Saved penalty a factor in Angel City draw with Gotham

One thing that is becoming evident in the second half of this season; Angel City is going to be hard to beat.

For the second week in a row, Angel City held its own against one of the top teams in NWSL. This time, hosting the league-leading Gotham FC at BMO Stadium, Angel City showed its opponent that the current standing to them are nothing more than a piece of paper, as keeper Angelina Anderson saved a key penalty, and also guided by some luck of a late Gotham attempt being denied by the framework, Angel City eventually eked out a 0-0 draw on Sunday evening.

Having faced the two two sides, Gotham and the Washington Spirit in back-to-back weeks, the fac that Angel City was able to come away with two points should provide a confidence boost, especially as Angel City prepares to play its next three games on the road. While Sunday’s result did not push them over the playoff line, Angel Cith is quickly showing that it will not be an easy out.

“We are difficult to beat,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “We will win games, I’m sure, if we keep performing and keep playing.”

It all started in the 82nd minute, as Jordyn Dudley collected a loose ball and dribbled down the right side into the penalty area. Dudley sent a right-footed cross that deflected off Angel City defender Sarah Gorden and eventually cleared out of the penalty area. Gotham immediately pleaded that the ball went off Gorden’s right hand, and at first, refereed Gerald Flores waved off Gotham’s pleas, but Flores soon got the call from VAR official Elton Garcia, and after a look, Flores and VAR determined that the ball was close enough to Gorden’s hand to award Gotham the penalty.

Guro Reiten stepped up to the spot for Gotham FC, and she sent a left-footed to her left, but keeper Angelina Anderson guessed right and parried the ball away from goal, and Gisele Thompson cleared the ball away from the penalty area.

“The biggest thing for me is that locking-in piece,” Anderson said of the saved penalty. “In those moments, my mentality and mindset is so strong and confident. It’s almost like… I will save this no matter what.”

Angel City had escaped that danger, but they weren’t completely out of the woods just yet. Gotham had another chance in the 9oth minute, as Sam Kerr fired a right-footed volley just outside the penalty area for the upper left corner, the shot did get past Anderson, but did not beat the framework, as the ball hit off the crossbar and Angel City eventually snuffed out the danger.

Angel City were aggressive right from the start. Angel City got a chance in the seventh minute, as Ally Sentnor played Gisele Thompson into the penalty area, but keeper Ann-Katrin Berger was not only able to collect the ball, but also stop the ball from going over the end line to maintain possession for Gotham. Another great look for Angel City came in the 21st minute, as Claire Emslie sprung Prisca Chilufya down the right side, Chilufya crossed into the penalty area, Sentnor snuck in behind two Gotham defenders, but could not bring down the ball, and instead sent a ball over goal. Then in the 30th minute Emily Sams passed to Thompson, who dribbled into the penalty area, crossed inside the six to Chilufya, but her attempt missed the near post.

Gotham had a golden scoring chance in the 52nd minute. Reiten got to a loose ball, passed to Dudley, who ignited a Gotham counter, Dudley played Kerr into the penalty area, Kerr one-timed a right-footed shot, but Gorden threw herself in front of the shot for the block and Thompson eventually cleared the ball out of danger. 

“She’s been really, really good for a long time,” Smerud said of Gorden. “She’s been consistent at a very high level, and today she was impressive again.”

Angel City’s road trip starts Wednesday, as they head to Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park to face the North Carolina Courage.