Angel City suffers crushing first loss of the season against Gotham F.C.

LOS ANGELES – It was a chilly night in Los Angeles, but Angel City couldn’t seem to bring the heat against East Coast rivals Gotham FC, falling a devastating 4-0 against the visitors. In front of a star-studded audience and 18,465 fans that included soccer legends Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, Angel City just couldn’t find the cohesion or finishes needed to make it on the scoreboard. 

Friday's match started differently from how it ended. The first 20 minutes looked like a back-and-forth battle until Gotham's Esther Gonzalez scored in the 18th minute, opening the scoreboard and putting the visitors ahead. Angel City kept them on their toes and was able to have a few chances to answer, but they couldn't seem to finish strong or maintain the glimpses of momentum displayed earlier in the night. 

Gonzalez finished the match with a brace after scoring once more in the 75th minute, while Geyse's goal in the 85th minute topped off the night. 

Gotham's second goal of the night came from Angel City's Miyabi Moriya in the 67th minute. Moriya attempted to defend with a header but accidentally flicked the ball behind the goal line. The goal was a blow to the momentum that Angel City had created out of the locker room after half-time. 

"The second goal really deflated us..We were in the ascendancy at that point and putting them under pressure. Well, not looking too dangerous. We had the ball near half the field, and we looked like we were creating chances. So the timing, and then just the nature of the goal as well..that was a that burst up, that's for sure. And then after that, we, you know, we changed the system to try and get back into the game, and then they scored from the corner. So the corners are really disappointing," said interim head coach Sam Laity. 

“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result,” midfielder Alanna Kennedy said. “It was a little disappointing to give up that second goal. It. kind of killed our momentum and I think for it was tough for us to claw back at that moment of the game as well.”

For a team that has had a pretty good start to the season, this match was nothing like the previous four weeks for ACFC. Angel City was out-possessed, out-chanced, and out-shot the whole match. The only area in which Angel City wasn't outdone was foul totals. Friday's match was played to the soundtrack of referee whistles and a chorus of "ref you suck" chants from Angel City fans. ACFC finished out the night with 17 fouls committed and one yellow card, compared to New York's 12 fouls and two yellow cards. 

Despite the result, the team is moving forward and trying to build on the success of previous weeks. Angel City's roster this season has an average age of 24.5, making it one of the youngest in the league at the moment. One of the main focuses now is making sure that the team pushes forward and the younger players adjust. 

"Energy is low, especially having that result here at home. I think that it's all about focusing on the moment at hand. You know, we went to zero down, and it was really about trying to get one back. We do feel like at times in the game, we had them on their heels; we just weren't able to get the final ball in. But all you can really do is focus on the next moment. And at all times, we can't really hang our heads," said match captain Sarah Gorden. "We got 20-something games left. The girls will learn, you know, with experience, but I think they all do a really good job of carrying themselves very maturely."

One of those girls is none other than 17-year-old Casey Phair. The striker was the youngest to compete in a World Cup and made her official NWSL regular season debut in the 76th minute. Phair was subbed on for NWSL rookie Riley Tiernan and made her first appearance since signing with the team in January 2024.

Angel City's next match is on the road against the powerhouse Orlando Pride next week. Friday's result drops Angel City down a spot on the league table, with the club now sitting fifth under Gotham.