Home sweet home finally for Angel City FC.
After a little more than a month on the road, a friendly against Mexico not withstanding, including playing three matches in a week last week (and racking up some frequent flyer miles in the process), Angel City finally got to play an NWSL match at Banc of California Stadium, and Angel City made the most of this opportunity, especially at a critical time in the season. Angel City kept its playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit at Banc of California Stadium.
“It was just great to be back home in front of our fans,” Angel City forward Simone Charley said. “They always bring the energy for us and it was really exciting to be able to feed off of that and get a win today.”
The win enabled Angel City to get to within one point of the Chicago Red Stars for the sixth and final NWSL playoff spot heading into its home finale against Racing Louisville on Sunday. Angel City got goals from Claire Emslie and Charley, with outside backs Ali Riley and Jasmyne Spencer assisting the goals on overlapping runs.
Angel City struck in the 40th minute. Cari Roccaro sprung Riley on the overlap with a long ball over the Spirit defense, Riley timed her run to get behind the Washington back line and chased the ball down into the penalty area, took a touch before she crossed into the six-yard box to the back post and Emslie swooped in and slotted the shot past keeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the back net for an all-important go-ahead goal just before halftime. Angel City doubled its lead in the 51st minute, as Clarisse Le Bihan played a ball to Spencer, who dribbled towards the penalty area, faked an initial right-footed cross to evade the Spirit’s Anna Heliferty, then sent a left-footed cross into the penalty area and Charley sent a header past Kingsbury far post.
“That was something we identified as needing to do in this game in overloading their outside backs and being able to get into their 18,” Angel City head coach Freya Coobme said. “I thought both deliveries and finishes were absolutely brilliant and we’re pleased with the players’ ability to execute the game plan.”
Angel City did have to sweat out the final result a little bit towards the end. It started in the 87th minute, when the Spirit’s Julia Roddar sent a ball into the box, Ashley Hatch looked to chase down the ball, Angel City’s Dani Weatherholt held up Hatch, causing her to fall to the ground, and referee Elton Garcia determined that was enough to award Washington the penalty. Hatch stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty to make it a one-goal game, but unlike previous matches this season where those kind of moments might have swung momentum against them, Angel City was able to close out the match.
“We didn’t let that moment pull us apart tonight,” Riley said. “We even had chances to get forward and kill the game off more than we have in any other game, I thought maybe we would even score again, and that kind of feeling is a lot better than what we’ve experienced before. It’s a testament to what we’ve learned about each other this season and how we’ve grown as a team.”
Angel City had its foot on the pedal from the start. Angel City spent a lot of time on Washington’s side the field in the first half and got several chances at goal, forcing Kingsbury to make some saves in the box. The closest Angel City came to finding the back net during that time came in the 31st minute, as Emslie sent a corner into the penalty area and Le Bihan sent a header towards goal, but the ball instead went off the near post. The Spirit also had some chances aside from the penalty, but Angel City keeper Didi Haracic was up to the task, snuffing out any Spirit chances on the run of play.
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