Can Angel City bounce back in 2025?

A new year always bring new opportunities, and for Angel City, the upcoming 2025 season, its third in NWSL, presents an opportunity for redemption for the Los Angeles-based franchise.

2024 was filled with headlines both on and off the field. After making the playoffs in 2023, Angel City headed into last season looking to build on its run to the postseason. However, the team saw up and down play throughout the season, though they were still in playoff contention. However, Angel City suffered a big blow on October 3, when it was deducted three points and fined the team $200,000 for salary cap violations. Angel City never recovered from the lost three points, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

And those were just the headlines on the field. Throughout the season, the Angel City ownership structure hired a firm to explore selling a stake in the franchise, which was accomplished last July, as Disney CEO Bog Iger, along with wife Willow Bay purchased a controlling stake in the team for a record $250 million, making Angel City the most valuable women’s sports franchise in the world. Both Iger and Bay invested $50 million to become the majority shareholders, though the current ownership structure still remained in place.

The headlines continued for Angel City into the offseason, as they parted ways with head coach Becki Tweed and general manager Angela Hucles-Magano. Angel City named Mark Parsons as sporting director on Jan. 16, 2025, but the head coaching situation has yet to be settled. Sam Laity has been named interim coach to start the season, but Parsons recently stated that he won’t have the job filled permanently until June.

Head coaching uncertainty aside, Angel City does have some pieces to get the team back into postseason contention. Angel City is looking forward to having a full season of the services of Christen Press’ who missed two full years rehabbing from a torn ACL, and will also feature other forwards such as Alyssa Thompson, Sydney Leroux and Claire Emslie. Angel City will also welcome back Jun Endo, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

In the midfield, Angel City looks forward to having Katie Zelem for a full season, while also hoping for cintinued contributions from Lilly Nabet and Madison Hammond, but it was the defense that saw the bulk of the turnover. Angel City brought in Alanna Kennedy, an Australian center back who spent the last four seasons with Manchester City in the WSL, and Miyabi Moriya from Japan. Kennedy and Moriya are joined by mainstays Sarah Gorden, M.A. Vignolia and Ali Riley.

Angel City opens the 2025 season at home on Sunday against Southern California rival San Diego Wave FC.