This Sunday, August 27, at 5:00 p.m., Angel City hosts OL Reign at BMO Stadium. The match will be broadcast locally on Bally SoCal and will stream in the US on Paramount+ and internationally at NWSLSoccer.com. An English-language radio broadcast will be available on iHeart.
This will be Angel City's fourth meeting this season with OL Reign, following two UKG Challenge Cup matches and one regular-season matchup in Seattle in May. Angel City lost that match 1–4, with forward Claire Emslie scoring the team's lone goal. Angel City has a 0–3–0 (W–L–D) record all-time in the regular season against the Reign.
Seattle are currently in fifth place in the league with a 7–6–3 record; they are tied on points with sixth-place San Diego, with 24 each. Their most recent result was a 0–1 loss against Kansas City Current on August 18. KC forward CeCe Kizer scored the only goal in that game, in the 61st minute.
Angel City are in tenth place with a 4–6–6 record. Their last league game was a 1–1 draw at Racing Louisville, following a 67th-minute goal by forward Katie Johnson. The team is undefeated in the last eight games in all competitions.
The Reign sent seven players to the World Cup, the most of any NWSL team. Three of those players—Canada's Jordyn Huitema and Quinn, and Brazil's Angelina—were available last week, with Quinn earning a start.
Seattle's top scorer, Bethany Balcer, did not compete at the World Cup, and scored the club's single goal over the two Challenge Cup games that took place during the break for the tournament, in a match against San Diego.
Their top creator, however, is USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe, who has four assists and a goal on the season—with three of those assists coming in a single game against Angel City. Rapinoe did not dress against Kansas City, but has been training with the team this week, so she may be available this weekend.
Another player to watch is right back Sofia Huerta, one of the best and most prolific crossers in the league, with 52 on the season. Although she only has two assists, she leads the team in chances created, with 23. It's also worth noting that the Reign have nine headed goals, the most of any team in the league, thanks in part to Balcer and Canada international Jordyn Huitema, who co-lead—alongside Washington's Paige Metayer—all players in that category.
In short, Angel City will have to defend the box tightly as well as limiting service from wide areas in order to keep Seattle off the board.
Just in time for a playoff push, Angel City is getting multiple players back both from injury and from the World Cup.
Last week, forward Alyssa Thompson, who represented the US in New Zealand, started against Louisville; defender M.A. Vignola, who was injured in early July, also got the start. Among the subs were forwards Claire Emslie and Sydney Leroux, who have both been sidelined due to injury.
Forward Jun Endo, who had an excellent run with Japan, was in training with the team this week and could be available for selection against Seattle.
In short, ACFC's attacking corps is getting refreshed right when the team needs it most—and that's not to mention the form other forwards, including Scarlett Camberos and Katie Johnson, have been in. Johnson came off the bench to score against Louisville, while Camberos had the second assist on that goal, feeding midfielder Savannah McCaskill, who assisted Johnson.