LOS ANGELES (January 16, 2026) – Today, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) released their preseason roster in preparation for ACFC’s historic fifth season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as players report to the club’s performance center.
ACFC’s preseason roster features the following players (in alphabetical order by last name):
Forwards: Prisca Chilufya (INT), Claire Emslie (SEI - Maternity Leave), Jun Endo (INT), Sveindís Jónsdóttir (INT), Sydney Leroux (Excused Absence), Maithé López (INT), Casey Phair, Taylor Suarez, Riley Tiernan
ACFC’s offseason acquisitions this year featured four collegiate players (2025 NCAA Champion Florida State University midfielder Taylor Suarez, Duke University midfielder Carina Lageyre, University of Louisville defender Karsyn Cherry, and NCAA National Champion and Pac-12 Champion goalkeeper Faith Nguyen), one free agent (Brazilian International midfielder Ary Borges), and one massive intra-league trade (US Women's National Team defender Emily Sams via trade with Orlando Pride).
South Korea Women’s National Team young star forward Casey Phair has returned to ACFC following a six-month loan to Djurgårdens IF in Sweden.
During the off-season, ACFC extended the contracts of key pieces of the club’s roster. This includes defender Nealy Martin (through 2027), forward Riley Tiernan (through 2028), and defender Hina Sugita (through 2029).
Mattice, who came into the ACFC training environment as a non-roster invitee in the 2025 preseason, is contracted through the 2026 season.
This will be the first full season for head coach Alex Straus, who joined ACFC on June 1, 2025. Prior to joining Angel City FC, Straus built one of the most successful coaching resumes in European women’s football.
Full details on ACFC’s 2026 complete regular-season schedule is linked HERE, with the club’s home opener taking place Sunday, March 15, against the Chicago Stars at BMO Stadium in downtown LA.
Angel City FC will compete in the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., facing the Portland Thorns on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. PT and Seattle Reign FC on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. PT.
