This Sunday, March 26, at 6:00 p.m., Angel City opens the 2023 regular season at home against NJ/NY Gotham FC. The match will stream in the US on Paramount+ and internationally at NWSLSoccer.com.
Matchup
Angel City has played Gotham twice before, at home last year in May and on the road in late August. The two teams split those results, with LA suffering a disappointing home loss to the New Jersey-based club in their first meeting, then stealing three points back at Red Bull in the rematch.
In the 0–1 loss at home, Gotham forward Ifeoma Onumonu had the game-winner, assisted by forward Midge Purce. That was a contentious match, with the visitors earning four yellow cards, all before the 57th-minute goal.
In the 3–1 win in August, ACFC dominated the first half, scoring all three goals before the break. Midfielder Savannah McCaskill, midfielder Cari Roccaro, and forward Claire Emslie tallied goals for Angel City, with forward Paige Monaghan getting one back for the home team early in the second half.
Scouting Report
Gotham has made some big moves this offseason, bringing in proven talent in all areas of the pitch.
On the back line, they acquired NWSL and USWNT veteran Kelley O’Hara from the Washington Spirit; they also added Brazilian international Bruninha, a 20-year-old right back who previously played for Santos in Brazil.
In the midfield, Gotham picked up Yazmeen Ryan via the three-team trade in which Angel City acquired the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, which they used to draft Alyssa Thompson. Ryan is a dynamic attacking mid who won the 2022 NWSL Championship with the Thorns in her second season in Portland. En route to that championship, she tied Washington’s Ashley Sanchez for second-most assists on the season, with five.
Returning to the field for New Jersey is veteran defensive midfielder Allie Long, who was on maternity leave in 2022.
'Their team is pretty deep, so their midfield is definitely a question mark, but they're all going to be good,' said ACFC defender Madison Hammond. In terms of attacking mids, Gotham could play either or both of Ryan and Kristie Mewis. 'Yazmeen Ryan and Kristie are both very offensive-minded in the sense of shooting the gap and making a lot of runs in behind,' added Hammond.
Finally, the club added two big attacking names, forwards Jenna Nighswonger and Lynn Williams. Nighswonger was a much-touted prospect out of Florida State who went fourth overall in the 2023 draft. She finished her college career with 19 goals and 34 assists, including an eye-popping 16 her senior year, when she was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann trophy.
Williams, who came to Gotham via the Kansas City Current, is the third-most prolific scorer all-time in the NWSL, with 57 goals in 117 games, and is a three-time winner of both the NWSL Championship and the Supporters' Shield. After sitting out all of 2022 due to injury, Williams looks to add yet another weapon to Gotham’s formidable front line, which already included proven scorers in Purce and Onumonu.
'You're looking at a front line of most likely Lynn, Ify [Onumonu], Midge, and maybe Taylor Smith,' said Hammond. 'You see all those names and the first thing you think of is, really capable on the ball, really good dribblers, really speedy. So knowing that in how you prepare for the game, you just have to be smarter.'
What’s New with Angel City
Angel City has also made some changes since last season.
First, there are the new additions to the roster: goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, forward/midfielder Katie Johnson, defender Merritt Mathias, midfielder Mackenzie Pluck, and No. 1 draft pick forward Alyssa Thompson.
In addition to the new signings, defender Sarah Gorden, who was out all last season after tearing her ACL in preseason, has returned to the pitch. Gorden came to LA from Chicago, where she was a longtime staple for the Red Stars. In 2021, when Chicago were the runners up for the NWSL Championship, she played every minute at center back.
After ACFC’s 3–0 preseason win against Club América, Head Coach Freya Coombe praised Gorden’s form, saying, “She's been very consistent. She's been winning the ball. Her distribution has been good. She defends the space in behind the back line so well and just adds that air of experience and seniority to our back line, which has gone a long way for holding our shape and giving our back line confidence.”
Personnel isn't the only thing that's changed since 2022. In the América friendly, fans got a glimpse at what the offense has in store style-wise for 2023.
That game saw three different goal scorers score in three different ways, highlighting the team’s versatility. Thompson opened the scoring with an impressive individual effort, beating multiple defenders and the keeper on the dribble; defender Paige Nielsen put one away on a set piece; and forward Simone Charley notched hers on a transition play, assisted by Johnson.
Coombe highlighted the fluidity of the front line in that game and emphasized that the team aims to keep playing that way throughout the season. “I think the rotations were good,” she said. “Being able to pick up off of each other's movement, [we’re going] to look threatening and create so many more chances, I think, than we did last season.”
All in all, ACFC’s goal is to build on what they accomplished in their inaugural season.
“We're going to be exciting and fluid in the attack,” said Coombe, summing up the way the team plans to play in 2023. “That’s a goal of ours. Defensive solidity is something that's going to be key for us. Then just possessing well and being efficient going forward.”
