The Summer Cup couldn’t have gone better for Angel City FC. We aren’t talking results either. Sure, the team have gone on an absolute run, winning all three group matches in the lead up to tonight’s semifinals. No, we are talking about their initial goals coming into the tournament. This is a club that wanted to wash away the start of the season and focus on the road ahead. This was the time for Head Coach Becki Tweed to experiment with lineups, work on fitness and chemistry with players, get some match time for those who have yet to see it. Not only have the team been winning with a very obvious renewed mentality, they have been doing it following the very plan they had.
Matchday in Kansas City! LETS GOOO 💥
🆚 Gotham FC
📍 CPKC Stadium
🏆 NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup
⚽ Kickoff at 2 PM PT
Tune in info:
📺 CBS Sports Network on Paramount+ (USA)
📺 ESPN on Disney+ (MX and select territories)
🌎 NWSL+ (INT’L)#Volemos | #NWSL | #GFCvLA | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/Yw4nHGj2fC— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) August 6, 2024
Shorthanded, but still dangerous
Let’s start with our opponents, Gotham FC. If you paid attention to their offseason, then you’d know most of their team right now is in Paris representing USWNT in the Olympics. Okay, maybe not most, but a fair few as the East Coast side comes into the match missing seven players away on International duty. Even with the heavy injuries and Internationals out on duty, this is still a team capable of getting a few past Angel City on any given night. Gotham have gone unbeaten in five matches, with their last NWSL win a 2-1 result over Angel City to close out league play before this break. Did we mention they also hold the head-to-head advantage over Los Angeles with four wins, just one draw, and only one loss. That’s to say, even at their most vulnerable, this is a club that seems to have Angel City’s number.
Stick with what got you here
Trophy lift or not, Angel City FC have already come away winners of the Summer Cup. They have seemed to have at least figured out the beginnings of the right combinations needed, as well as rotations, mid-match changes, and most importantly they have a renewed sense of confidence. This feels like the team we saw at the end of last season, and with just three points separating them from the playoffs at going into the second half of the season, this was always a chance to use this tournament as a laboratory of sorts. They have, and so far its worked ten fold.
Gone are the days of the pass maps where 80% of the match is spent in their own half. There are actually paths that look like tangible attacks, and it shows in a match. The team may not be lighting up the score sheet, but have improved in the final third as of late. Even more impressively, the team has looked a lot more stout on defense, having given up just one goal in regulation the entire tournament. The biggest key for Angel City this match will just be continuing to do what’s worked. The best thing to happen to the club in nearly two years happened last match with the return of Christen Press. If her first five minutes back are anything to go by, her addition to this squad could be the driving force for another late season push towards the postseason. For now, the focus is on making sure she’s integrated properly, while the team go for their first trophy.
How to Watch
Kickoff is set for 2:00pm PT from CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The match can be streamed live on Paramount+ for those in the USA, as well as NWSL+ for the International fans.
Thoughts going into the semifinal? Leave a comment below!