After a few weeks to lament, get in our feels, and watch, albeit frustratingly, the conclusion of the 2024 NWSL season, the time has come to talk about the season that was for Angel City FC. As the club wrap up their third season of existence as an NWSL side, there is still a sense of expansion, to the team. That is to say, as we head into season four, this is still a club that has yet to really find and embrace, an identity on the pitch. Sure, the ACFC brand is strong after just three years, popularity couldn’t be higher, and the name recognition is already at a place above even some NWSL originals. While all that is great, none of that wins you matches. None of that wins you trophies and when you’re a sports team in Los Angeles, you can only go so long without either of those things before fans start finding something else to do with their weekends. As unfair as it may seem, the time has already come for Angel City to decide, do they want to be a club known for the trophies in their cabinets and or the amount of commas present in ‘market valuations.’
💬 End of season reminders from @MAVignola.@birdiesslippers | Quote of the Match pic.twitter.com/v7niucwMI1
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) November 2, 2024
Grit, joy, and a season that lacked both
When the club announced their new kits for the season, they were dubbed ‘grit’ and ‘joy’ and while it was a solid marketing strategy for some really nice looking kits, it became apparent that it was also a motto of sorts for the team. Grit, especially, was theme for the squad throughout the year. The problem is, we didn’t really see enough of that on the pitch. At least, not enough to classify it as a new identity for the club. In fairness, grit is hard to judge. It’s similar to calling out a player’s heart or questioning their desire. Did Angel City have grit in terms of being a team that never gave up? Yes, actually this season was a vast improvement to last where there were far more times you felt the team hang heads and get deflated too easily when facing adversity. This season, they seemed to meet all obstacles head on, regardless of outcome.
That said, when you think of gritty teams in the NWSL, you think of clubs like Seattle Reign, who seem to never be out of a match, as proven once again this season with them getting one win in the two meetings with LA this season, and flirting with a postseason run despite being in year one of one of the bigger rebuilds in the NWSL. Its also an identity forged over years of pulling out wins, big wins, against all odds or when facing adversity. For Angel City, who finished the season with a record of 7-13-6 (W-L-D), outside of the draw with eventual champions Orlando Pride on match day two, all of their points shared felt more like points dropped. Despite dominating most of them, despite having more depth and talent on paper than teams like Houston Dash and Utah Royals, the team couldn’t find ways to win. Those draws especially are the difference between building confidence for longer runs of good form, and finding yourself on the couch when postseason hits. Again, we will never question the determination and want from the squad, but in terms of performance, a truly gritty team wins half, if not more of those draws. We won’t even talk about the number of losses once again suffered in the waning moments, or as is the case with the season opener, an early mistake leading to a single goal being enough for defeat. Gritty teams get draws at the very least in those matches.
Asisat Oshoala writes her name in the history books, scoring the very first NWSL goal for @wearebayfc ✍️ pic.twitter.com/t09aOiuEJl
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 18, 2024
The truth is, this is a team very much capable of adopting the gritty mentality. This is a team that can play incredibly physical, isn’t afraid to do the dirty work in defense or the midfield, and can grind out matches with the best of them. The only issue is, they are a roster that shouldn’t have to. This is a team that should be attacking with reckless abandon at times. Throwing players up the pitch, and peppering the goal with shots until the ball crosses the line. More Chelsea FC than Aston Villa, for the WSL watchers out there. With new ownership in town with that ‘new era’ vibe, now is the time to make the tough decisions to ensure next season has a lot more progression, than regression.
Tough decisions and hard conversations
As of the publishing of this article, we are already halfway into the currently open, NWSL Trade Window, which will close on Dec 9th. As it stands, Angel City have been relatively quiet, especially considering their season effectively ended before the start of the playoffs. As we mentioned, the team have already welcomed a new owner, with Willow Bay, along with husband and Disney CEO Bob Iger, purchased a controlling stake in the club for a record-setting $250 million. Typically in American sport, unless you’re a well-oiled machine, a change of ownership almost always comes with changes throughout the front office, coaching staff and even players. While there is no evidence currently that any of the above will be occurring, there are definitely conversations to be had in some regards.
While you never want to be a team that finds itself with a third different head coach going into just the fourth year of existence, you also absolutely do not want to be a team that will find itself settling for mediocrity just for the sake of avoiding what others may perceive about you. The biggest factor in the team deciding to keep then Interim Head Coach Becki Tweed and giving her the role permanently, was how fast she turned around what was a terrible 2023 campaign. The team was wallowing near the bottom of the table, and when Tweed stepped in, she oversaw a run that featured 12 matches unbeaten, finding themselves in the postseason come the end of the year. While they were bounced out in the first round, there was a sense that the team had something big to look forward to this season. Unfortunately, it became clear pretty quick that would not be the case.
Again, record aside, just from the eye test, the advanced metrics, and basic passing charts, we saw an Angel City side in 2024 that not only failed to build on the momentum from the previous year, but was starting to regress back into the bad habits that plagued the start of that same season, leading to a change at head coach. Also take into account the state of the NWSL currently. A league that is only getting more competitive by the day. A league where a team from Washington DC was able to lure away the manager of peak, reigning champions league winners, FC Barcelona, to coach their team. Now imagine what a team in Los Angeles can do. Looking around women’s soccer there are options too.
Carmelina Moscato is one that jumps out. Currently an assistant at Racing Louisville, she is a manger that is no stranger to rebuilding a club, with bonus points of having the experience of managing a big name club like Tigres, with massive superstars that came along with it, coming away with a few trophies under her belt. Two of those things ACFC can relate to. Former Australian manager Tony Gustavsson is another name that circulates among woso circles. While he never achieved the success perhaps Australia had hoped, as Vlatko proved, sometimes a manager is far better domestically than Internationally, and Tony was far from bad with Australia. Then again, Angel City now have the money, they have branding, and the market to pull up on any coach around the world and at least get a meeting. Think about throwing a bag new Chelsea FC manager Sonia Bompastor, Point is, this is a team that is need of a head coach that not only handles superstars well, but the pressures of being in Los Angeles and that inherent desire for championships, something Tweed admitted herself was something she struggled with this season.
We know y’all have been waiting on THIS team photo 🤭 pic.twitter.com/FVeNVYqkSd
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) November 4, 2024
Tough conversations in regards to the roster also need to be had. Again, the time has come for this club where 2025 is a truly crucial season. Another year of disappointment and all that hard work in drumming up excitement and fan engagement, goes to waste. Sure, it seems fickle, but in a town with millions of things to do any given weekend, they expect the most from their sports teams in order to keep that attention, especially when the costs of these events aren’t always the friendliest for the community. This is a club that has a lot of young talent, we unfortunately didn’t get to see much of under Tweed. We saw players like Kennedy Fuller and Casey Phair more when they were with their respective National teams, than we saw them on the pitch in an Angel City kit. Players like Messiah Bright and Angelina Anderson who saw limited minutes at best, despite those in front of them not particularly in the best form at times.
We have seen teams like Orlando Pride, Bay FC and KC Current already start to raid Europe for talent, and after a brutal loss in the NWSL Championship, you can guarantee Washington Spirit under Kang will absolutely be looking to do the same. With NWSL considered the best league in the world, and Los Angeles one of the best places to be as a professional athlete in this country, it’s once again a bit surprising and disheartening the team has failed to really bring in true global superstars after the arrival of Christen Press. Perhaps now is the time to really make the hard decisions, let a few players walk, maybe work out deals for others, but in an increasing arms race going on in NWSL, Angel City need to load up, or get left out.
Soccer club or soccer brand
The biggest question Willow needs to answer is, does she plan to own a soccer club or soccer brand? Is the goal to secure season tickets every winter, or to secure trophies every fall? Do you want to be known for the sponsors you partner with, or the superstars you sign? Angel City has done an excellent job at building up the brand that is women’s soccer in Los Angeles, and while you can be both a big brand and successful team, Angel City has failed to focus or put much effort into the on-pitch success. That has to change now. If you want to ensure BMO stays full, give fans a product they are excited to see. If you want merch sales to be amongst the top, then give fans some merch with stars and the word “champions” on it to buy. It would be too dramatic to, this early on in the offseason, call next season championship or bust, but its time the product on the pitch matches that of a team looking to raise the standard in women’s sports.
Thoughts on what you’d like to see this offseason? Leave a comment below!
1 Comment
ACFC has tried many things in the last 3 years; maybe it’s time to try a male coach.