June 11, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Angel City FC News Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – Angel City Football Club (ACFC) beat Racing Louisville FC 3-2 on the road tonight, following goals by forward Christen Press and midfielder Savannah McCaskill for ACFC, and defender Gemma Bonner and forward Nadia Nadim for Louisville.
The game swung in Louisville’s favor early on, with the home team squeezing Angel City with a high press and preventing them from keeping possession for long. As time went on, LA started to find the spaces Racing were leaving open, finding a few chances in moments of transition and playing balls over the top. The match was back and forth, however, and it was Louisville that struck first, in the 29th minute. Midfielder Savannah DeMelo stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the right edge of the penalty area and sent a curving ball to the top of the six-yard box, where Bonner- facing away from the goal- flicked it backwards past keeper DiDi Haračić to bring the score to 1-0.
Angel City kept pushing, and in the 36th minute, they made good on a direct transition play. Defender Megan Reid hit a long ball over the top of the Louisville back line into the path of Press’s run. Press sprinted around Bonner, took a few touches, and cleanly slotted the ball past keeper Katie Lund.
ACFC started the second half on the front foot, notching their second goal of the night in just the 47th minute. Press dribbled past her mark on the ride side of the 18-yard-box and chipped the ball over the top of Lund and the defense to the far post. McCaskill was lurking on the goal line and redirected the ball into the back of the net with her torso.
The game was still a back-and-forth affair, and Angel City had a few close calls before conceding again in the 65th minute. After Reid fouled DeMelo in the box, giving up a penalty kick, Nadim stepped up to the spot and placed her kick to the left, sending Haračić to the right to bring the score level again.
The remaining 25 minutes of regulation were a frenetic, physical affair, with both sides getting chances but neither one able to gain a real foothold on the game. In added time, Angel City earned a penalty of their own after Lund took forward Simone Charley down in the area. McCaskill stepped up to take the kick against her former team and coolly slotted the ball just left of center, wrong-footing Lund and bringing LA ahead again. The score stayed level during almost 10 minutes of stoppage…