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Angel City FC resumes NWSL Challenge Cup with San Diego rematch

June 27, 2023

Angel City Football Club didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on the missed opportunities in Sunday’s scoreless draw against the Houston Dash.

That’s because this week is one of short turnarounds.

Angel City returns to action Wednesday against San Diego Wave FC in NWSL Challenge Cup play (7:30 p.m., CBSSN). After this game, Angel City has a flight to New York for a meeting with Gotham FC on Sunday.

“This is where, as coaching and a coaching staff, you have to decide what this week looks like,” ACFC interim coach Becki Tweed said. “If you take the physical load down, you can increase the cognitive load and a lot of teaching can be done in the classroom and in film.

“We just need to be efficient about getting the best that we can from the time that we have with the players.”

This is the fourth of six Challenge Cup games for Angel City. Through the first three, it is in last place in the West Division (0-2-1) with one point.

The league’s 12 teams are separated into three divisions (Central, East and West) of four teams. The top team from each group, along with the highest-placing second-place team, advances to the semifinals.

OL Reign leads the West Division with seven points. The Portland Thorns and Wave FC are tied with three.

However, with World Cup call-ups taking place, rosters across the league will certainly be impacted, potentially opening things up for all teams to make a run.

Last week, the NWSL announced that the prize pool for the Challenge Cup is $1.1 million. All players are eligible for a bonus for every Challenge Cup they appear in and “approximately $300,000 and $200,000 awarded to the two teams advancing to the final.”

“It’s our incredible athletes who make our league compelling, they deserve to have their compensation grow and reflect their excellence on the field,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said.

Angel City’s Alyssa Thompson and Julie Ertz, along with Wave FC’s Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma, will miss the game as the U.S. national team begins preparations for FIFA World Cup.

Angel City and Wave FC have met twice in league play, with each team winning. The most recent meeting went to Angel City 2-1 on June 17 in San Diego.