ACFC forward and No. 1 overall draft pick Alyssa Thompson
On preseason and expectations for the season:
“Preseason overall has helped me a lot to get into a professional mindset. Being able to be with the girls, them being able to teach me everything while helping me get acclimated to the environment. It’s definitely an adjustment with school, and with the season starting.”
“As a team, we definitely want to win the NWSL Championship. That’s something that we are really working towards. I just want to keep developing and playing at the highest level that I can in hopes of making the World Cup roster.”
On expectations for Sunday’s home opener:
“I imagined it to be kind of chaotic, but super exciting. I’ve never played in a stadium like that, so I’m really excited. I know it’s gonna be big and everyone has been hyping it up, so I’m really excited.”
On entering the league and remaining in LA:
“Going pro has changed everything for me and my family. It’s nice that my sister gets to train with the team as well. It’s been very helpful. It’s amazing that my friends and family get to go to the game. They still get to watch me play and are celebrating these moments with me. It’s really awesome that I’m here in LA, and I get to be with them.”
ACFC Head Coach Freya Coombe
On returning to BMO Stadium:
“There’s no better place to play in this league. I absolutely love the gameday atmosphere at BMO. It’s going to be incredible. I know that everyone here is very excited to be there again, we’ve missed it.”
“When we had the loss against Louisville to end our season at home last year, there was a sense of sadness not only because of the loss and what it meant for our playoff chances, but also just knowing that that was the last home game we were going to play. It means so much to the players and fans, and I’m just so grateful to be there for another game.”
On Alyssa Thompson’s performance so far:
“It was a big occasion for her when she started the game against Club America and made a huge impact in the first five minutes of the game. I’ve been impressed with her ability to adjust to playing professionally.
She’s got a lot on her plate with finishing out school, and her ability to take on information and be very coachable. She’s doing a great job of coming in, training consistently at a high level while scoring goals, which is always what you want to see from a forward.”
On any future signings:
“We’re always looking to be the most competitive team that we can be. If opportunities arise to make us more competitive, we will always take them. We’re really happy with how we’re tracking right now coming into the start of the season.”
