Angel City beat the top-ranked North Carolina Courage 2–1 at home tonight following a goal by midfielder Savannah McCaskill and an own goal set up by forward Elizabeth Eddy. Midfielder Brianna Pinto scored for the visitors.
'Getting the win feels amazing,' said defender Jasmyne Spencer after the game. 'I think the last couple weeks the vibes have been really good. The training has been really good. We've been working hard. We were disappointed getting a couple of ties last week. And so today our main focus was three points and we're happy we got it done.'
The Courage opened the scoring in the 15th minute when forward Tyler Lussi chipped the ball over the head of Angel City defender Paige Nielsen to midfielder Frankie Tagliaferri. Tagliaferri sprinted forward to beat defender Megan Reid and sent a diagonal pass back toward the penalty arc, where midfielder Brianna Pinto was making a run. From just inside the 18, Pinto one-timed the ball to the lower right-hand corner of the goal.
After the goal, said McCaskill after the game, 'we basically were just like, 'that was way too easy for them to [go from defending near their] goal and score a goal.' We said, 'it’s gotta be better'… I think the mindset changed. Everyone stepped up after that, and they didn't have [much] success going forward like they did on that chance.'
Angel City pulled one back just three minutes later when defender Kiki Pickett miscleared a corner kick, letting it fall to forward Scarlett Camberos. She burst past Pickett inside the box to send a low cross to the goal mouth, where midfielder Savannah McCaskill was lurking, and the ball bounced off her torso and into the net. The goal was the first conceded by North Carolina in 460 minutes of league play.
'We responded brilliantly [to giving up a goal],' said Interim Head Coach Becki Tweed after the game. 'In those moments you can go two ways. Our response tonight was really, really good… we always have the belief we can come back.'
The home team came close in the 40th minute when defender Sarah Gorden got on the end of a corner kick by forward Clarisse Le Bihan. Gorden volleyed the ball toward goal, where it bounced off the far post to McCaskill, whose close-range attempt was saved.
Statistically, the hosts dominated the first half, with 45% of the action taking place in their attacking half, and with Angel City recording 13 shots to North Carolina’s three.
The Courage came out swinging early in the second half when in the 47th minute, Tagliaferri sent a ball into the six-yard box for forward Olivia Wingate, but keeper DiDi Haračić saved her headed shot.
In the 49th minute, defender Jasmyne Spencer had a near miss. Le Bihan turned two defenders to play a cross into the far side of the penalty area. Spencer was crashing the box unmarked and shot from an angle with her right foot, but Rowland blocked the ball out for a corner kick.
McCaskill took a crack from distance in the 65th minute after midfielder Madison Hammond tapped a short sideways pass to her just outside the penalty arc. Her curving shot was on target in the upper left-hand corner, and Rowland did well to make the diving save.
LA got the go-ahead goal in the 77th minute when forward Elizabeth Eddy nutmegged Pickett inside the 18 and sent a hard angled shot into the six-yard box, where Courage defender Kaleigh Kurtz tried to make the stop and instead redirected the ball into the goal.
'I had a great pass from a teammate and I was gonna enter a 1v1 and then she kind of overstepped and I was like, ‘oh, the meg’s on,'' said Eddy of her setup. 'It wasn’t even on target, but in soccer sometimes if you hit a ball hard across the front of goal, it goes in.'
Tweed says the group has had a mindset shift over the last four games. 'We want be the best we can Monday through Friday and then bring that to the weekends,' she said. 'I don’t believe in luck. I believe you create your own luck.'
The home team ended the game with 21 shots, including nine on goal—the most in both categories all season.
Angel City has a three-week break for the World Cup before their next game. The club will be hosting a number of watch parties throughout the tournament; you can find more information here.
'We feel like we’ve kind of earned the break,' said McCaskill after the game. 'The rest of the season is ours to battle over. That’s the outlook going into the second half of the season.'
ACFC's next game is a Challenge Cup match at home against the Portland Thorns on Saturday, July 29 at 7:00 p.m. The game will stream live on Paramount+. Tickets are available here.