With the typical late-summer heatwave descending upon Los Angeles, the only thing hotter than the weather as of late, is Angel City FC. The team have found new life under interim head coach Leif Smerud and after hovering around the playoff race for several weeks, have thrown in their hats and announced themselves as another contender for one of the coveted eight spots. September was a month to remember for Los Angeles, winning four of the five matches they played, going unbeaten in all of them, and only allowing four goals combined, with three of those coming in one match after a wild 3-3 draw with Denver Summit FC. That run of results saw them not just get over the playoff line, but plant themselves in sixth place. The month also paved the way for a lot of flowers being handed out, as Angel City players recognized for their efforts.
More call ups! 🇺🇸 Congrats to Angelina Anderson, Ally Sentnor, and Savy King on being named to the @USWNT U23 roster for the October FIFA window! pic.twitter.com/jrFHPIXZyl
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) September 30, 2026
We start with the news that came earlier in the week, international call-ups for the upcoming October window. Forwards Prisca Chilufya, Sveindís Jónsdóttir and Claire Emslie were all called up by their respective Nations. After a phenomenal performance for Zambia in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Prisca returned to Angel City to help kickstart this latest run, not just providing a new layer to attack, but scoring goals in the process. Upon her return she has scored three goals, earning her first-ever NWSL brace near the end of August.
Both Sveindís and Emslie are making returns after spending the first part of the season out. For Icelandic forward Jónsdóttir it was injury that kept her from seeing action for a few weeks, but has come back with a vengeance. She has been a key in the latest run of form for Los Angeles, hitting her stride in the NWSL, slowly blossoming into the deadly attacking threat many of us had hoped she would be when she arrived from Wolfsburg just over a year ago. Emslie will be representing Scotland for the second time since her return from giving birth to her son, where her side will be competing in 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers. The last time she was called into action back in June, she netted two goals for her side in a big win over Isreal. This time around, it’s Czechia on the menu as they continue their journey to hopefully earning a trip to Brazil next summer.
Now we move closer to home with midfielder Ally Sentnor, defender Savy King and goalkeeper Angelina Anderson all being called-up for the U-23 team of the United States Women’s National Team. “Baby USWNT” as they are affectionately called, will be taking on Dominican Republic this window. Savy King continues to impress in her return from what was a very scary cardiac event last year, as well as an injury from earlier in the season that was a bit of a speed bump for her 2026 campaign. Now, she is healthy, and right back to proving she is a world-class defender in the making as she joins the youngsters this window.
After getting called up to the senior team for the first time ever in January 2025, Angelina Anderson saw her National Team stock slip a bit but 2026 has seen her take another leap in her development. The keeper is back on the radar and headed to another camp where she can prove she is worth another look for the senior team ahead of 2027. Lastly, but certainly not least, is midfielder Ally Sentnor, who is no stranger to the National Team lifestyle. Usually a name penned into the senior team as of late, the midfielder will spend this window with the kids as Emma Hayes gets a look at some other fringe players who might need a chance to earn their spot on the plane to Brazil.
5 stars and no surprises here ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Congrats to Angelina Anderson, Sarah Gorden, Maiara Niehues, Evelyn Shores and Ally Sentnor on being named to September’s @NWSL Best XI!
Read more about the record-breaking 5 nominees: https://t.co/6qJraamuNl pic.twitter.com/rKPLlJ2QpI
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) October 2, 2026
One name not called-up much to the chagrin of Angel City fans, was veteran defender Sarah Gorden, who remains the biggest head scratch in USWNT history as to why she hasn’t been featured more among the national team. However, her incredible month didn’t go unnoticed completely, as she helped make more history with Angel City after it was announced yesterday that not one, or two, or even three, but FIVE members of the team had earned NWSL Best XI honors for the month of September. Midfielders Maiara Niehues and Ally Sentnor, defenders Evelyn Shores and Sarah Gorden, along with goalkeeper Angelina Anderson all made the Best XI for this past month, showing just how amazing the club has done as of late.
As mentioned earlier, three of the five matches played in September ended in a clean sheet victory for Los Angeles, conceding just four goals across two matches, one of those a 3-3 draw. Angelina Anderson has not only stopped close-range attempts, screamers from distance, and awkward deflections, she has even shut down a penalty recently, all helping her side earn some massive results lately.
While she first arrived with Angel City as a highly touted midfielder that loved to attack the goal, Evelyn Shores has developed into one of the more promising young defenders in the league, that loves to attack the goal. September kicked off with Shores bagging her first NWSL career brace in a win over Racing Louisville, going along with a two-assist performance in the team’s recent win over Seattle Reign.
Midfielders Ally Sentnor and Maiara Niehues have been running up the goals as of late, both proving to be crucial in the team’s attack. The Brazilian, Niehues, especially seems to come up big when the team need her most. Despite working in the middle of the pitch, both have proven to be clinical from distance, showing they don’t need to get into the box to be a threat.
We could write another thousand words on Sarah Gorden’s season alone, and maybe one day soon we will, but for the sake of this article, we will put Gorden’s impact in simple terms. All season long, but especially during September, Sarah Gorden has shown us why she is considered the best defender in the league, and arguably, the best defender this league will ever see. Name the best attackers in NWSL and I guarantee you Gorden has gone up against them, taken them on personally, and shut them down herself. Week after week she empties her pockets at home and along with the car keys, wallet, and pocket change, are typically the leagues best forwards left frustrated and goalless. Gorden is having a Revis Island type of season where she is as lockdown defensively as you will ever see. Its why so many had hoped this would finally be the time she got the look with USWNT she deserved, but alas, that remains one accolade to continue to allude a defender that has proven to be a true legend of the sport.
Last, but certainly not least, we can’t forget about the interim man in charge, Leif Smerud, who himself was honored with NWSL Coach of the Month for September. Despite being in on an interim basis, his tactics as of late have really seen Angel City open up more in attack, do well to defend, and has players brimming with confidence, even with some having to navigate new positions and new roles.
Thoughts on the flowers shown Angel City for their spectacular month? Let us know in the comments below!
1 Comment
Isn’t it amazing that he’s the second Angel City coach to win Coach of the Month this year?