One thing players talk about after losses is the desire to get back out on the pitch to rectify it. That feeling only intensifies when, like Angel City FC this past Sunday, your team feels like they should have come away feeling much better about the performance than they did. Luckily for Los Angeles, that wait isn’t long as the team are in Orlando to take on the Pride this evening, just four days after their season opening loss at home to expansion side, Bay FC.
Orange you glad it’s matchday!🍊
🪅 4PM PT Watch Party starts at @RockAndBrews in El Segundo
⚽ 5 PM PT KickoffTune in:
📺 Prime Video
🌍 NWSL+ (INT’L)
📻 @iHeartRadio (ENG)#Volemos | #NWSL | #ORLvLA | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/61mXmXqY3x— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) March 22, 2024
Angel City are looking to bounce back after their tough loss at home to start the season. It’s typically cliche to say, but last time out it was the case, Angel City beat themselves. An error trying to play out the back led to the clearest chance Bay FC had all match, and credit to them, they were able to make the home side pay, while holding on to the lead for the better part of the match. That said, Angel City are ready to shake off that loss and get into the win column tonight. The team are in Florida, taking on the Orlando Pride in what is the first of three matches on the road.
The Pride opened up their season on the road last week, having to fight to comeback and salvage a point after falling down 0-2 in the first 20 minutes of the match. As we mentioned, this is a revamped Pride side that had quite the busy offseason. Marta will be seeing several familiar faces as the Pride added Brazilian Internationals, midfielder Angelina (formerly of the Seattle Reign) as well as midfielder Luana, who the team added back in December. Former KC Current midfielder Morgan Gautrat also joined the Pride to help bolster their midfield.
This new Pride side may have kept it simple in the opener, but make no mistake, the talent on this team can absolutely play with tons of flair and they ooze confidence out on the pitch. The Angel City midfield will be tested in this one, as well as the defense as they look to shutdown Orlando, limiting their action in the middle of the park. Given their mental fortitude in their opener, it wont just be early goals that make the difference, but likely, how well the team can play for the entire 90.
Another matchday birthday! Angelina City, drop your birthday wishes for @angieandersonnn ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1tdQM95rUv
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) March 22, 2024
Angel City come into this one with plenty to improve upon from their opener. Most importantly, substitutions. Last time out we saw the subs come on and make a massive difference, but unfortunately it was just too little, too late. Head Coach Becki Tweed acknowledged this post match when she talked not wanting to ruin the second half momentum the team had, which they certainly did, but also, it’s important to leave time for subs to get their feet under them and still have enough time to change the course of the match. This time out, we expect to see that handled a bit better. We see one of those subs, Messiah Bright, looking to make all the difference as she joins the impressively long list of former Pride players, now in LA, as she aims to stunt on her old side and maybe even get a goal, or several!
The team will still be without newly acquired midfielder Rocky Rodriguez who remains day-to-day in concussion protocol. That means the squad will once again have to find ways to make sure the midfield is playing up to standard. For most of their opening match, there was a lot of open, unused space in the middle of the pitch as the team desperately tried to play through the wings. This time, perhaps they consider being a bit more direct to really attack an Orlando defense that is still really vulnerable. One thing to watch tonight will be the play of young phenom midfielder Kennedy Fuller. The 17-year-old made her team and NWSL debut last week as a starter, after being notified just the night before. She obviously struggled for most of the first half, but the way she responded was veteran-like, coming out in the second half looking much sharper. With a match under her belt, don’t be surprised if she really settles in and starts to let that confidence shine even brighter.
How To Watch
One final note on this match, as you may have seen in the tweet above, today also marks the birthday of Angel City goalkeeper, Angelina Anderson. We want to wish her a fantastic birthday, and encourage you all to do the same! The match against the Orlando Pride is set for a 5pm PT kickoff from Inter & CO Stadium in Orlando, FL. The match will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video, and there will be an English-language radio broadcast over on iHeart Radio.
Thoughts on tonight’s match? Leave a comment below!