This is the final stretch of the NWSL regular season for 2026. For the first time ever tonight, Angel City FC take the pitch against expansion side, Boston Legacy. While the hometown expansion side is just out for pride and trying to avoid finishing dead last in the table, Angel City are facing a must-win match if they want to keep postseason hopes alive. Two months since their last win, but the team will be bolstered by some returns, so if ever there was a time to start a run, it’s now.
The #AngelCityFC Starting XI for #BOSvLA.#Volemos | #NWSL | @DoorDash pic.twitter.com/krlDcPnGxj
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) August 31, 2026
Knowing how important the first goal is when on the road, Angel City finally found the back of the net on one of their early chances. A short-ish corner kick in the 5th minute of the match was received by Ally Sentnor who put a little hesitation on the defender before unloading from outside the box. The shot had enough pace to get past the Boston keeper for the early lead.
The Massachusetts kid! Ally Sentnor with an incredible strike for Angel City 🚀
Los Angeles held the lead for just a few minutes before Boston responded with a goal of their own. In the eighth minute a solid build-up ended with a decent pass towards the top of the box that found Legacy forward Sammy Smith, who got the benefit of an awkward deflection, as it got past Angelina Anderson for the equalizer.
Another goal from a MA native! Sammy Smith’s strike sneaks through and Boston are on the board 👏
As if the match wasn’t chaotic enough, the deflection derby had yet another bounce that helped a shot get past the goalkeeper. This time, it was Angel City who were beneficiaries in the 14th minute. A poorly cleared ball ended up at the feet of Prisca Chilufya, who got off what was an awkward looking shot in truth, but it had enough on it to cause problems. The effort deflected off a player and found its way past the line as Los Angeles regained the lead.
Prisca Chilufya finds space and steers Angel City back in front 👀
Angel City scoring three goals in a match is treat enough, but Angel City scoring three goals in a half, unheard of. That’s precisely what happened though, when defender Savy King sent a great pass forward in the 18th minute, that sailed over the entire defense, finding forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir in stride. The forward was nicked as she controlled the ball, briefly caught in two minds, but instead of going down to draw a foul call, she stayed on her feet, got some great touches and then slotted it past the keeper for the third goal of the night for Los Angeles, pushing their lead to two goals in the first half.
Sveindís Jónsdóttir finds the back of the net from a tight angle! 📐
After the early flurry of goals, the two sides settled into the match and played out a pretty even first half the rest of the way. Angel City were doing well to not give up any clear chances, while they stayed aggressive in the hunt for a fourth. They couldn’t get it in the first half, but they were able to go into the break with a two goal lead, which is all that mattered.
The second half started off a bit slow, but not to the fault of Los Angeles. With a sizable lead, Los Angeles were keen to just see out the half and drag out the match as they looked to secure the three points. Boston were at home and down, they were the side that needed to get aggressive, but seemed content to slow play the opening stages of the second half.
Since Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, forward Prisca Chilufya has been in tremendous form and that continued today. The floodgates were opened and the forward used the opportunity to bag her brace with another goal in the second half. This effort coming on a rebound, following up a shot for a second bite at the apple before putting it past the keeper for the fourth goal of the night.
Persistence pays off for Prisca Chilufya 💪
Her brace makes it four for Angel City!
After missing several matches, midfielder Maiara Niehues made her return as a substitute and in the 66th minute she made her mark on the match. Getting on the end of a decent pass, the Brazilian got herself just enough space, despite three defenders around her, to get off a shot from distance. The effort had power and precision as it smashed the back of the net for an incredible fifth goal of the match.
Maiara Niehues with a rip from distance to add to Angel City’s big night ☄️
The fifth goal equalled the most scored in a single-match by Angel City, with plenty of time to set a new record. While Angel City weren’t able to get the record-setting sixth goal before the final whistle, the home side Legacy were able to salvage some pride and got a second goal late in the match via corner kick. An excellent ball into the box found a leaping Aissata Traoré, who headed it past Anderson for the call to cut the deficit to three goals.
Aïssata Traoré brings one back for Boston 🙌
Five would be more than enough to come away with three massive points on the road. Not only was it the team’s first win since July 18th, but it was by far the best performance we had seen from the team in months. The win also keeps them in the race for one of the last postseason spots, sitting in ninth, just two points off the eighth and final playoff spot. The team wrap up the road trip on Saturday, taking on Racing Louisville.
Thoughts on the big win on the road? Let us know in the comments below!