CENTENNIAL, CO (Oct. 17, 2026) - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Denver Summit FC 3-2 at Centennial Stadium, extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches and moving into fifth place in the NWSL standings.
After conceding twice in the opening 18 minutes, Angel City responded with three unanswered goals in an 11-minute span before halftime. Sveindís Jónsdóttir, Taylor Suarez, and Ally Sentnor each found the back of the net to complete the comeback and give ACFC the lead.
“We knew quite well what the game would look like and what Denver would bring,” Interim Head Coach Leif Smeurd said. “The way we responded to a very tough start, sticking to the game plan, not being stressed by being two goals down, was very impressive.”
Denver opened the scoring in the second minute when Melissa Kössler finished from close range following a corner kick. The Summit doubled their advantage in the 18th minute as captain Lindsey Heaps struck from the center of the box into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Angel City looked to respond early, with Sentnor narrowly missing a chance in the fourth minute while Evelyn Shores’ attempt in the 13th minute struck the crossbar. The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Evelyn Shores sent a pass across the box to Jónsdóttir, who found the back of the net to make it 2-1 for Angel City.
The goal was Jónsdóttir’s ninth of the season, tying Maiara Niehues for the team lead. Shores’ assist was her eighth of the season, setting a new single-season club record.
“I don't think there are many players that work harder for a team than Sveindís,” Smerud said. “The key to this game was to leave everything out there and show heart. I cannot point to one player who didn't do that. Everyone looks to Sveindís as the striker, because she's in front of everyone. The way she sets the tone with her work ethic cannot be underestimated for us. She's really valuable for the team.”
Angel City leveled the match in the 39th minute, when Gisele Thompson played a through ball to Suarez, who finished into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-2. The goal marked Suarez’s fourth in her last five appearances.
ACFC completed the comeback in the 43rd minute when Sentnor scored from outside the box, sending a strike to the top-right corner. Thompson recorded her second assist of the match, while Sentnor’s goal was her sixth of the season with Angel City.
“Our mentality is very good,” Jónsdóttir said. “We scored one goal and we just knew that this was going to be our game. There was nothing that changed in our game plan. We just stuck to it, defended better, kept going and scored three great goals.”
Angel City carried a 3-2 lead into halftime after scoring three consecutive goals to erase Denver’s early advantage.
The second half featured opportunities at both ends as Angel City looked to extend their lead. Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson made a save on Jannine Sonis in the 53rd minute, while Shores made a defensive intervention in the 75th minute, clearing the ball just in front of goal following a chance from substitute Yuna McCormack.
Angel City finished with an 18-6 advantage in shots, limiting Denver’s chances to find an equalizer.
“We managed the game very well,” Smerud said. “We played another really mature away game against a team that is good at home. We could have started better, but I was proud of the team today.”
With two regular-season matches remaining, Angel City will look to carry their momentum into the final stretch to clinch a playoff position. Angel City will host Bay FC on Saturday, Oct. 24, at BMO Stadium at 5:45 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on ION. The match also marks Fan Appreciation Night with Fan Fest starting at 1:45 p.m. PT. On November 1, Angel City will host Boston Legacy FC at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson for the club’s annual Celebración de Culturas match.