It has been a busy couple of weeks for Angel City FC. As a chunk of the team were away representing their respective Nations during International break, the club was preparing for the beginning of a new era. After announcing the hire weeks ago, the team officially introduced Alexander Straus as the new Head Coach, replacing Interim Head Coach Sam Laity, who was at the helm for the first part of the is season. While it will take some time for Straus to settle in, it’s safe to say the hype is real, and tonight the team have a chance to kickstart this new beginning with a win at home, as they host Chicago Stars.
Allow us to officially introduce our Head Coach, Alex Straus. #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/SwgbPojyRc
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) June 6, 2025
This will be the first meeting between these two sides this season, with Chicago coming into Los Angeles having struggled this season, to say the least. The Stars have won just one match this season, which was the road win over Bay FC way back in April. They have lost four of their last five matches, with their only draw of the season coming in that stretch. Angel City got the better of Chicago the last time they made the trip to Los Angeles, but historically, this has been a pretty even matchup. Desperation can be a funny thing and with how the NWSL works, the worst thing you can do is underestimate an opponent, even if they have only seen one win so far.
It’s not like Angel City have been in stellar form either. Inconsistency has been the theme for the team this season, where it has felt like one step forward, two steps back. Angel City limped into the International break after looking really well, lost two in a row heading into the break. The team have won two of their last five matches, but to in fairness to them, this team was emotionally all over the place having had to deal with a teammate’s medical emergency. Now, the team have had several weeks to really refresh, reflect, come together and welcome a new head coach as they prepare to push towards the end of the first half of the season. On paper, this is a great match for Alexander Straus, who has only had one day of training with the majority of his roster, ahead of tonight. Again, never underestimate an opponent, but if you are going to come into this league as a new coach, with only a day of full training with your roster, there are worse opponents to face than the side struggling for wins. Oh, and they get to be at home, which always helps. That said, defense will be key for LA tonight. This side has to limit mistakes at the back if they want to avoid conceding an early goal and giving Chicago any hope for a result.
How To Watch
Kickoff for tonight’s meeting is set for 7:00pm PT from BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. The match will be broadcast live and can be streamed on ION for those in the USA, and NWSL+ for International fans. The match will also be broadcast live via radio, which can be heard with iHeartRadio while Spanish-language broadcasts can be heard on AM980 KFWB.
Thoughts ahead of Straus’ debut with the team? Leave a comment below!