Angel City falls to Reign in playoff race battle

LOS ANGELES -- The Seattle Reign seem to have Angel City’s number.

The two sides met for their first matchup of the season, with the Reign scoring three goals after Angel City jumped out to an early lead. 

Angel City tried mounting a comeback but fell short, 3-2, after two of their goals were disallowed due to VAR checks. The Reign are now 8-1-1 against Angel City. 

Angel City remained ninth, while the Reign moved to tenth. Both teams are teetering on the edge of the playoff line, vying for a spot. But Tweed has faith in her squad. 

“I'm proud of the whole group, players on the field, players off the field, there was an energy and a vibe, and it was a never say die attitude,” Tweed said. “Ultimately, that's going to pull us through as we get to the end of the season.”

Forward Alyssa Thompson continued her impressive form, scoring her fourth goal in three games. Against the Reign, she found the back of the net in the eighth minute.

Thompson received a ball from forward Sydney Leroux in space, made a run down the right flank, and fired a shot from a tight angle into the goal. 

Leroux’s goal came off a cross by M.A. Vignola in the second-half stoppage time, finding its way to the back of the net right above Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey’s hands. 

Midfielder Katie Zelem started her first match for Angel City after being acquired on a free transfer in Aug. She created one chance but only won two out of seven duels. 

Next, Angel City plays Racing Louisville on Sept. 14. Louisville is also in contention for a playoff spot, making the match another significant battle.  

“The culture, the identity, and everything is there right now,” said defender Sarah Gorden. “We know what we have to do… Yes, we f---ing think we can still make the playoffs.”