International Notebook: Five ACFC Players Get International Minutes, Rodríguez Scores
All five of the Angel City players—Claire Emslie, Amandine Henry, Casey Phair, Ali Riley, and Rocky Rodríguez—who were called up to their national teams in the FIFA window that ended yesterday got minutes for their teams. Rodríguez also notched a goal.
Emslie and Henry were the only two players from that group who played non-friendly games, as both saw the field in the qualifying tournament for the 2025 Euro. Emslie started and played 67 minutes in Scotland's April 5 game against Serbia, which ended in a scoreless draw. She entered the team's April 9 game against Slovakia in the 57th minute, helping earn a 1–0 win. The two results put Scotland in second place in their group, with five matches remaining in this stage; if they finish in the top three in their group, they will qualify for the sixteen-team playoff stage.
In France's 1–0 against Ireland on April 5, Henry came off the bench in the 78th minute. On April 9, a 1–0 win against Sweden, she entered in the 88th minute. The two wins put them in first place in their group, with five games remaining in this stage. If France finish first or second in their group, they will qualify for the final tournament).
Forward Casey Phair saw the field in two games for South Korea, both friendlies against the Philippines. In their first game, a 3–0 win on April 5, she started and played 72 minutes; on April 8, she subbed in at the 78-minute mark for a match her team won 2–1.
Ali Riley and the Football Ferns had two friendlies against Thailand, a 4–0 win on April 5 and a 0–0 draw on April 9. Riley started and played 62 minutes in the first game, and started and played the first half of the second match.
Rodríguez started Las Ticas' April 6 friendly against Peru and scored the first goal in what was to be a 5–1 win. For the team's April 9 game, a closed-door friendly that ended 2–1 in Costa Rica's favor, she came in off the bench in the 62nd minute.*
*Note: Rodríguez's minutes and the goalscorers in these games were not recorded by Opta; this information is based on posts and videos from the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol's Twitter page.