September 24, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release
LOS ANGELES – Angel City Football Club (ACFC) drew the Portland Thorns 2-2 at home tonight following goals by forwards Alyssa Thompson and Claire Emslie, with forward Morgan Weaver and midfielder Olivia Moultrie scoring for the visitors. The match marked the thirteenth sell out in club history with 22,000 fans celebrating the first-ever Hello Kitty Night at a women’s professional sporting event.
The Thorns had the first chance of the game, in the eighth minute, when forward Christine Sinclair played a pass across the six-yard box to Morgan Weaver, who shot with her left- but goalkeeper DiDi Haračić made the stop.
Angel City opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard played a short diagonal ball to forward Alyssa Thompson on the wing, and she sprinted forward into the penalty area, made a quick cut to the right to beat her mark, and took an angled shot. The ball hit the inside of the near post and ricocheted into the back of the net to bring the score to 1-0.
With the Thorns pushing hard for much of the half, Haračić came up big several times to retain the lead. In the 13th minute, midfielder Marie Müller played a diagonal ball into the box for Weaver, who shot from close range, but Haračić dropped low to make the save. One minute later, Weaver intercepted the ball in Portland’s attacking third and sent a cross to midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who beat her mark centrally; after Haračić and defender Jasmyne Spencer both appeared to block the ball, midfielder Katie Zelem partially cleared it, but the Thorns regained possession, with Haračić eventually stopping a follow-up attempt by forward Jessie Fleming.
Forward Claire Emslie had a look in the 28th minute, connecting with a ball over the top by Zelem with her head and putting it on target, but goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold saved.
The Thorns equalized early in the second half. In the 49th minute, forward Christine Sinclair slipped a through ball into the box to Müller, who sent a lateral pass to Weaver for a one-time finish.
The hosts came close to regaining the lead in the 58th minute, when a corner by Zelem fell to the middle of the six-yard box. Defender Madison Curry took a shot, which was blocked by a defender’s body, then made a second attempt that went just wide of the far post.
In the 64th minute, Portland took the lead. Defender Kelli Hubly played a cross into the 18, where…