When Angel City FC brought in defender Sara Doorsoun in the middle of the summer, there was a slight bit of head scratching going on. Sure, the team needed some depth in defense with the absences and injuries being picked up, but to call on the services of a veteran defender that wasn’t necessarily viewed as a defensive stalwart, with just a couple months left in the season while pushing for a playoff spot, seemed to not make complete sense. Which is partly why, as the team prepare for what appears to be a pretty significant rebuild going into 2026, it was no surprise to see Doorsoun leaving Los Angeles almost as quickly as she arrived.
Everyone say, “Hi, Sara Doorsoun!” 👋 What restaurant should Sara hit up first? Let her know in the chat ⬇️#AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/ZeCCX8YiJY
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) July 22, 2025
With all due respect, the ‘hi’ to Doorsoun, was slightly more like an ‘aloha’ doubling as both greeting and farewell with how short her time was in Los Angeles. The Defender made just eight appearances, starting seven of them, tallying 630 minutes played for Angel City to close out the 2025 season. In her short time she made 14 tackles, won 20 duels (45% win rate), won three aerial duels (43% win rate), made 33 recoveries, had four blocked shots and made five interceptions. She was dribbled past on six occasions and that is where the real sore spot was for the German as she tried to settle into life in the NWSL.
Sara Doorsoun makes her NWSL and Angel City FC debut. pic.twitter.com/i8qD3H6hrl
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) September 7, 2025
Coming into a new league is hard enough, but when that league is clear across the ocean, and one of the top two leagues on the planet, it makes settling in even harder. Throw in the fact you’re arriving to a team in the middle of a rock fight for one of the final playoff spots, in a city like Los Angeles that has, at times, unrealistic expectations, and every little thing you do is put under intense scrutiny. While Doorsoun was a veteran of the sport, it was clear from the start that she was struggling to get used to the creativity and incredible pace that a lot of the attackers in the NWSL possess.
In her first few appearances Doorsoun was tasked with taking on players like Esther González, Midge Purce, Brianna Pinto, and Trinity Rodman. For as experienced as she was, nothing prepares you for having to do your best to stop the likes of those players. It was a very rough welcome to the NWSL and American soccer for the center back.
Always part of the ACFC family 💪🖤
Thank you, Sara, pic.twitter.com/E5gYtoc3um— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) December 23, 2025
As mentioned, when the 2025 season wrapped up, it became clear early on that the club was getting set for a rebuild, which is why it wasn’t all too surprising to see Doorsoun and the club mutually agree to terminate her contract, with the defender heading back home to Germany where she will play the 2026 season with Eintracht Frankfurt. Not every move will work out, not every move results in a player lifting trophies or becoming a legend of the club, sometimes in sports these things happen. Players look to test themselves against other competitions and take on new challenges and sometimes it only takes a few matches to realize perhaps this isn’t best for anyone involved, which seems to be the case here. That said, we wish Doorsoun luck in the seasons to come and hope she finishes out her playing career on a strong note.
Thoughts on Sara Doorsoun’s time in Los Angeles? Leave a comment below!