After some much welcome time off, Angel City are back in action for an early Saturday morning matchup on the road. The team head East for the classic East Coast/ West Coast rivalry match against Gotham FC. Having struggled to start the season, Angel City are set to kickoff a critical stretch of the season before the longer Olympic break arrives. This is a chance for Los Angeles to put the past behind them, start fresh, and start with a massive win on the road against a Gotham side that has been in great form as of late.
It’s matchday!
🆚 NJ/NY Gotham FC
🥳 9:00 AM PT Watch Party at Hi Tops Los Feliz
⚽️ 9:30 AM PT ACFC KickoffTune in: https://t.co/0ZrueViHzJ
📺 CBS (USA)
📺 Paramount+ (USA)
📻 https://t.co/viRjMjEjXY (ENG)
🌎 NWSL+ (INT’L)#Volemos | #NWSL | #NJNYvLA | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/9dyuoJGq1h— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) June 8, 2024
Upset Opportunity
The biggest story coming into the season was the way Gotham FC spent the offseason securing the talents of just about every top free agent available, coming away with 1/4 of the US Women’s National team on their roster. It’s proven to be a great move as they have been doing well this season, sitting in fifth coming into today, this match does provide the potential for a massive opportunity for Angel City. We are fresh off a break, because of International action. International action that saw a chunk of Gotham’s side head out to play for said USWNT, and with those players only just returning, there is a high likelihood that they don’t see a full 90 today. Giving Angel City a real chance at taking advantage of that to come away with a result on the road.
That said, Gotham is still a squad that will be hard to break down. They come into today riding a six match unbeaten run, winners in four of those six, and unbeaten in four at home. They hold the slight historical edge, winners in two, with one draw and one loss in the four matches previous against Los Angeles. Ella Stevens and Lynn Williams will be players Angel City need to slow down, while breaking down the stingiest defense in the league, on the other side. With only seven goals allowed, keeping this match to a low-scoring grind might be the best hope for LA.
Boost to the Backline
While the team still navigate being without Sarah Gorden, there is some good news as it looks like MA Vignola is poised for a full return. The defender has missed several matches with injury, and after coming on as a sub, and with an extra week of recovery, we might see the return of MA in the starting XI and ready for a full match. Her return will be incredibly welcome, not only needing her talents in defense, but the attitude and energy she brings to matches. With a couple of Internationals heading out for their respective countries for Angel City, they too might be rotating their squad a bit, but luckily have depth that is itching to get out on the pitch and show what they can do with meaningful minutes.
As mentioned, the biggest key for Angel City will be keeping Gotham off the scoreboard. At best, LA is a team that has struggled to find the back of the net, and with a match on road, against a team that has allowed a league fewest seven goals all season, expecting an explosion of goals would be unwise. However, if Angel City can keep it scoreless and close for as long as possible, they are good for a cheeky banger to help push them to what would be a huge three points on the road. The run up to the Olympics will be a crucial stretch for everyone in the NWSL, for Angel City, a win today can help shake off the slow start to the year, and really help push them on for a return to the playoffs.
How To Watch
Its a Saturday morning match for Angel City with kickoff set for 9:30am PT from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The match will be broadcast live on CBS. It can also be streamed live on Paramount+ for those in the USA, and NWSL+ for International fans. There will also be an English-language radio broadcast over on iHeart Radio. As well as a Spanish-language radio broadcast on 980 La Mera Mera.
Thoughts ahead of the matchup with Gotham FC? Leave a comment below!