Another edition of Friday night footy for Angel City FC tonight, as they are back on the road, though not venturing too far with their first trip to the recently returned, Utah Royals. The team look to move on from the tough result last time out, and get back to winning ways. We say it all the time, sports are never easy, but Angel City do have two very favorable matches ahead, having already gone through some of the league’s best, it’s time to take points off of some of the teams hovering at the bottom.
¡Buenos días! Let’s play some footy ⚽
🆚 Utah Royals
🪅 5:30 PM PT Watch Party at two Sofive Soccer Center
⚽ 6:30 PM PT Kickoff
Tune in:
📺 NWSL+ (US/INT’L)
📺 @BallySportWest (SoCal)
📻 @iHeartRadio (ENG)https://t.co/e9tOGl7h8e#Volemos | #NWSL | #UTvLA | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/ze2KYsfuG0— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) May 3, 2024
“We’ve got to take every game as it comes, every team posses you different problems evry game, every game you pose a different problem” said Head Coach Becki Tweed prior to the match. “We’ve got to perform, we’ve got to play well, I think individuals have to play well. If we are the best versions of ourselves, there isn’t a team in the league that we can’t beat but every team comes with its different challenges, every environment comes with its different challenges.”
Despite the recent loss, Angel City have been winners in two of their last three matches, against some really tough competition. Now, the team have a real opportunity to take points off some of the teams below them and really start to gather momentum as the break rapidly approaches. No match in the NWSL is easy, but going up against the expansion Utah Royals, who have had their own issues, provides an opportunity to lock in three wins in four and more importantly, regain some confidence after the hit taken last time out.
Far from royal
After several years of watching expansion teams come in and perform relatively well, setting records for points gained and making postseason runs, Utah Royals have had it tough starting out in the NWSL. They did themselves no favors coming into the league choosing a sponsor that features a phrase that may seem innocuous, but is rooted in a history of racism and bigotry. Not a phrase recently adopted, but one that has been used for decades as a rallying cry for bigotry. It’s been so bad that each opponent Utah has faced has had their Supporter Groups release statements urging Utah to change sponsors. Angel City SGs have been no different in their stance.
A message from Pandemonium ahead of Angel City’s match against @UtahRoyalsFC this Friday.
@NWSL @JessicaBerman1 pic.twitter.com/mTQPrlhzzy
— AC Pandemonium (@ACPandemonium) May 1, 2024
The on field performance for the Royals hasn’t been much better. The team are sitting just one spot from absolute bottom with just one win on the season so far. They have lost three of their last four, their last match a scoreless draw against fellow bottom dwellers, Houston Dash. Utah have conceded eight goals in that same stretch. Sounds bleak, yes, but they will be at home, where their only win of the season came against the Carolina Courage.
While this feels like it should be a straight forward three points, nothing is ever that simple in the NWSL. The Royals do have an exciting rookie, the number one overall pick in the ’24 NWSL Draft, forward Ally Sentnor. In six matches the 20-year-old has scored twice and provided two assists as the lone consistent bright spot for Utah. She is the one to keep eyes on as her quickness and speed is such that she can flip that switch in an instant, leaving defenders scrambling. Angel City tend to give up at least one goal, and a player like Sentnor would be all too willing to oblige.
Focus on the good
The biggest thing for Angel City this match will be mental, how they react to the last result. The worst thing that can happen is the team coming out slow, or lethargic, allowing the home side to either score early or gather the confidence to do so late. The earlier you put a team like Utah away, the better. As we mentioned before, this team has won two of their last three and even in the loss, played their best football, against the best team in the league, for 60 minutes. Now, the team have to focus on repeating it, but ensuring the falloff after 60 minutes isn’t as dramatic.
Which leads to this thought, the 3-4-3 should stay. Never has a formation, and tactics fit a team this well as it looked like everyone was playing with maximum confidence. We also got to see the continued chemistry building between Alyssa Thompson and Claire Emslie. If the team come out with that same intensity, they could legitimately have two or three before halftime. The other suggestion is one we seem to be making almost every week, start Messiah Bright.
Last time out, it felt like a second or even third goal was in the cards for Angel City, but they just seemed to lack that extra bite alongside Claire Emslie. In the times she has come on, and in her time at Orlando, Bright has shown to have that bite. While Emslie is heating up with the scoring, she needs someone else beside her to help in the moments she is neutralized. So far the team has lacked that second punch for the 1-2 and perhaps giving Bright a chance to effect the match from opening whistle is the piece of the puzzle they need to really unlock what can be a very potent offense.
How To Watch
Tonight’s match against Utah Royals is set for a 6:30pm PT kickoff time from Utah. The match will be broadcast live on Bally’s Sports West for fans SoCal, and over on NWSL+ for International fans and the US fans not in the respective local regions. There will also be an English-language radio broadcast over on iHeart Radio.