Angel City announced today that the team has acquired veteran midfielder Raquel “Rocky” Rodríguez from Portland Thorns FC. In exchange, Portland will receive $275,000 in allocation money.
“I am so excited to be joining ACFC. I can’t wait to play for the city of Los Angeles,” stated Rodríguez. “I want to bring the very best of me to help this team be successful and bring excitement to the fans. ¡Vamos!”
“Rocky brings a high level of professionalism and presence to Angel City’s midfield and that’s combined with a tremendous amount of experience in this league and internationally as well,” said ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “We’re beyond thrilled that we are able to have her join our squad.”
Rodríguez has spent the past four seasons with Portland, where she made 72 match appearances in all competitions, earning seven goals and three assists in 4,745 total minutes on the pitch. She helped lead Portland to a 2021 NWSL Shield title, a 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup title, and a 2022 NWSL Championship.
Prior to being acquired by Portland via trade with Sky Blue FC (now known as NJ/NY Gotham) in 2020, Rodríguez began her NWSL career when she was selected No. 2 overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft by the club. During her time with Sky Blue, she was named 2016 NWSL Rookie of the Year after appearing in 72 matches in all competitions, earning eight goals and five assists.
A member of the Costa Rica Women’s National Team since 2012, Rodríguez has scored 45 goals in 85 caps. In 2023, she appeared in both matches for Costa Rica during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, totaling 117 minutes on the pitch. In 2022, she was a vital part of the club qualifying for the World Cup, after scoring a brace against the U.S. Virgin Islands on February 20, 2022, and a goal against Saint Kitts and Nevis on February 17, 2022.
Born and raised in San José, Costa Rica, Rodríguez moved to the United States for the opportunity to pursue a career in professional women’s soccer. She spent her collegiate career at Penn State University, where she became the second Nittany Lion in history to win the MAC Hermann Trophy. She also earned several honors, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten Freshman Team, All-Big Ten First Team, All-Big Ten Second Team, Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. and many more awards as a standout star of the program.