It was certainly a whirlwind week for Angel City FC.
Preparing for its first home match since its season opener a little over a month ago, Angel City made headlines off the field, as the team traded two players prior to the close of the NWSL trade window. One of the moves was more shocking, as the team sent Paige Neilsen, who had established herself as a key player in the Angel City defense, to the Houston Dash for $50,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in transfer funds. The other move by Angel City saw the team trade Amandine Henry to the Utah Royals for $75 in allocation money.
Despite the surprise surrounding the moves, nothing was going to deter Angel City from capitalizing on its win over Chicago last week. Claire Emslie was the catalyst for Angel City on Sunday evening, as her brace carried the team, who also withstood a Tyler Lussi goal and several other chances that just missed, and Angel City earned the 2-1 win at Banc of California Stadium.
“It was really just about keeping the energy high and keeping everyone in the game until the end and I really think we did that. I’m really proud of the group,” said Angel City defender Sarah Gorden, who played in her 100th match on Sunday.
Angel City got its chance starting in the 22nd minute, Alyssa Thompson drew a foul when she got behind the Courage defense, but was fouled from behind by Kaliegh Kurtz just outside the penalty area. Emslie stepped for Angel City and perfectly bended the left-footed free kick past keeper Casey Murphy into the upper right corner to give Angel City the lead.
North Carolina had a golden opportunity to level matters just seconds into the second half. Ryan Williams crossed into the penalty area, the cross was deflected, Tyler Lussi headed a ball to Manaka Matsukubo, who shot a ball at goal, but Sarah Gorden threw herself in front of the shot and got the ball, Matsukubo’s teammate Narumi Miura kept the play alive and played a ball back to Matsukubo, who shot for the far post, the shot actually beat Haracic, but did not beat the framework, as the ball hit off the far post and harmlessly back into play. Angel City made the Courage pay for that missed chance in the 54th minute. Thompson received a pass from Lily Nabet and dribbled forward, then played a ball to Emslie, who time her run perfectly. Emslie took a touch, and seeing Murphy off her line, chipped a ball over the keeper and into the back net.
“I remember Alyssa getting the ball and I knew there was spacing behind,” Emslie said of the goal. “She looked up, we caught eyes, it was a perfect ball from her. I knew the keeper was tall and I thought, I know she’s off her line. So I took a touch and tried to score. I practice it in training and kind of mess around doing it all the time. I was happy to see it go in the net.”
The Courage however would not go down without a fight. North Carolina thought they had gotten on the board in the 56th minute, as Ashley Sanchez fired a shot just outside the penalty area that got past Haracic and into the back net. The goal however was called back moments later, as the ball went towards Haley Hopkins, who was in an offside position, therefore warranting the offside call. The Courage eventually got on the board in the 71st minute, as Felicitas Rauch sent a free kick from the right side into the penalty area, the ball took a deflection to the back post area and Lussi swooped in and slotted the ball into the back net to cut the Angel City lead to a goal. Carolina pressed for the equalizer, and would have had it in stoppage time if not for some bad luck. Sanchez was played into the penalty area, Sanchez chased the ball to the end line, then played a short cross into the six-yard box, Brianna Pinto jumped to try a header, but did not get enough of the ball, but it fell to Denise O’Sullivan, and she sent a ball towards goal, the ball deflected off Pinto and looked like it would sneak in at an open net at the far post, but the ball missed said post by a mere inches.
Angel City FC
North Carolina Courage
