Photo Courtesy of Angel City FC.
Katie Cousins, right, is expected to be a key player on Angel City’s midfield.
At long last, the realization is starting to take place on the soccer pitch.
After years and months of anticipation, it was finally time for the players and coaches for Angel City FC to come together and start implementing its vision of what it wants to be on the pitch. Angel City kicked off its first ever training camp at Pepperdine University in Malibu. The week began on Tuesday with an introductory meeting between the players, coaches and members of the ownership group, followed by its first ever training session.
“The start to preseason has been incredible,” said Angel City head coach Freya Coombe. “We were really fortunate to have some of our owners come in and give a bit of an introduction to the players. Just hearing the story about how the club evolved, the players were very receptive to it and got an idea around the impact that this club is going to have in the community and in the wider space.”
The preseason roster for Angel City is a small one for this preseason, with only 25 players on the team. As the old saying goes, there is a method to the madness, and Coombe addressed the small preseason roster during Friday’s conference call with the media.
“We wanted to start preseason with a roster that looks a little bit like the roster that we’re going to have in the season,” Coombe said. “For us, it’s important that we don’t have a ton of people that we’ve offered contracts to and then trade away. We’ve been very consistent and we’ve told our players that we won’t be trading players out this season.”
The roster has plenty of talent. The team is expected to be shaped around striker Christen Press, its headline acquisition prior to the start of the season. Press has starred for both club and country, scoring 45 goals in 85 matches for the Chicago Red Stars and the now-defunct Utah Royals. Press has also starred for the US women’s team, earning 155 caps, scoring 64 goals and winning two World Cups.
Press however won’t be the only star for Angel City. The club also acquired Julie Ertz back in December prior to the expansion draft, though she is currently nursing an MCL injury suffered in last season’s first game. Other players expected to feature prominently for Angel City are defender Sarah Gorden, forward Jasmyn Spencer and midfielder Savannah McCaskill.
Also, the club recently acquired defender Ali Riley from the Orlando Pride. Riley, who began her career in WPS’ FC Gold Pride in 2010, winning the championship in her rookie season. Riley played her second season with the Western New York Flash, then went overseas, playing for numerous European clubs, including Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Riley returned stateside in 2020 to play for the Pride. Riley, a native of North Hollywood, is thrilled to play in her hometown. Riley has also played internationally for New Zealand, earning 140 caps.
“To be in Los Angeles means so much to me and honestly it’s a dream come true because this hasn’t actually been possible. It’s a dream that I didn’t even know I could have.” Riley said “I was promised to be drafted to the LA Sol and then they drafted other players. Since then, when the team folded, there’s been all this talk about a team coming back to LA and for the team to actually be here and to be on this team and to represent this club, hearing the owners speak I identify with so much of what they said. I get goosebumps.”
And so the preparation begins towards the season for Angel City, as they will get its first chance in the NWSL Challenge Cup, which begins on March 19 and will end on May 7. The regular season begins shortly after and will conclude with the playoffs, in which the top six teams will qualify, and the championship will be held on the weekend of October 28-30.
Angel City FC
