Angel City FC hosts Seattle Reign FC on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7:00 p.m. PT at BMO Stadium. The club will celebrate Native American Heritage Night presented by Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. The match will be televised on NWSL+.
Last Time Out: Angel City Battles Back Against Denver
Angel City FC earned a 3-3 draw against Denver Summit FC on Friday, Sept. 11, at BMO Stadium. After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, ACFC fell behind 3-1 in the second half before battling back to level the match.
“The pace and the ambition and the heart we played with in the first half was great to see. We played a bit too quickly, so the speed of the game was almost too good, but I think that is a result of a very strong ambition,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “We tried to play a few passes and we missed them. So it's nothing bigger than that, but at this level, you get punished. I'm more focused on how we responded because in an important game like this, it's very easy to go down 3-1 down. I'm very happy with how we responded.”
Forward Maiara Niehues gave Angel City the 1–0 advantage in the 44th minute. The goal marked Niehues’ team-leading eighth of the season, while defender Sarah Gorden recorded her third career NWSL assist, which was named NWSL Assist of the Week.
Coming out of halftime, Denver scored three times to take a 3-1 lead.
Forward Prisca Chilufya entered the match in the 62nd minute and immediately made an impact, scoring off an assist from Sveindís Jónsdóttir to cut Denver’s lead to 3-2.
Angel City continued to push for an equalizer, which came in the 74th minute from Ally Sentnor. The midfielder converted a penalty kick into the bottom-left corner to level the match at 3-3, her first since joining ACFC in July.
“Not giving up is something that we have to take with us,” Jónsdóttir said. “We had 30 minutes to go, and we knew we wanted to score goals. We got some game changers onto the pitch, and they did great when they came on; they helped us change the game.”
With the draw, ACFC earned a point and sits just below the playoff line at ninth in the NWSL standings.
Next Up: Playoff Race Heats Up Against Seattle
Angel City welcomes Seattle Reign FC for the second meeting between the two clubs this season. The teams last met on Aug. 9, 2026, at Lumen Field ending in a 2–2 draw.
Defender Gisele Thompson and forward Prisca Chilufya scored for Angel City in the matchup, while Sally Menti and Mia Fishel found the back of the net for Seattle.
Both teams have been among the league’s stronger defensive sides, with Angel City allowing 27 goals this season and Seattle allowing 26.
The Seattle attack is led by midfielder Maddie Mercado, who has recorded eight goals this season. On the other side, Angel City’s offense is powered by Niehues, Jónsdóttir, and Chilufya who have 20 goals combined amongst them.
With Seattle currently occupying the final playoff spot and Angel City just four points behind, Wednesday’s matchup holds major implications in the race for the postseason.
In the Spotlight: Prisca Chilufya
Prisca Chilufya has been voted ACFC’s Player of the Match twice in the last three matches.
In Angel City’s matchup against Denver, Chilufya came on in the second half and scored just one minute after entering the match, helping Angel City fight back from a 3-1 deficit.
“When I go in, it's like I have nothing to lose,” Chilufya said. “If they have to carry me out of the stadium on a stretcher, then so be it. The team is already fighting for like 70 minutes. So I have nothing to lose. I just go in and see what I can do.”
In addition to providing a spark off the bench, Chilufya has worked her way into the starting XI rotation. Since returning from international duty with Zambia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in August, she started five matches.
The Zambian forward has recorded five goals and one assist this season, including her first career brace in a 5-2 win over Boston on Aug. 31.
This Week at BMO Stadium: Native American Heritage Night
As Angel City welcomes Seattle to BMO Stadium, the club will celebrate Native American Heritage Night presented by Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (Yaamava').
Pre-match festivities will include a Sol Rosa rally, along with a display of Native American art pieces and interactive murals.
The match will begin with a three-clap and anthem performed by PJ Vegas & Family, a multi-award-winning Italian Native American and Mexican-American singer, songwriter, and activist.
A traditional drum circle performance will take place at halftime by the Red Deer Singers.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited-edition pin, the fifth and final pin in ACFC’s collectible five-pin series.
In addition to celebrating Native American Heritage, TeamWork Online will host a sports and entertainment career fair from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Organizations including the Los Angeles Lakers, UCLA, Los Angeles Kings, will be in attendance, providing attendees an opportunity to connect with representatives and learn more about careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
