This one hurts. After the incredible weekend that saw Angel City FC put four past Chicago in a massive win at home that had vibes at an all-time high, the balancing of the universe came swiftly this week as the team had a very sad announcement today. Midfielder Hina Sugita was placed on the Season-Ending Injury list (SEI) with a confirmed ACL injury that will see her miss the 2026 campaign.
📰 #AngelCityFC midfielder Hina Sugita suffered a left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and has been placed on the season-ending injury (SEI) list.
All our support behind Hina 🖤Read the update here: https://angelcity.com/acfc-post/midfielder-hina-sugita-sustains-season-ending-knee-injury
— Angel City FC (@angelcity.com) March 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM
“Hina is a world class athlete and teammate. We are devastated for her, but know she will bring the same focus and determination to her rehab as she does on the pitch. The entire team and club are behind her. We are prepared to support her on her road to recovery and look forward to having her back,” said ACFC Head Coach Alex Straus in a statement.
Sugita arrived at the tail end of last season via trade with Portland Thorns, and wasted no time in settling in with the team. She started in all four of her appearances for Angel City FC, and while we didn’t see a ton of her in an ACFC kit, it was clear pretty quickly the type of player they had acquired. Creative on the ball, excellent at creating space, drawing away defenders and precise with her passing, the excitement was real to see how she would fit with an entire offseason under her belt, with a manager who himself was set to see his first full season with the club.
While this does leave a huge hole for Angel City in terms of production and talent in the middle of the pitch, we saw this past weekend that the team is already planning for life without her for the year. Kennedy Fuller looks set to make a huge leap in year three, and along with her growing confidence off the pitch, she seems to only be getting better on it. This is also why the team spent the additions they did make, on strengthening the midfield, which means we can also expect to see a fair amount of youngster, Taylor Suarez, who many are extremely high on after her stellar collegiate career. It’s never easy to replace a player like Hina Sugita, but the pieces are there for Los Angeles to at least overcome what is a big blow this early in the season. Most importantly, we wish Hina Sugita a quick and healthy recovery as we send her all the positive vibes we can muster, get well soon!
Thoughts on the rough news today? Leave a comment below.