May 24, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release
LOS ANGELES – Angel City Football Club (ACFC) earned a clean sheet tonight in a 0-0 home draw with SoCal rival San Diego Wave FC.
The first action of the first half came in the eighth minute when San Diego midfielder Savannah McCaskill dribbled into the box and took a shot toward the near post; Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haračić dove left to make the save.
ACFC had their first look in the 12th minute when midfielder Rocky Rodríguez sent a through ball into the penalty area for forward Claire Emslie. Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan went to ground to claim the ball, but bobbled it; Emslie didn’t quite put her foot through the ball, and Sheridan claimed it on her second try.
San Diego had a pair of chances in the 29th and 31st minutes, first by forward María Sanchez, who headed a cross into the six-yard box over the bar. In the 31st minute, McCaskill sent a looping pass into the box for Sanchez, which she tapped to defender Hanna Lundkvist. Lundkvist took a touch to find space and took her shot, which also went high.
The home team had another look in the 38th minute, when a cross by Emslie was blocked by the San Diego defense. Midfielder Clarisse Le Bihan picked up the recycled ball at the opposite side of the box and played it back in for forward Sydney Leroux, but the ball fell straight to Sheridan.
The second half was relatively uneventful until the final minutes, with each team recording just a single shot on target by the final whistle.
An 85th-minute chance by Rodríguez was the best for Angel City to that point; the midfielder found herself open 20 yards from goal and uncorked a shot that went just wide of the near post.
In the 93rd minute, defender M.A. Vignola had the best chance of the game for Angel City, sprinting forward up the left wing and cutting inside to shoot from the corner of the six-yard box. Her sharply angled shot deflected off a defender for a corner kick.
Haračić came up big in the final minutes of stoppage time, narrowly blocking a headed shot by midfielder Emily Van Egmond, then blocking forward Alex Morgan’s headed follow-up of the rebounded ball.
Haračić recorded five saves in what was Angel City’s second shutout of the season.
ACFC plays next on Saturday, June 8 away at NJ/NY Gotham FC at 9:30 a.m. Pacific. The game will be broadcast on CBS and Paramount+.
POST-MATCH QUOTES
ACFC Defender Madison Curry
On adjusting to play the central…