Ladies First: NWSL Challenge Cup 2022 Angel City North Carolina Courage

29 avril 2022

California Stadium

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Women’s professional soccer finally made an official return to Los Angeles on Friday night at Banc of California Stadium. For the first time since the Los Angeles Sol folded in the now-defunct Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) in 2010, a women’s soccer team stepped on to a field in Los Angeles.

In front of a sellout crowd of 22,000, Angel City FC, backed by an ownership group that features an impressive assortment of high-profile actresses and athletes such as Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, made its debut as the NWSL kicked off its 10th anniversary season. The night ended in storybook fashion as ACFC defeated the North Carolina Courage, 2-1.

“I have waited for a moment like this for 12 years,” L.A. native and Angel City defender Ali Riley said. “I hoped to get drafted by the L.A. Sol, but the team folded before I had a chance and I’ve been all over the world. To be here with my parents here watching this game and for us to win and feel the love, the support, I think we proved that anything is possible in women’s sports. “I think there were a lot of doubters, maybe about the club or about our particular team and I think we really showed tonight that if you believe and you have the support of the community and this amazing club and ownership group, I think the sky is the limit for us. I know it is only game one, but it is a moment I will never forget.”

Angel City and San Diego Wave FC are the two newest franchises in the NWSL and the first time the league has ventured into California. Every move Angel City made before the match was greeted by loud cheers, setting the stage for a perfect first half for L.A.’s new team. After all of the pomp and circumstance of the pregame festivities, which included a live performance of the team’s anthem “Running with the Angels” by Tia P. and Brittany Howard and a group photo of some of the team’s investors and ownership group, Angel City opened the season in fine fashion as Vanessa Gilles’ thumping header flew to the back of the net in the fourth minute for the team’s first regular-season goal. Gilles’ goal was set up by Jun Endo’s sublime touch around the North Carolina defense, before sending the ball toward Gilles. Less than 10 minutes later, Endo was causing problems again. This time, using her speed to track down a long pass from Savannah McCaskill, she cut in on the left, angled for the far post and tucked the ball in for a goal and a 2-0 lead.

The second half didn’t get off to a good start as Debinha got North Carolina on the board in the 51st minute to cut the margin in half. Managing the emotions was the first challenge of the night, according to Coach Freya Coombe. “I think we were happy and fairly calm coming into it,” Coombe said. “As the players came out for the warm-up, you could see that there was something special about the night with the number of supporters we had in the stands. “It was really about managing the emotions of the players on the night. I think it was a fantastic start for the team … then it felt like that first half was the longest period of football I’ve ever had until the last 10 minutes (of the game) and then that was the longest period of football.” After a physical second half, the last thing standing between Angel City and its first win was the six minutes of stoppage time. Eventually, it made its way through it without allowing a goal, sending the crowd into another loud roar of approval. “This organization is so much more than just sport,” Angel City midfielder Dani Weatherholt said. “It’s so much bigger than the game. I think you see the support we have for one another and feeling that support from your fans and from the organization, it leads into the team. We really love and support each other, and we’re going to keep pushing to have a successful season.”

The journey to Friday night began in July 2020 when it was announced that Angel City FC would be joining the NWSL in 2022. The team finally got on the field this year, but as expected went through some growing pains during the NWSL Challenge Cup. In six games, it went 1-4-1, defeating the Portland Thorns, 1-0, in its final game. Angel City will look to make it two in a row next Sunday when the Orlando Pride visits.