Angel City lost 2-1 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC tonight, with goals from forward Crystal Dunn and midfielder Delaney Sheehan in the first half and a penalty goal from ACFC forward Claire Emslie in the second half.
Goalkeeper Didi Haracic was effective early on. Three minutes in, Dan played a short pass into the box as midfielder Rose Lavelle made a run in. Lavelle made a short stop, but Haracic made the block. Lavelle then tried again on the rebound, but Haracic made a save.
ACFC had a good chance in the sixth minute when defender Giselle Thompson sent a cross from the left wing to the top of the penalty arc. Midfielder Rocky Rodriguez took a touch to calm the ball and shot with her left foot, but a Gotham defender blocked it at close range. The deflected ball fell to forward Alyssa Thompson, whose angled shot went just wide of the far post.
The next few minutes were a back-and-forth affair, with both teams controlling the ball and creating several chances for each side. Gotham took the lead in the 16th minute, when Dann sent a through ball to Lavelle, who was charging into the penalty area. The midfielder took Dann’s pass with a single strike, and the ball bounced off the inside of the goalpost and into the net.
The visitors had another chance in the 36th minute when midfielder Delaney Sheehan sent a diagonal pass to Dunn at the top of the box. Dunn and Lavelle exchanged the ball and Dunn sprinted into the box and fired a shot with the outside of his foot that was easily saved by Haracic.
Gotham’s second goal came in the 40th minute when Lovell sent a long through pass into the penalty area and forward Ella Stevens fed Sheehan across the top of the six-yard box, who smashed in from close range.
ACFC started the second half on the offensive, looking for a goal, and in the 49th minute, Alyssa Thompson fired a shot from the top of the box that went just wide of the right post.
The home team kept their foot on the gas and broke through in the 69th minute. Gotham defender Mandy Freeman fouled Giselle Thompson in the penalty area and after video review the centre referee called for a penalty kick. Emslie kicked off and smashed it to her left. Keeper Ann-Katrin Berger guessed the right way but her reaction was not enough to stop Emslie’s low, powerful shot.
Angel City had their final shot in the 84th minute following a long throw-in by defender Megan Reid. The ball initially fell to the feet of midfielder Clarice Le Bien before bouncing around inside the penalty area several times. It eventually found its way back to Le Bien’s feet, who fired in a sharp-angled left-footed shot that Berger dived to save.
In the 89th minute, New Jersey had a close chance when forward Lynn Williams got off her marker and took a shot from inside the box, but the shot hit the crossbar.
Angel City will next face Club America in the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup at California State University, Fullerton on July 20. Tickets for the match can be purchased here . The club’s next regular season match will be in San Diego on August 24.
