July 10, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Angel City FC News Release
LOS ANGELES, CA – Angel City FC (ACFC) beat rival San Diego Wave FC 2-1 tonight in front of a sold-out home crowd in an exciting, back and forth game, following goals by defender Ali Riley and forward Claire Emslie for Angel City, and one by midfielder Kristen McNabb for San Diego.
In the ninth minute, ACFC opened the scoring while driving toward the back line, forward Sydney Leroux found Endo to her left. Endo passed to Riley as she made an overlapping run, and Riley took the ball to the end line and sent in a sharply angled shot that went under goalkeeper Carly Telford and into the net. The goal was the first of Riley’s NWSL career.
Much of the rest of the first half was uneventful, with neither side putting many chances together; the first 45 ended with just two shots on target, one for each team. In first-half stoppage time, however, the Wave were awarded a free kick from 25 yards which defender Abby Dahlkemper curled over the wall, hitting the crossbar.
Both sides came out swinging in the second half, with Leroux attempting a bicycle kick in the 47th minute that went wide of goal. The two teams traded chances over the next 15 minutes, with San Diego breaking through in the 59th. Forward Katie Johnson, who had subbed on a few minutes prior, sent in a through ball for McNabb as she made a run into the ride side of the penalty area. McNabb sent her left-footed shot to the far post to bring the score to 1-1.
The visitors came close again in the 63rd minute when midfielder Kelsey Turnbow sent in a cross from long range that goalkeeper Didi Haračić got her fingertips on, but didn’t stop; the ball bounced off the far post and fell Johnson near the goal line, but it bounced up and out over the end line.
ACFC kept knocking, and in the 70th minute defender Madison Hammond received a pass from Leroux near the penalty arc and put a hard, curving shot on frame, but Telford dove right to save.
In the 79th minute, defender Tyler Lussi was awarded a second yellow card, forcing the home side to play with 10 players the rest of the match.
LA regained their one-goal lead in the 81st minute. Midfielder Cari Roccaro sent a low cross into the penalty box toward Leroux, who dummied the ball through to a wide-open Emslie on the far side of the box. Emslie one-timed the ball to the far post past a diving Telford. This match was Emslie’s ACFC debut.
In the 87th minute, Dahlkemper got her head…