Tonight, Angel City FC beat Club América Femenil 3–0 in a preseason friendly at BMO Stadium, their first public match of 2023.
'I'm very happy with how things went tonight,' said Head Coach Freya Coombe after the match. 'The things I'm really pleased with are, firstly, the movement of our front line. The rotations were good, I think [they were] able to pick up off each others' movement and look threatening and create so many more chances than we did last season. Our back line did an amazing job of defending and being resolute back there. We played as a team tonight.'
Eighteen-year-old rookie forward Alyssa Thompson opened the scoring in the fifth minute, making a solo run out of pressure in the midfield, beating the final defender to get in on goal, and dribbling past goalkeeper Itzel González as she dove for the ball. Thompson calmly put away a left-footed finish into the empty net from the left side.
'I felt like everything I'd prepared for up to this moment helped me score that goal,' said Thompson. Putting the goal away 'definitely took some weight off my shoulders' after some nerves on the day leading up to her professional debut.
'I thought it was a fantastic debut for her in front of the home supporters,' said Coombe. 'The goal she took so coolly, like she'd played in a hundred games... I think she looked threatening all night and was able to work [and communicate] with her teammates.'
After the goal and what had been a frantic first five minutes, the game settled down and ACFC started to connect more passes. Some combination play up the wings yielded a few near chances for the home team, and in the 17th minute, defender Paige Nielsen picked up a recycled ball and took a crack from 20 yards—but her effort was tipped over the bar by González.
In the 29th minute, a corner kick—one of seven Angel City earned in the first half—yielded another chance when Nielsen tapped the deflected ball back towards Thompson near the endline. Thompson one-timed the ball towards a scrum of players crashing the goal, but González dove to claim the ball.
Thompson had another chance in the 33rd minute when Nielsen received a pass from forward Jun Endo in midfield, made a run up the left half space, and sent the ball to the rookie forward. Thompson beat several defenders as she made a run similar to the one that led to her goal, but this time González blocked her shot for a corner kick.
Midfielder Savannah McCaskill was the next LA player to get a look on goal, in the 37th minute. Endo made a diagonal pass to McCaskill, who made a straight run up the center to get one-on-one with González, but the keeper blocked her shot.
After what had been a quiet first half to that point, keeper DiDi Haračić saw some action in the 38th minute when América defender Sabrina Enciso took a long-range crack. Haračić jumped and got a glove on the ball to tip it over the crossbar.
In the 44th minute, América had a final chance for the half. After Haračić punched a free kick by forward Katty Martínez away from goal, the ball fell to Enciso. She took a crackfrom distance, but her shot went wide, and the two teams headed in for the halftime break with the score at 1–0.
Angel City doubled their lead in the 56th minute when forward Claire Emslie sent a lofted ball into the six-yard box; González blocked the initial ball, and defender Megan Reid headed it down and back towards goal. It fell to Nielsen, who turned and sent a right-footed finish into the net.
In the 66th minute, Head Coach Freya Coombe made four substitutions: Haračić for Brittany Isenhour, Emslie for forward/midfielder Katie Johnson, defender Sarah Gorden for midfielder Clarisse Le Bihan, and defender Jasmyne Spencer for defender Ali Riley. There were two more changes for Angel City ten minutes later, with Thompson coming off for forward Simone Charley, and midfielder Dani Weatherholt leaving the game for midfielder Lily Nabet.
Those substitutions paid off in the 85th minute when Charley received a pass from Johnson in midfield and made a solo sprint to beat the América defense in transition. She took a touch to beat goalkeeper Itzel Velasco’s dive (Velasco had subbed in for González a few minutes prior) and slot in an angled finish.
In addition to being Thompson's professional debut, tonight was also Gorden's first match in an Angel City jersey, as the center back sat out all last season due to a torn ACL.
'Sarah was tremendous tonight,' said Coombe. 'She's been very consistent, she's been winning the ball, her distribution's been good, she defends the space in behind the back line. She adds that air of experience and seniority... I'm incredibly pleased with her and for her return to the field.'
Angel City returns to BMO Stadium Sunday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m. for the regular-season opener against NY/NJ Gotham FC.