April 20, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release
Tomorrow, April 21, at 4:30 p.m., Angel City is back at BMO Stadium for the first time since their March 17 home opener, hosting the North Carolina Courage. The match will be broadcast in the US on CBS Sports Network and regionally on Bally Sports SoCal, with an English-language radio broadcast on iHeart. This match will also air internationally in Australia on Optus and Portugal on Canal 11, with all other countries able to stream directly from NWSL+.
Matchup
Last week, Angel City won 1-0 on the road against Chicago. The team dominated the first half, holding onto the ball an impressive 68% of the time, and forcing a Chicago own goal in the 40th minute. They hung onto the lead through the second half with gritty defensive showing to secure their first win of the season- and to hand the Red Stars their first loss.
North Carolina’s last game was a 2-0 home win against Portland. That result came on the strength of a fifth-minute goal by forward Tyler Lussi. The former Angel City player also recorded an assist on her team’s second goal, a 35th-minute effort by Haley Hopkins.
The Courage are currently in second place in the standings with a 3-1-0 (W-L-D) record. Following their win last weekend, Angel City jumped four places to land in 10th place with a 1-2-1 record.
Against the Courage, Angel City are 2-1-1 all-time, having earned a 2-1 win at home in their last meeting with the team.
Scouting Report
North Carolina have made relatively few changes in the offseason, choosing to mostly continue with the squad that earned them a third-place finish in 2023. One notable change, however, was out of their hands: the loss of 2023 MVP Kerolin to injury, as the forward tore her ACL in the final game of the regular season last year. The Brazil international was the team’s leading scorer last year with 10 goals, also the second-most goals of any player league-wide.
There’s no replacing a player like Kerolin, but the Courage did bring in another top attacking player from the Washington Spirit in midfielder Ashley Sanchez. Sanchez’s addition is already paying off for North Carolina, as the dynamic No. 10 leads the team in chances created (11), passes into the box (29), and total shots (11). Sanchez has also added a goal and two assists so far.
The other major roster addition is defender Bianca St-Georges from the Chicago Red Stars. St-Georges is an aggressive attacking outside back who adds…