This Sunday, October 15, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific, Angel City is at home against the Portland Thorns in their final regular-season match of 2023. The game will be broadcast in the US on Paramount+ and stream internationally at NWSLSoccer.com. An English-language radio broadcast will be available on iHeart.
You can buy tickets here.
For more information on broadcasts, click here.
Matchup
This will be Angel City's fourth meeting this season, across both NWSL and Challenge Cup, with the Thorns. They have a win, a loss, and a draw in their last three matchups; the most recent one was a 2–1 home win in the Challenge Cup.
Portland are currently in first place with a 10–6–5 record (W–L–D). Their last game was a 1–0 home win against Gotham. Midfielder Hina Sugita scored the lone goal in that match.
Angel City are in eighth place with a 7–7–7 record. Their last match was a 2–1 win on the road against Houston.
A goal from Dash midfielder Andressa put her team up in the first half, with ACFC forward Alyssa Thompson answering in the second. Midfielder Savannah McCaskill scored the go-ahead goal in stoppage time.
Scouting Report
Portland, the current first-place team and reigning NWSL champions, have historically been one of the strongest teams in the league. The Thorns have three championships including last year's, and two Shields; they have not missed the playoffs since 2015.
The Thorns' defense, with 27 goals allowed, is in the middle of the pack. Offensively, however, they are truly formidable, with their 41 goals ranking as the best in the league by a wide margin. San Diego, the next-best scorers, have just 29.
Although their offense is led by current Golden Boot leader and reigning MVP Sophia Smith—who just recently returned from a minor knee injury—the Thorns attack is strong from top to bottom. Like Angel City, Portland has had 12 different players score this season, demonstrating the versatility of their offense.
One player to watch is former Washington State Cougar Morgan Weaver. Weaver has been the Thorns' second-best scorer for two seasons running, with her seven goals so far in 2023 matching her 2022 total. She's also a key creator for the team, with four assists—the third most on the squad—and 44 chances created, which leads her team.
The 5'10 Weaver is a strong, fast forward who can play as a true striker or on the wing. Many of her goals come from making late runs into the box to either combine with teammates or get on the end of long balls over the top, both on set pieces and in open play. When dribbling into the box herself, Weaver is almost as adept at finding teammates to quickly combine with using short lateral passes before defenses can recover.
For All the Marbles
Following Angel City's come-from-behind win at Houston last week, the team is right back in the playoff race in what has become the most competitive year ever in the NWSL.
Although the team is in eighth place, they're only one point behind OL Reign, who currently hold the last playoff slot, and their recent form has been better than many of the teams ahead of them—including Portland. ACFC's eight-game undefeated streak came to an end against Orlando two weeks ago, but the team still has just one loss in the last five games, better than any team above them except San Diego.
LA has shown they can go toe-to-toe with Portland in every matchup this season. Despite the mixed results, they've been competitive in every match, scoring multiple goals and only dropping points late in both the draw and the loss.
The competitive nature of the league and the sagging form of several non-Portland teams who currently hold playoff spots is also important when it comes to Angel City's shot at the postseason, as they will need some of those teams to drop results in order to make it.
But the biggest takeaway going into the weekend is simple: whatever else happens, Angel City needs a win in their final game.
