Angel City FC Travels to Utah for Royals Rematch

Angel City will face the Utah Royals on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 4:00 p.m. PT at America First Field. The match will be televised on NWSL+.

Last Time Out: Angel City Takes 3-1 Victory Over Seattle

Angel City FC defeated Seattle Reign FC 3-1 at BMO Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 16 for an important three points in the club’s push for a playoff spot.

The victory was highlighted by a historic moment from Taylor Suarez in the 81st minute. Suarez scored just 21 seconds after entering as a substitute, setting the NWSL record for fastest goal by an in-game substitute. 

In addition to Suarez’s late game goal, Angel City built its lead with two first-half goals.

Ally Sentnor opened the scoring in the 20th minute from the penalty spot, converting her second consecutive penalty kick in back-to-back games. The goal marked Sentnor’s fourth of the season.

Angel City doubled its lead in the 40th minute to go up 2-0. Following a corner kick from Evelyn Shores, Ary Borges headed the ball into the bottom-left corner for her third goal of the season. The assist was Shores’ second of the night.

Seattle found a late breakthrough in stoppage time when Sofia Huerta cut the deficit to two, but Angel City held on to secure all three points.

“There is a competitive spirit in us now that I like a lot and that really pays off,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “There was a lot of pressure going into this game. We knew how important it was, and to deal with that in the way we did, I'm very impressed by the team.”

Next Up: A Road Test in Utah 

Angel City travels to Utah for a rematch against the Utah Royals on Sunday.

The Royals enter the matchup sitting third in the NWSL standings after earning a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash on Sept. 12. Mina Tanaka scored in the 69th minute, marking her fifth game-winning goal this season and setting a new single-season club record.

Angel City will look to even the series after falling 1-0 to Utah at BMO Stadium on May 2.

Cloé Lacasse scored the lone goal of the match and remains one of Utah’s key attacking threats. She enters Sunday’s match as the Royals’ second leading scorer with seven goals this season. 

The two sides have been nearly even offensively throughout the season. Utah enters with 41 goals, while Angel City has 40. 

Angel City has proven depth in their roster, with six different players finding the net across their last three matches. The club will face another important test as it looks to gain ground in the standings. ACFC currently sits ninth in the NWSL standings, one point behind Seattle, with six regular-season matches remaining. 

In the Spotlight: Taylor Suarez 

Taylor Suarez needed just 21 seconds to make an impact against the Seattle Reign.

The Angel City rookie entered in the 81st minute, and found the back of the net 21 seconds later, scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in league history. The goal marked Suarez’ second of the season. 

“Playing professionally was a dream of mine since I was a little girl, so being able to have my name in the history books is pretty cool,” Suarez said. “Anything I can do to help this team, whether it’s starting the game, coming off the bench, it feels great.”

Suarez joined Angel City FC on Jan. 8, 2026 after helping Florida State capture the 2025 National Championship. Now in her first professional season, the rookie has appeared in 22 matches with ACFC, and provides another attacking option.

“I’ve challenged Taylor on one thing, and that’s output,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “She is very good at creating separation. She’s a hard worker, a good dribbler, and a promising player.”