Angel City had shown plenty of fight this season, the only missing is the results.
Facing the Washington Spirit on Saturday night, Angel City was up for the moment, as Mary Alice Vignolia found the back net for Angel City at Audi Field. However, for a third straight match, coming back from a two-goal deficit proved to be too big of a hole to dig out of for Angel City, as goals from Ashley Hatch and Ashley Sanchez propelled the Spirit to a 2-1 win.
“After we got rattled a little, we started sticking with the plan, looking at possessing the ball,” Angel City head coach Freya Coombe said. “We went back to it and were able to raise the intensity and keep a little bit of the ball. If we’re looking at the data it indicates a good performance from us. We’re just lacking that final execution in both 18 yard boxes. We need to continue to drive on and push in those areas.”
Trinity Rodman crossed into the penalty area, Ashley Sanchez volleyed a one-timer off her right foot towards goal, keeper Didi Haracic made a play on the ball, and the ball went off the crossbar, but Hatch was in the right place for the Spirit, as she he headed a ball past an out-of-position Haracic into the back net. The goal was initially called back, as referee Alyssa Nichols ruled Hatch to be offside, but VAR was initiated, and it showed to be the opposite, and the goal stood.
The Spirit later doubled its lead in the 41st minute, as Paige Metayer crossed from the right side into the penalty area and Sanchez headed a ball that sailed past Haracic at the back post to give Washington a two-goal lead. That lead however only last four minute, as Angel City pulled a goal back just before halftime. Vignolia played a ball to Emslie on the left side, Emslie dribbled towards the penalty area, played a ball back to Vignolia inside the penalty area, Vignolia took a touch, then fired the left-footed shot past keeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the back net for a goal that kept Angel City in the game.
“I know I need to be a leader, everyone’s heads were down, and we can’t do that,” Vignolia said. “We can’t have that body language on the field. Sometimes it does take that one person to flip the switch in the team and It turned out to be me with that one goal. It’s got to be on a whole team level, it can’t be one person here and there. It’s got to be everybody. Once that switch was flipped, everyone was doing it together.”
Angel City however almost gave back the two-goal advantage to Washington, as a misplayed ball from Angel City enabled Hatch to get the ball and fire a volley from just inside the halfway line towards an empty net, Haracic quickly raced to catch up to the ball, and was aided by the ball being slowed down by several bounces that slowed its momentum, and Haracic quickly dived to parry the ball away.
Nevertheless, Angel City came into the second half with new life. Angel City got its first chance for an equalizer just 23 seconds into the second half, as Emslie dribbled from the left side into the penalty area, played a ball to towards the penalty spot, Lily Nabet swooped in unmarked and tried to lob a ball over the Spirit defense, but the ball also sailed over goal. Emslie created another chance in the 60th minute, as she played a ball to Alyssa Thompson, who touched a ball into the six-yard box and Scarlett Camberos tried to tap the ball towards goal, but it was deflected off a Spirit player and was eventually cleared out of the penalty area.
Angel City continued to keep the pressure on as the match wore on. Angel City had a free kick outside the penalty area on the right side in the 85th minute, Emslie sent the free kick towards the near post, but it just sailed over goal. Angel City had another free kick in stoppage time in the 95th minute at the same spot. This time, Clarissa Le Bihan sent the free kick towards the back post, Sydney Leroux snuck in behind the Spirit defense to get open and head a ball towards goal, but Kingsbury recovered enough to parry the ball away, though she paid a price for it, as she hit her head on the post, and could not finish the match, as she was replaced by Nicole Barnhardt.
