Angel City beat NJ/NY Gotham FC 3–1 on the road today, following goals by midfielder Savannah McCaskill, midfielder Cari Roccaro, and forward Claire Emslie, and a goal for Gotham by forward Paige Monaghan.
“This win was huge for us,' said Head Coach Freya Coombe after the game. 'If you are looking at our journey and what we wanted to accomplish this year, that was a crucial step for us and one that keeps us in the hunt for playoffs.
Gotham were on the front foot for the first ten minutes of the game, putting together a handful of chances and limiting Angel City’s time in possession. Forward Ifeoma Onumonu had two near misses early on, first in the seventh minute when she took a close-range shot that keeper DiDi Haračić blocked over the endline for a corner kick; in the 12th minute, she hit the inside of the far post with an angled shot from the right. Haračić scooped up the ball as it bounced to the ground, narrowly keeping Gotham off the board.
After that close call, the momentum began to shift in Angel City’s direction, and in the 16th minute, midfielder Savannah McCaskill opened the scoring. Dribbling toward goal from the left, she nutmegged midfielder McCall Zerboni, took a touch,and drilled an angled shot into the upper 90 at the far post.
“Sav has flair on the ball, the tactical understanding and the technical ability to not only be a top player not only in this league, but internationally as well,' said Coombe. 'I think it is giving her the confidence to embrace herself. All of the coaching staff want to see her on the ball and tonight’s goal was a great example of that.”
From there, the visitors dominated the rest of the half. In the 24th minute, forward Simone Charley drove into the box, wove through three Gotham defenders, and took a crack from close range. Her initial shot deflected off a defender, but it fell to midfielder Cari Roccaro, who was lurking on the goal line. Roccaro easily put the ball away, notching her fourth goal in five games.
'Simone did a great job getting herself into the box,' said McCaskill, 'while Cari did a great job pouncing on a rebound to put us up two-nil.'
Angel City notched their final goal of the day in the 31st minute. After a quick one-two with McCaskill, forward Claire Emslie drove toward the upper right corner of the 18, created some distance from her defender, and sent a hard left-footed shot sailing past goalkeeper Michelle Betos and into the net.
'I made a run, drew some players in, while Simone drew some players in as well, allowing Claire to notice the lane inside,' explained McCaskill. 'She took her touch in and backed herself to hit an absolute worldie.
Gotham came out swinging in the second half and got one back in the 52nd minute. Midfielder Nahomi Kawasumi and forward Kristie Mewis passed the ball back and forth at the top of the 18 several times, with Mewis finally getting a shot off from close range. Haračić stopped the initial shot, and the ball bounced around between players from both sides for a moment before forward Paige Monaghan recovered it and put it away.
Angel City played a largely defensive game for the rest of the second half, often staying home and looking to block Gotham’s passing lanes in the defensive third. They limited quality chances by the opponent for most of the half, with the hosts’ best opportunities coming in the last 10 minutes of regulation.
Kawasumi had a shot inside the box in the 81st minute, but they came closest in the 84th minute, when defender Mandy Freeman sent a long ball over the top for Monaghan. Defender Megan Reid was shoulder to shoulder with Monaghan as she dribbled and shot from the top of the six-yard box—Haračić jumped to block it, but the ball was high and flew over the crossbar.
'I was really happy with our organization and willingness to do the hard work in the second half,' said Coombe. 'I thought Gotham played extremely well in the second half. I was really pleased with our ability as a team to hold fast and maintain the win.'
The win gives Angel City three crucial points as they continue to push for a playoff spot during a difficult five-game stretch on the road. They remain in seventh place but still have a game in hand over the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place teams, who are all tied at 27 points—just two points above ACFC. Their next NWSL game is away at Houston on September 11 at 4:00 p.m. PST.