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Gotham FC hands Angel City FC its first loss of season

April 19, 2025

Angel City FC forward Riley Tiernan, center, controls the ball during the first half of their NWSL match against Gotham FC on Friday night, April 18, 2025, at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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LOS ANGELES — Angel City Football Club’s shot at team history came up short Friday night.

Last season, Angel City won consecutive games on just two occasions in a 26-game season. After opening with consecutive draws this season, Angel City picked up wins against the Seattle Reign and Houston Dash and came into Friday night’s meeting with Gotham FC in search of its first three-game winning streak.

It wasn’t to be as Gotham FC put the game away with three goals in the second half and came away with a 4-0 win in front of 18,465 at BMO Stadium, handing Angel City (2-1-2, eight points) its first loss of the season.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result,” midfielder Alanna Kennedy said. “It was a little disappointing to give up that second goal. It kind of killed our momentum and I think it was tough for us to claw back at that moment of the game as well.

“Ultimately, it’s part of the process. We’ve been proud of the performances up until now. This is just a bump in the road and we’ll turn it around quickly. The mentality of the team is still positive.”

The big blow from Gotham came in the 67th minute. Lily Reale, a rookie from UCLA, had a cross from approximately 30 yards hit Angel City defender Miyabi in the head. The ball then sailed high and back toward the goal, eluding Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson for a 2-0 Gotham lead.

“I think the score line is worse than the performance,” interim coach Sam Laity said. “The second goal really deflated us … we were in the ascendency at that point, put them under pressure, we had the ball in their half of the field … so the timing (of the goal) and just the nature … cross, defender tries to head it 25 yards. That’s burst our bubble.”

Less than 10 minutes later, the visitors added a third goal on Esther Gonzalez’s header off of a corner kick. Geyse made it 4-0, equaling Gotham’s goal output through the first four games of the season.

Gotham (2-1-2, eight points) opened the scoring in the 18th minute on a shot by Gonzalez that hit the post and went over the line. It was just the second time this season that Angel City had trailed in a game.

The Angel City offense, which was playing without forward Alyssa Thompson, never amounted much of an attack. Thompson, who leads the team with three goals, was out with what was called an “upper leg” injury.

Gisele Thompson moved from her outside back spot into her sister’s spot on the wing. Miyabi was then brought in to take Gisele’s position.

Laity said Alyssa Thompson will be fine for next week but that the staff didn’t want to risk anything Friday.

Angel City had very little offensive life in the first half and that carried over to the second half. Angel City finished with no shots on goal in the game and according to the postgame stats, saw very little of the ball.

Angel City began the week as one of four unbeaten clubs in the 14-team NWSL through the first four weeks. Two of those teams (Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit) play each other Saturday and they are also the next opponents for Angel City, both on the road. Angel City visits defending champion Orlando next Friday, followed by a match against 2024 runner-up Washington on May 2.

“The culture in this group is so positive and so strong that I don’t have any fear or any worries whatsoever on what this result is going to do,” Laity said. “Let’s separate the result from the performance. I don’t think it’s going to do anything but provide additional motivation for the players to bounce forward from this. I’ve been in environments before where this would have been a big hit, and rightly so. I will say the culture in this group is very, very positive. It’s an elite culture.”

Angel City will face Gotham again later this season on Sept. 7 in New Jersey.

Gotham FC hands Angel City FC its first loss of season Orange County Register

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Gotham FC hands Angel City FC its first loss of season

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