It’s a Mother’s Day match day for Angel City FC this evening. The team take on Houston Dash in another battle against a team they should be getting points off of, especially at home. Angel City have done well to get results in their latest run of matches, looking to add another three points to the tally this evening. The Dash come into this one fighting to climb out of the bottom of the league table, and looking for their first win since the end of March.
They got it from their mommas 🖤#Volemos | #NWSL | #LAvHOU | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/vzqeGD0huv
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) May 12, 2024
Angel City hold the only win between the two teams historically, with the other three matches ending in draws. This is a matchup that doesn’t tend to produce a lot of goals, and it looks to be the case again tonight. Angel City came out for the match looking to take control early. Alyssa Thompson continued her run of form with some near assists as she was able to find space among the Dash defense. In her return to Los Angeles since being traded, Paige Nielsen did excellent to show why so many were upset at the move. She completely shut down the Angel City attack in the final third, limiting the team’s looks at goal.
Angel City finished the half with 60% possession, and got off seven shots, but only two found their target, and none found the back of the net. The Dash looked like a team at the bottom of the table, with no real structure or plan throughout the half. They hardly threatened, though they did come close to a stunner late in the half. The teams went into the break scoreless, with Angel City surely feeling like the win was theirs to take hold of.
Sensing an opening, the Dash started off the second half really well. They were sustaining possession and putting the pressure on the Angel City defense. It was the first time in the match they looked threatening, as LA looked to weather the initial pressure. Houston started to run out of gas around the 60th minute mark, where Angel City regained control of the match, but couldn’t find that last bit needed to get the ball over the line.
Through 80 minutes it remained scoreless and if either side looked the favorite to score, it was the visitors. However, LA were doing well to prevent looks at the goal, and countering when able to keep the Dash from risking too much.
In the final moments of the match, the literal last gasp, Dash did the unthinkable. With a corner kick in the final action of the match, former Angel City FC defender Paige Nielsen found herself in the perfect spot as the ball into the box deflected right to her feet, and she put enough on it to get it into the back of the net, getting the winner for her new team. The goal was a painfully poetic dagger sent through the heart of Los Angeles, surely likely to only increase the questions as to why they let her go at the deadline.
You couldn’t write an ending like this! Paige Nielsen delivers in the final seconds of play and the @houstondash head home with three points! pic.twitter.com/aNCk2YQIMr
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 13, 2024
The loss ends the unbeaten run at four for Angel City, but more so, is another heartbreaking loss at home where the team just couldn’t see a result all the way through. Too many times they have turned it off with mere seconds remaining, and each time they have been punished for it. Now, the team turn their focus to a tough road trip to DC, to take on Washington Spirit.
Thoughts on the loss? Leave a comment below!
1 Comment
This is becoming all too familiar. Finish. The. Game.