Angel City FC Earns Second Consecutive Shutout Victory With Win Over San Diego Wave FC On The Road

SAN DIEGO, CA (July 11, 2026) - Continuing to showcase its fine form since returning from the NWSL break, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) blanked league-leading SoCal Rivals San Diego Wave FC, 2-0, at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday night.

Brazilian midfielders Maiara Niehues and Ary Borges each scored in the first half, while goalkeeper Angelina Anderson posted her second consecutive clean sheet with six saves. Angel City moved to 2-0 under Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. 

“Over the break, we just tried to simplify everything,” said captain and defender Sarah Gorden, adding, “And [we’ve been] bringing this mentality of presence over perfection and trusting ourselves.”

ACFC scored in the 17th minute after midfielder Ally Sentnor forced a turnover just outside the San Diego penalty box. Forward Jun Endo’s lofted cross was initially deflected away by Wave goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo, but Niehues pounced on the loose ball with a header into the back of the San Diego net for the 1-0 lead.

Angel City doubled its advantage in the 26th minute on a long throw by forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir. The ball was initially nodded on by defender Evelyn Shores inside the six-yard box, after which Borges trapped it and slammed a right-footed shot past Agudelo to put ACFC up 2-0. The assist was Shores’s team-leading third of the season.

Angel City had a chance to go ahead by three in the 43rd minute, when Sentnor found defender Gisele Thompson at the far post with a lofted cross. Thompson one-timed a volley with her right foot, but Agudelo was able to do just enough to fight off the shot.

“In the first half, we managed to press well and create some transitions with our high press,” Smerud said. “And second off, San Diego is a really good, really good team – top of the league – and have some class players, so it was a given that we would have to defend a bit deeper in the second half.”

After Angel City’s offense carried the team in the first half, Anderson and the defense stepped up in the second half. 

In the 55th minute, Kenza Dali dropped a curled cross at the right edge of the ACFC six-yard box. But Shores headed the ball away to prevent any further threat from the Wave.

Anderson made a crucial stop in the 64th minute on San Diego defender Mimi Van Zanten, getting wide to stop an attempt from the edge of the six-yard box.

Just two minutes later, Anderson dove onto a bouncing ball that seemed destined to find the right foot of Wave forward Trinity Byars. And then she punched away a rising shot from midfielder Kimmi Ascanio to relieve the pressure on the Angel City defense.

Byars had another great chance in the 68th minute from the top of the eighteen-yard box. But Anderson dove to her right to push the shot out for a corner.

San Diego got a set piece in a promising position with a free kick in the 78th minute. Wave midfielder Lia Godfrey’s low pass found Byars in the box, but the ACFC defense swarmed her and prevented her from getting off a shot. Moments later, San Diego defender Perle Morroni launched a high shot from the top of the eighteen-yard box, but Anderson tipped it over the net.

The Wave had another free kick in the 81st minute from the right side. Morroni took a long shot after the ball was laid off to her, but the pressure from Angel City forced the attempt wide.

“Of course, we want to have control of the game the whole time, but we know sometimes we need to put ourselves in the back and defend,” Borges said.

San Diego earned a penalty in the 85th minute when Ascanio went down in the Angel City box. Godfrey’s low attempt from the spot bounced off the left post and across the goal line before glancing off of Anderson and out for a corner.

The Wave continued to apply relentless pressure in the closing minutes of the match. Defender Kristen McNabb had an opportunity from the left side of the penalty box in stoppage time, but Anderson tracked the ball and got low to make the save.

“[Anderson] played a really good game, and she also got the bit of luck she needed on the penalty,” Smerud said. “But I think she dominated the box well.”

Although San Diego came into the match leading the league in shots on target, the ACFC attack put together a more comprehensive effort in the first half, generating four attempts on goal while limiting the Wave to just one.

Angel City started creating chances with its speed and aggressive press very early in the match. In the third minute, Jónsdóttir laid off a pass to Niehues at the top of the eighteen-yard box, but the Wave defense was able to block her shot attempt.

In the fifth minute, Sentnor drew a foul about 10 yards outside the penalty box with a dangerous run from midfield. On the ensuing free kick, Niehues’s curling shot attempt bounced just wide of the left post.

ACFC earned a corner in the 11th minute. Sentnor’s inswinger forced a leaping punch from Agudelo, but the Wave were able to extinguish the threat.

Jónsdóttir continued to put pressure on the Wave defense late in the half, earning a corner in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. The play led to a shot attempt by midfielder Carina Lageyre from the top of the penalty box that rose just over the crossbar.

ACFC successfully defended 10 San Diego corners in its third shutout of the season.

“I feel like a win – and a win in San Diego – is amazing, but a shutout is really important for us,” Gorden said.

Angel City will next travel east to face Chicago Stars FC at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium at 3:30 PM PT on Saturday, July 18. The match will be televised on ION.