keeping perspective that we have a really long season. It’s the second half season and we’re all ready to just play together.  I feel really good that I got my first two under my belt, and now I can continue to grow.”

Perhaps the only disappointment for Thompson was that she was denied a hat trick in the 68th minute by a mere inches. It started when Katie Zelem, making her Angel City debut after being signed from Manchester United last week, split the San Diego defense with a through ball, Kennedy Fuller timed her run to get to the ball near the end line, played a back pass and Thompson came in and fired a shot that was on target, but bounced off the crossbar. That was not the only time the framework foiled Angel City, as they had another chance to put the match on ice in the 87th minute, as M.A. Vignolia sent a cross that got past Sheridan, leaving Emslie with an open netter, Emslie headed a ball at goal, but it ricocheted off the near post.

Those two chances off the framework bought time for Wave FC, and they did its part to keep themselves in the match. San Diego had a free kick in stoppage time, Maria Sanchez sent the left-footed set piece into the penalty area and Abby Dahlkemper headed a ball into the back net to give Wave FC one last glimmer of hope, but Angel City eventually held on.

San Diego Sports