Photo Courtesy of Angel City Football Club.
Christen Press, center, is expected to be one of the faces of Angel City FC in its inagural season.
The moment has finally arrived for Angel City FC.
After almost two years of community events, breaking news, player transactions and just flat out anticipation, women’s soccer fans in Los Angeles (and Southern California in general) will finally get to see the vision play out on the field, as Angel City FC begins its inaugural run in the NWSL Challenge Cup against San Diego Wave FC–the very team it will be entering the league with this season.
“We’re very excited and grateful to be playing in the Challenge Cup as a tune-up and a bridge to measure how far in this league,” Angel City striker Christen Press said. “So it’s going to be fantastic and kick off the rival, our new rivalry with San Diego. So we’re looking forward to it.”
With its regular season debut, which is now known will be on April 29 against the North Carolina Courage at Banc of California Stadium, Angel City is using a temporary venue for its Challenge Cup games. Angel City is playing its three group stage games at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton in Orange County, but the enthusiasm to finally root for Angel City on the field is still expected to be very high, as the atmosphere could provide a preview of what the atmosphere at Angel City games could be like once the team begins to play at Banc of California Stadium. Given the proximity of Orange County to San Diego, a large contingent of Wave FC fans are also to be expected at Titan Stadium.
Both teams have been plenty busy assembling competitive rosters. Angel City fired the first salvo last summer when they acquired the rights to Christen Press, a native of Los Angeles’ Palos Verdes area. Press, who started her professional career in 2011 back in Women’s Professional Soccer with MagicJack FC, has been one of the most prominent players both in NWSL and the United States Women’s National team. Press has scored 45 goals in 85 matches during her seven seasons playing in NWSL, with her best years being in a Chicago Red Stars shirt, where she scored 35 goals. Press has also earned 155 caps with the USWNT, where she scored 65 goals and was on the team’s 2015 and 2019 world cup winning squads.
“I’ve been waiting for my entire professional career to be able to come back and play at home,” Press said. “I think for the majority of my career, I didn’t think that was going to be a reality. I was lucky growing up in Southern California to watch the 99ers win the World Cup in person. I was lucky to go out to the games and watch professional soccer here and in San Diego previously.”
“It kind of felt like a long way away before we would ever have an L.A. team. I think the whole universe knew I wanted to come back, play, and be at home and represent this amazing city that’s given me so much.”
Angel City has made sure to build a balanced team around Press. Angel City also acquired another local player, defender Ali Riley, who is from the San Fernando Valley. Like Press, Riley’s career goes all the way back to WPS, as she started in 2010 with FC Gold Pride, then the Western New York Flash in 2011. Riley spent most of her career overseas before coming to NWSL in 2020, signing with the Orlando Pride. Riley has also been a staple on the back line of the New Zealand national team, earning 140 caps. Other players that are expected to contribute for Angel City are forwards Savannah McCaskill, Jasmyne Spencer and Jun Endo, midfielder Cari Roccaro and defender Sarah Gorden, who has not missed a single NWSL match, though that streak is in danger, as she suffered a knee injury prior to the start of training camp.
Photo Courtesy of Angel City Football Club.
Ali Riley (center) is expected to be a big part of Angel City’s defense this season.
Not to be outdone, San Diego Wave has also made their fair share of big moves. The biggest move was the acquistion of star striker Alex Morgan, who like Press and Riley is also a Southern California native, as she is from Diamond Bar. San Diego Wave has also made sure to assemble a balanced roster, with its strengths appearing to resonate in its back line, as the Wave FC defense will feature Tegan McGrady, Abby Dahlkemper, and first round draft pick Naomi Girma.
Angel City FC
