Angel City FC falls 2-1 to North Carolina Courage before international break
Dakayla Hawkins
Host · Writer
LOS ANGELES — Angel City FC closed out May with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage on Sunday afternoon at BMO Stadium.
Playing before a crowd on a sunny 77-degree day in Los Angeles, Angel City entered the match in 10th place in the National Women's Soccer League standings, while North Carolina sat eighth.
The first half featured a tightly contested battle between the two clubs. Both teams created chances and shared possession nearly evenly, with Angel City controlling the ball 47 percent of the time compared to North Carolina's 53 percent. Despite the scoreless opening 45 minutes, the energy inside BMO Stadium suggested a breakthrough was only a matter of time.
The Courage struck first shortly after halftime when Evelyn Ijeh found the back of the net in the 48th minute to give North Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Angel City responded quickly. Just three minutes later, Maiara Niehues headed home the equalizer in the 51st minute, sending the home crowd into celebration and restoring momentum for the hosts.
However, North Carolina delivered the decisive blow in the 79th minute when Manaka Matsukubo scored the game-winning goal, handing Angel City its second consecutive defeat.
The NWSL now enters its second international break of the season, providing players an opportunity to represent their respective national teams during the upcoming FIFA international window.
Six Angel City players have received international call-ups for June.
Following Sunday's loss, Angel City captain Sarah Gorden discussed the team's priorities during the break.
“First thing is first for everyone to get some rest, to kind of get away and regroup on a personal level, then come back and really refine what we are trying to do,” Gorden said. “We felt like we had so much momentum the first few games of the season and we've kind of lost that. So June will be all about refining, kind of finding ourselves and our system a little bit more, and also just finding that belief again because that's what we need. We always say in this league, when you're getting wins and you have momentum, you've got to ride that wave, and we've got to find our way back to that again.”
Defender Gisele Thompson earned her ninth call-up to the U.S. Women's National Team after previously joining the squad during the league's first international break.
Defender Evelyn Shores and forward Taylor Suarez were both selected for the U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team, which will face Brazil and train alongside the senior national team during the international window.
Midfielder Kennedy Fuller, 19, was called up to the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team. Fuller will travel to Spain as part of the team's tournament preparations and will serve as team captain.
Forward Claire Emslie received a call-up to the Scotland Women's National Team, marking her return to international competition for the first time since giving birth.
Midfielder Ary Borges was selected by Brazil and is set to surpass 50 international appearances for the Brazilian Women's National Team during the upcoming window.
While the loss was a frustrating way to enter the break, Angel City hopes the time away will allow the club to regroup, regain its confidence and rediscover the form that fueled its strong start to the season.
