SAN JOSE, CA (March 21, 2026) - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) continued its torrid start to the NWSL season, defeating Northern California rival Bay FC, 3-1, Saturday evening at PayPal Park.
Forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir had two goals and an assist for Angel City in the win. The club’s 2-0 record marks the first time ACFC has opened a season with consecutive victories.
“It’s a local derby,” Head Coach Alex Straus said. “It’s important for us in California to win those games and to give that to our fans.”
The Icelandic attacker capitalized on an early counter-attacking opportunity to open the scoring. In the third minute, midfielder Kennedy Fuller sent a long pass from deep in the ACFC half past the Bay FC defense. Jónsdóttir ran onto the ball and into the penalty box before slotting a low left-footed shot past Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz.
“It's all about timing,” Jónsdóttir said. “So, it's good for me that I can be on full speed and get the ball and then I know that I can score.”
Defender Gisele Thompson put Angel City up 2-0 in the 32nd minute. Jónsdóttir received a pass from Shores and drove into the left side of the penalty box. Her run drew the attention of Silkowitz and two Bay FC defenders, allowing Jónsdóttir to drop a pass across the six-yard box to the streaking Thompson, who calmly launched the ball into the back of the net.
Jónsdóttir scored Angel City’s third goal of the game in the 53rd minute. Shores curled a corner from the right flag to the near post, where Jónsdóttir angled a header past the fingertips of Silkowitz for a 3-0 Angel City lead.
The seven total goals Angel City scored in victories against Bay FC and Chicago marked the club’s highest two-game mark since ACFC netted seven combined scores against the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns in October 2023.
“Having Alex from preseason has been a huge step in the right direction for us,” said defender Emily Sams, who started and wore the captain’s armband on Saturday. “Just being able to work the whole preseason on what we want [and] the kind of team we want to be has been super helpful.”
Midfielder Taylor Huff scored for Bay FC in the 56th minute. Huff received a pass from forward Cristiana Girelli on a give-and-go and bounced a shot off the inside of the left post to cut Angel City’s lead to 3-1.
But ACFC would hold Bay FC scoreless for the rest of the match.
“I'm very, very proud of the performance of the players,” Straus said, adding, “They managed the game. They played on a result [and] know how important those three points can be at [the] end of October, start of November.”
Bay FC had four corners in the first half but struggled to generate quality chances from their set pieces against a steadfast ACFC defense.
The home team also had a dangerous opportunity in the 23rd minute with a free kick just outside the penalty box. Bay FC midfielder Taylor Huff fired her initial attempt off the Angel City wall and then followed with another shot on the rebound, but ACFC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson was able to comfortably collect the ball.
Jónsdóttir almost added to Angel City’s first-half total in stoppage time when midfielder Maiara Niehues somehow muscled a pass to Jónsdóttir while falling. But Bay FC defender Maddie Moreau was able to recover to deflect Jónsdóttir’s shot with a sliding tackle at the six-yard box.
“We created big chances,” Straus said. “That’s maybe a little bit different than last year. So we need to continue to do that. We need to execute like Sveindís did today.”
Defender Savy King made her first start of the season against her former team and played over 80 minutes. Defender Sarah Gorden came for King in the 82nd minute. Gordon’s appearance marked her 73rd match with Angel City, setting an all-time record for games played with the club.
Huff was sent off in the closing minutes of the match after picking up two yellow cards in stoppage time.
Angel City will next face the Houston Dash at 7 p.m. PT on Friday, March 27, at BMO Stadium. The game will be televised on Prime Video.