Thompson sparks Angel City to win over Kansas City

Could things finally be turning the corner for Angel City?

Mired in a month-long four match losing streak, the momentum may finally be tilting back towards Angel City. Two days after earning a hard-fought point on a scoreless draw in Portland, Angel City hosted the Kansas City Current and came out on top of another hard-fought battle. Gisele Thompson was the catalyst, scoring the opening goal and assisting on Kennedy Fuller’s winning goal in the second half, and Angel City won its first game in almost two months with the 2-1 decision at BMO Stadium.

“The players that start the game need to do their job, and then you have quality coming into the game [to]finish the games off,” Head Coach Alex Straus said. “And today Kennedy was a finisher, and she came on and won us the game.”

Angel City pulled back into the lead in the 71st minute. Thompson tracked down a ball played right at her, then headed a ball to an unmarked Fuller, and she took a touch into the penalty area, then fired a right-footed volley from just inside the 18-yard box and the shot beat keeper Lorena near post to give Angel City the lead. Angel City eventually ran out the clock for the three points.

“We know that Kennedy has the quality and creativity to finish the games off,” Straus said

Thompson played the role of goal scorer nine minutes into the match. Maiara Nieheus sent a long ball to the right side, Thompson tracked down the ball, touched into the penalty area, juked to evade Current defender  Kayla Sharples, then fired a left-footed shot that was misplayed by Lorena and went into the back net to give Angel City the early lead.

Kansas City however managed to equalize right before the half. Croix Bethune played a ball to Izzy Rodriguez inside the penalty area, Rodriguez passed to Ally Sentnor, also inside the 18, Sentnor took a shot that deflected off Nieheus, and with Angel City keeper Angelina Anderson already committed one way, the ball easily went into the back net to level the match.

Energized by the goal, the Current entered the second half with renewed momentum. Kansas City had a golden opportunity in the 54th minute when Lo’eau LaBonta sent a ball from the left side into the penalty area, Bethune timed her run just right and one-timed a shot inside the six at goal, but Anderson didn’t flinch and parried the ball away from goal. Kansas City thought for sure they would net another goal later in the match, and it started in the 55th minute, as Sentnor chased down a long ball from Elizabeth Ball, Sentnor gathered herself into a shooting position, Angel City defender Emily Sams chased her down and pushed her down, and referee Jeremy Scheer determined that Sam’s push was harsh enough to warrant a penalty. LaBonta stepped up to the penalty spot in the 57th minute, and she sent the ball to her right, but Anderson guessed right, and smothered the ball.

“For [Anderson] to save that [penalty kick]in such a big moment is so important,” Fuller said. “We’ve been on a losing streak, and so for her to just put her head down and make the save for the team, it pushed us. We had to score.”

Angel City caps off a busy week on Saturday, as they travel to Houston to face the Dash.