Angel City Football Club (ACFC) will host Racing Louisville at BMO Stadium at 6:00 pm PT on Sunday, July 26th. The match will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Last time out: ACFC does not allow stars
The City of Angels played a dominant second half, shutting out the Chicago Stars for a record third straight shutout with a 2-0 victory on Saturday, July 18, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
Midfielder Majara Nieuwes and forward Sveindis Jonsdottir scored goals as ACFC (7-1-6) won three straight games for the second time this season. Goalie Angelina Anderson tied her career high with her fifth shutout of the season.
“We managed to increase the intensity in the second half and I think we outlasted them and (achieved) a very deserved win at the end,” said Leif Smerud, who moved to 3-0 as interim head coach.
The first 45 minutes were relatively quiet, with both teams making six shots each, but quality chances were few and far between. But the City of Angels’ offense exploded in the second half, racking up sixteen shots and putting constant pressure on the Chicago defense.
Niehues opened the scoring with a penalty in the 56th minute, and Jonsdottir completed the victory with a score in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time. Midfielder Ellie Centnor led ACFC with eight shots.
“The first half didn’t go well for us. We didn’t play the kind of football we wanted to play,” Jonsdottir said, adding: “So (at halftime) we talked about that – to be more calm with the ball because we had opportunities to play through the middle and get behind (the Stars).”
Striker Claire Emslie made her first start of the season since returning to action from maternity leave in May.
“I love being a mom and I love playing soccer,” Emslie said. “And you know, at this point in my life where I get to do both, I’m enjoying every second of it. And yes, that’s the best thing. I’ve had so much support from the City of Angels and I’m so happy to be a part of this club.”
With nine points from three matches, ACFC moved up to seventh place in the NWSL standings and qualified for the playoffs.
Next: Sears and Racing Louisville
Racing Louisville will come to BMO Stadium having snapped a five-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash at Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, July 18th. But despite picking up a point (2-2-10), Louisville remains at the bottom of the NWSL standings.
A bright spot for Louisville was forward Emma Sears, who had two goals and three assists. Meanwhile, forward Kayla Fisher scored a goal against Houston and is tied for the club lead with forward Sarah Weber with three goals each.
All three Racing Louisville forwards will have to step up their game at BMO Stadium, where Angel City has conceded just nine times in eight games. ACFC has faced Louisville eight times in four seasons and is 2-2-4 overall.
Spotlight: Niues continues his offensive streak
Midfielder Maiara Nieuwes has been Angel City’s standout offensive player this season, scoring six goals. With her penalty against Chicago, 21-year-old Niues became the second youngest player in NWSL history (after Diana Ordoñez) to score in five consecutive matches, extending her club record.
“Nieues is a goalscorer,” Smerud said, adding: “Once the ball is in the box and she can shoot it or head it, she’s really dangerous and that’s invaluable to have in the team. And she’s also a great penalty taker, as she showed.”
Nieuwes led the City of Angels with two shots on target against the Stars and had five shots overall. She was also one of the main table servers, making five crosses, second only to Emslie’s nine.
The midfielder shows no signs of slowing down in her second season with ACFC, and this year also saw her receive her first call-up to the Brazil women’s national team. Nihues has previously represented Brazil at the U-20, U-18, U-17 and U-16 levels and took part in two FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches.
This week at BMO Stadium: Pride Night
This Sunday, the City of Angels will celebrate its annual Pride Night. The pre-match fan festival will begin at 14:00 and will include a live performance by BOZ, beats from DJ KeeLez, colorful carnival games and free portraits from Las Fotos Project. The first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a Pride bandana.
Sunday’s matchup against Louisville will be the ACFC finale at BMO Stadium before heading to two games in Kansas City (Aug. 1) and Seattle (Aug. 9).