CARY, N.C. — Ashley Sanchez scored twice and set a North Carolina Courage single-season record with her 15th goal as Angel City FC suffered a 2-0 loss Wednesday night at First Horizon Stadium.
Sanchez broke through in the 41st minute before adding her second goal in the 78th, allowing the Courage to pull away after an evenly played opening half. Her first goal of the night strengthened her position atop the NWSL Golden Boot race, while her second established a new club scoring mark.
Angel City captain Sarah Gorden helped keep the match scoreless early as North Carolina began applying pressure. Gorden tracked back to disrupt an opportunity for Sanchez in the fourth minute and later deflected a left-footed attempt from Chioma Okafor in the 28th.
Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson also kept the Courage off the scoreboard in the opening stages, stopping a shot from Ryan Williams in the 14th minute.
“Today it looked like we were a step behind, but I’m proud of my team because we left everything we had on the field,” Gorden said. “My teammates and I gave it everything we had tonight. We fell short, but we are more than ready to take the next few days to recover, review the film and get ready for the next game. We’re gonna be ready for that.”
Angel City gradually found more opportunities as the first half progressed. Claire Emslie tested Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan in the 31st minute after ACFC’s high press helped create a scoring chance.
North Carolina took the lead four minutes before halftime when Evelyn Ijeh played a through ball to Sanchez, who directed a left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner. The goal was Sanchez’s 14th of the season.
Angel City tried to answer before the break, but Sheridan stopped an attempt from Ally Sentnor to preserve North Carolina’s 1-0 advantage.
Interim head coach Knut Smerud made two changes at halftime, bringing on forward Riley Tiernan and defender Savy King. King made her third consecutive appearance after missing four months with an injury.
Angel City received another reinforcement in the 61st minute when Sveindís Jónsdóttir entered for her first appearance since Aug. 1. Jónsdóttir quickly tried to make an impact, but her shot from outside the penalty area in the 62nd minute was blocked. She later fired an attempt over the crossbar following a fast break created by Ary Borges in the 73rd.
“Jónsdóttir is a very important player for us, so it’s good to have her back,” Smerud said. “She’s been out a few weeks, so she also needs a bit of time to get back into tempo. It was good that we could bring her on today, and she will be even more ready to play on Monday.”
Sanchez ended Angel City’s hopes of a comeback in the 78th minute, scoring from the center of the box with another left-footed finish. Her second goal of the match gave North Carolina a 2-0 lead and broke the Courage’s single-season scoring record.
Angel City continued to press forward in the closing minutes. King had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, and Sentnor won a free kick in the 89th, but ACFC could not find a way past Sheridan.
“Today we tried, but we lacked the final percentages to convert and to really get the performance and the result we want,” Smerud said. “North Carolina was one step ahead in a few key situations. We played a top team in a really good performance that demanded a lot from us on Sunday, and now we played again today. It’s natural that this is gonna cost some energy, and we need to make sure we are recovered.”
Angel City will remain on the road to face Boston Legacy FC on Monday at 5 p.m. PT. The match will be televised on CBS Sports Network and streamed on NWSL+.