Angel City Football Club (ACFC) will play the Washington Spirit at BMO Stadium at 6 p.m. PT on Sunday, Aug. 16. The match will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
In addition to the magic on the pitch, Angel City will host its first-ever Disney Princess Theme Night.
Last Time Out: ACFC Earns Draw in Seattle
Angel City scored the first and last goals of the match to pick up a 2-2 draw with Seattle Reign FC at Lumen Field on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Defender Gisele Thompson registered her fourth goal of the season in the first half, and attacker Prisca Chilufya scored for ACFC after coming on as a substitute to help Angel City (7-3-7) pick up a crucial point in the standings.
With the draw, ACFC remained in eighth place and prevented Seattle from passing Angel City in the league table.
“We just have to take each game as it comes because right now, [it] is pretty tight with points,” Chilufya said. “So I feel like every game counts, and we have to be clinical about every game.”
ACFC held a slight edge in possession against the Reign (51 percent to 49 percent) and matched the home team in shots on target, with six each. But Angel City generated more set-piece opportunities, with eight corner kicks to Seattle’s three.
Forward Taylor Suarez and midfielder Ally Sentnor led the team in shots, with three each, while attacker Claire Emslie played a crucial setup role, attempting seven crosses.
Defender Evelyn Shores returned to the field after missing two matches due to injury and assisted on the goal by Chilufya, who herself was coming back from international duty. It was Shores’s club-leading fourth assist of the season.
“It was a really, really good goal – perfect ball from Evelyn, and a fantastic finish from Prisca,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud, adding, “That goal was very important for us.”
Next Up: Rodman and the Spirit
After two consecutive away matches, Angel City returns home to host Washington, who lost, 4-3, to North Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Audi Field.
Despite the loss, the Spirit (11-3-5) are in second place in the NWSL standings – although they have played two more matches than ACFC.
Forward Trinity Rodman continues to be the tip of the spear for Washington’s attack, with nine goals and five assists in 19 matches. Midfielder Leicy Santos has also been an important part of the offense with nine goal contributions this season.
But the match between Angel City and the Spirit might prove to be a defensive battle. ACFC has conceded just 19 goals this season, while Washington has only allowed 17. And Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson and Spirit netminder Sandy MacIver are both in the top five in the NWSL in terms of goals allowed per 90 minutes, per FBref.com.
ACFC will look to continue its momentum under Smerud, who has led the club to a 3-2-1 record and 11 points in the six matches he has managed.
In the Spotlight: Thompson Remains a Two-Way Threat
Thompson has been a significant offensive threat for Angel City all season long. Her four goals scored are third-best for the club, and she has also added an assist.
The 20-year-old defender is aware that opponents specifically game-plan for her offensive approach – and yet, Thompson keeps finding ways to overcome their attempts to limit her.
This was the case on her goal against Seattle, when Thompson beat two defenders and tucked a shot between Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey and the right post.
“A lot of the time, I try to cut in with my left foot,” explained Thompson. “But I knew the first time, [the Seattle defenders] were going to block it, so I took another touch to try to get some separation from the defender - and then put my head down, shot it, and hoped it went in the back of the net.”
With her pace and her agility, Thompson has the ability to create her own scoring chances. But she is always eager to credit others.
“Just having the space that my teammates created for me was really helpful, and switching the ball faster gave me a lot more space to go [one-on-one],” said Thompson of her goal against the Reign.
Smerud knows how crucial Thompson is on both defense and offense on ACFC’s right flank.
“For Gisele, every team now, they use two or three to stop her,” Smerud said. “We know how well she is doing on the offensive [end]. She also played against a really good player [on Sunday] defensively and did it well.”
“We know that if Gisele gets the opportunity to cut in or to go around, we will get crosses [and] we will get shots,” Smerud added.
This Week at BMO Stadium: Disney Princess Theme Night
ACFC’s first-ever Disney Princess Theme Night will feature a halftime performance by Tony Award-winning actress and singer Anika Noni Rose, who famously voiced Tiana in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. And the National Anthem will be sung by content creator and viral singer, Lauren Paley, who is known for her Punk Goes Princess EP.
In addition to these performances, Disney Princess Theme Night will feature in-stadium entertainment, photo opportunities and interactive moments with princesses that celebrate courage, friendship and believing in yourself, values shared by both Disney and Angel City on and off the pitch.
Fans are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite princess or sidekick and join in the festivities from the concourse to the final whistle, celebrating the idea that the courage and confidence of a Disney Princess last a lifetime.
