LOS ANGELES -- At 7:08pm in south Los Angeles match week nine kicked off as the host team Angel City FC took on Kansas City Current. This match under the lights brought efficient play making, high levels of defending numerous shot attempts and many bursts of shifting momentum. After playing 98:59 minutes of soccer, Angel City celebrated 2-1 victory. This being their first win since Friday, March 27th.
Angel City’s Gisele Thompson wasted no time on the pitch, scoring the first goal for her team only nine minutes into the match. Thompson received a ball that was sent up to from her back line. The ball came to her wide on the right side of the box. She then faced off to win the dual against the Kansas City player by slowing the ball down, to then switch to her other foot to take a shot with her left foot. Thompson then went to celebrate with her teammates, most notably hitting a previously rehearsed dance with teammate midfielder Ary Borges.
“I was like ok I got this, like this is all me. And so in my head I was like, okay do I shoot it with my right? No, she’s cutting that off, don't do that. So then I cut it in and then I just hit it with my left, and I was so happy it went in.” Thompson continued, “honestly I was just like hit this hard on the ground, and hopefully it hits the net.”
After Angle City FC spent most of the remaining time in the first half leading in possession of the ball, Ally Sentnor put one in the back of the net for Kansas City. Sentnor was able to settle the ball to send it right from the center of the box into the goal. It looked as though there was a miscommunication on defense from Angel City, and there wasn’t much space for their goal keeper Angelina Anderson to execute the proper reaction.
At halftime the effort by both teams looked almost identical. With the score board reading one all, both clubs having two shots on goal, Los Angeles having six shot attempts while Kansas City held five and LAFC earned four corner kicks compared to KC earning three.
Not one bit of energy was spared by either team once the second half was underway. Though only 10 minutes into the half, a nerve racking moment arose for the fans in attendance there to support the home team. In the 55th minute, Angel City defender Emily Sams committed a foul inside the 18-yard box. Because of the spot of the foul, Ally Sentnor of the Current drew a penalty kick. This is a moment between just the goalie and the opposing player. Anderson being the keeper in this situation meant she was covering a net that is 24 feet wide with no help. With that said it is not often that penalty kicks are missed.
Fortunately for Los Angeles, Anderson declined the PK that was shot just shy of the center of the goal. This put BMO Stadium in an uproar that came from surprise, and developed into excitement.
Following the game midfielder Kennedy Fuller spoke to what that save did for the confidence of Anderson. “Ange has obviously had a little bit of a rocky season … she's done really well in the last couple of weeks of just putting her head down working hard and grinding through. Obviously it’s paid off and she's really shown what Ange can do.” Fuller added how Anderson saving the PK affected the rest of the team, “obviously we’ve been on a losing streak and so for her to put her head down and be like I’m gonna make this save for the team, it just pushed us, we had to score. That’s just kind of what our mentality was after she saved that, is like we’re gonna score a goal.”
And score a goal they did. Fuller was subbed into the game in the 69th minute of the game. She then scored what would become the game winning goal in the 71st minute. This secured the clubs first win since match week three when their record was 3-0, they now have a record of 4-1-4.