LOS ANGELES, CA (March 15, 2026) - Led by a goal and an assist from midfielder Kennedy Fuller, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) routed the Chicago Stars, 4-0, in the club’s opening game of the 2026 NWSL season Sunday afternoon at BMO Stadium.
ACFC’s supporters unveiled a vibrant, hand-painted Lotería-inspired Tifo ahead of the 2026 home opener at BMO Stadium, paying tribute to Los Angeles, our community, and the culture that fuels matchday. The full meaning is linked HERE.
Brazilian midfielder Ary Borges, making her first start for ACFC, also scored, as did countrywoman and fellow midfielder Maiara Niehues. Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson kept a clean sheet, building on her strong performance in the preseason.
Head coach Alex Straus, who joined the club last summer, seemed to pull all the right levers in his first-ever Angel City home opener.
“When you look at this, it’s a part of the vision and what we want to bring to Angel City,” Straus said. “We stayed in the zone, and we stayed locked in on what we wanted to do.”
Fuller opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, receiving the ball from Borges and accelerating into the right side of the penalty box. From there, Fuller launched a low shot under the diving Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Fuller shared, “We are expected to score goals, take players on and look fearless but that comes from the people behind us. You feel that and that is something that we are really proud of.
“Our training sessions are very long, and we are really able to focus on exactly what [Straus] wanted. I'm hoping that you can see that on the field. We are able to have fun and be creative on the field”.
The 19-year-old midfielder was also responsible for generating Angel City’s second goal in the 53rd minute. Fuller curled a corner to the near post, where defender Evelyn Shores glanced a header past a stunned Naeher into the top-right corner of the Chicago net.
The goal was Shores’ second career NWSL score.
“Now that we have [Straus’s] structure, we’re able to have fun and be creative,” Fuller said. “Our additions this year have been so good, and they’ve meshed with our team so well on and off the field.”
Borges pushed the lead to 3-0 with her first-ever Angel City goal in the 66th minute. She jumped on a loose pass from Naeher in the Stars’ penalty box and deposited the ball in the bottom-right corner of the net.
“This is a [newer] club, and I like the challenge,” Borges said. “This club is going to make history.” adding that the club is “close to her style of play, [the team] matches my quality with the ball. We have a really good team and everyone knows what we need to do. Today was the first game but we have more to show”.
Niehues capped the scoring with a tally in the 70th minute. Forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir made a long run down the right side to the Chicago touch line before dropping a pass back to the penalty spot. The open Niehues fired the ball past a helpless Naeher.
Sunday’s match marked defender Savy King’s first regular-season match since her cardiac incident in May 2025. King entered the game in the 63rd minute and had a shot attempt in the 66th minute. She anchored the back line down the stretch — including making a key tackle on a long Stars run in the 80th minute.
Fuller on King’s return, “She is the sweetest and most hard-working person you will ever meet. Seeing [her medical incident], really united the soccer community and we all realized the game is so much bigger than playing 90 minutes on the field. She's so hardworking, and I think this moment is something that she has been so emotional about, and to be able to see her step on the field and have so much confidence. She didn't miss a beat.”
“Having Savy back today was a strong element for everyone – in our dressing room, and for the coaching staff, and for everyone in the stadium,” Straus said.
Taylor Suarez and Carina Lageyre both made their professional debuts in the latter part of the second half. Suarez subbed in for Fuller in the 80th minute, and Lageyre came on for Niehues in the 84th minute. Meanwhile, defender Emily Sams made her first-ever start for Angel City.
“Emily gives us that calmness that we’ve been searching for,” Straus said, adding, “She will get much, much better.”
Angel City dominated the first half, outshooting Chicago, 10-2.
Despite struggling to maintain possession, the Stars had multiple scoring opportunities in the first half. Chicago had a chance to equalize in the 38th minute, when forward Jameese Joseph received a short pass from defender Michelle Alozie. But the Angel City defense held strong and was able to produce a counter-attack that led to a long run by Niehues and an ACFC free kick at the edge of the Stars penalty box.
Angel City will next face Bay FC at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., at 5:45 p.m. Pacific on Saturday, March 21. The match will be televised on ION.
Angel City Football Club Match Footage Courtesy: NWSL
