Angel City dominates 2-0 against Chicago Stars on the road

There's a saying that good things come in threes. During Saturday's road trip to Illinois, the Angel City Football Club proved that true. 

Angel City picked up its third consecutive win with a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Stars at Martin Stadium in Evanston before a crowd of 6,678.

Despite concerns over air quality and smoke from recent Canadian wildfires, the club traveled to the Windy City for an evening matchup. Chicago had hoped to avenge its 4-0 season-opening loss against Angel City, but an aggressive attack and clean sheet from the Los Angeles side meant ACFC was headed home with three more points. 

During the first half, Chicago held possession 54%-45 % over Angel City and had two shots on target. 

In the 56th minute, Niehues converted the penalty with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner to put Angel City on the scoreboard. 

Niehues' penalty goal lit a fire under Angel City's attack. They dominated possession 62%-38%, kept Chicago from getting too dangerous on counterattacks, and created five shots on target compared to the home side's single shot on target. 

In the 86th minute, fans cheered for a Jónsdóttir goal, but it was called offside by VAR, with replay showing Prisca Chilufya offside by a toe, erasing her assist. 

Less than 20 minutes later, Chilufya and Jónsdóttir linked up once more. In the 90+8 minute, Jónsdóttir doubled Angel City's lead with a right-footed shot from very close range to the center of the goal, assisted by Chilufya.

"That goal was 100% Prisca's goal. She did so well. Obviously, with the offside goal before that, to get that pass in was just great," said Jónsdóttir. "It was the perfect game for her to come in, and she did so well to play me there. I'm just super happy that she did."

Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson earned her third clean sheet in a row. 

It's the team's third win in a row since returning from summer break, and the third win under interim head coach Leif Gunnar Smerud, who took over in the middle of June.  

"I'm not looking too far ahead. It's an interim role, and I'm trying to, you know, set the direction for the game and how I want it to look. That's my job now, " said Smerud after his first match against the Orlando Pride. 

Now the team sits above the playoff line, opening the possibility of a playoff run. Since being founded on July 21, 2020, Angel City has reached the playoffs only once, in 2023.  

Angel City returns to BMO Stadium to face Racing Louisville on July 26 at 6:00 PM (PST).