Tonight Angel City beat Kansas City Current 1–0 on the road following a goal by defender Jasmyne Spencer. The win moved ACFC into seventh place heading into the weekend, level on points with sixth-place OL Reign and just below the playoff line. It was also the team’s first shutout win of the regular season.
Angel City had their first chance of the game in the 11th minute, following a free kick by forward Clarisse Le Bihan. The ball fell into the six-yard box, where defender Paige Nielsen was making a run. The ball pinged off either Nielsen or her marker, Kate Del Fava as both crashed the net and was on frame, but Current keeper AD Franch made an impressive reflex save to block it out for a corner.
In the 25th minute, ACFC keeper Angelina Anderson answered with an eye-popping stop of her own. Kansas City midfielder Michelle Cooper sent a long diagonal ball into the run of forward Kristen Hamilton. Hamilton sprinted into the box, cut past her defender, and sent a low shot to the far post, but Anderson dove right to deflect it over the endline.
Nielsen had another chance in the 32nd minute. A corner kick by Le Bihan fell to defender Elizabeth Ball, but Ball didn’t manage to direct her header, and it bounced to a wide-open Nielsen, who headed it over the bar.
In stoppage time, forward Scarlett Camberos received the ball on the right wing and dribbled into the box. She shook defender Izzy Rodriguez and took a crack at the near post, which Franch blocked for a corner kick.
Kansas City had a look in the 48th minute when forward Hailie Mace took a shot on a transition play that Gorden blocked; a few moments later, Cooper sent a recycled cross back in for midfielder Debinha, whose shot defender Jasmyne Spencer blocked.
As the half went on, the game got stretched, with sloppy mistakes leading to turnovers on both sides, but a long solo run leading to a shot on target by Spencer in the 62nd minute that Franch saved foreshadowed what would be the game-winner a few minutes later.
In the 66th minute, Spencer made a run up the right into the box and beat Debinha on the dribble. Spencer’s initial shot was blocked by defender Gabrielle Robinson but deflected back to her feet. The league veteran’s second shot took a slight deflection en route to the far post and skipped past Franch and into the back of the net. The goal was Spencer’s first in an Angel City uniform.
Kansas City picked up the pace entering the final 20 minutes of regulation, and Debinha had a near miss in the 72nd minute. The midfielder combined with Mace to beat her defender near the corner of the 18, then fired off a rocket that went just wide of goal.
In the 83rd minute, forward Sydney Leroux, who had just subbed into the game, volleyed a service from the right on target, forcing Franch into another full-extension dive in order to make the stop.
The game was the first regular-season appearance and start for Anderson, and the first appearance for midfielder Amandine Henry, who subbed in for midfielder Dani Weatherholt in the 68th minute.
Angel City plays next in two weeks, following the September FIFA window. On Sunday, September 17, they play the Chicago Red Stars on the road at 3:00 p.m. PST. That match will be broadcast on CBS Sports.