Angel City fell 1–2 on the road today against the North Carolina Courage, following goals by forwards Manaka Matsukubo and Brianna Pinto. Forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir notched the single goal for ACFC.
The Courage opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Matsukubo received a pass from forward Meg Linnehan and turned defender Sarah Doorsoun to sprint into the 18 from the right wing. She again cut past her mark to open up space for herself and fired a shot into the far side of the goal to bring the score to 1–0.
North Carolina doubled the lead in the 19th minute. Midfielder Shinami Koyama played a line-splitting pass to Linnehan as the forward made a run up the right. ACFC defender Gisele Thompson intercepted Linnehan’s pass into the box, but the deflected ball fell to forward Brianna Pinto, who sent her shot into the top netting.
In the 22nd minute, the hosts had another chance when Shinomi found forward Tyler Lussi with a through ball into the box. Lussi cut past her defender and sent a sideways pass into the six-yard box, but Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson dove on the ball to stop the attack.
The hosts started the second half with a 50th-minute chance off another Linnehan cross. Lussi got on the end of the service and tapped a shot on target, but Anderson again stopped her attempt.
Angel City had their first shot on target in the 68th minute when midfielder Nealy Martin sent a short pass to forward Riley Tiernan across the edge of the 18-yard box. Tiernan put an angled shot on frame, but goalkeeper Marisa Jordan saved.
The Courage had another look in the 71st minute when forward Aline Gomes Amaro made a run up the right to the endline and sent a pass to the penalty spot, looking for Lussi. Lussi bobbled her shot, but midfielder Riley Jackson was crashing the box and sent a shot just wide of the far post.
In the 86th minute, Matsukubo had another look, putting an angled attempt on target, which Anderson dove and deflected out for a corner.
ACFC narrowed North Carolina’s lead in the 88th minute with a well-executed team goal, starting with Forward Christen Press finding defender Miyabi Moriya at the right edge of the 18. Moriya combined with forward Jun Endo to work her way into the penalty area, then found forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir near the center of the box. Jónsdóttir had a close-range shot and didn’t miss, sending the ball past Jordan and into the back of the net to bring the score to 2–1.
The goal was Jónsdóttir’s first for Angel City. Today’s game was also the first start and first appearance for midfielder Nealy Martin, who the club just acquired in a trade with Gotham.
Angel City is back at home next Thursday, September 18, taking on the Washington Spirit at 7:30 p.m.
