Angel City FC Scores 3-1 Road Victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC
August 28, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Angel City FC News Release
Angel City FC celebrates against Gotham FC
(Angel City FC)
HARRISON, NJ – Angel City Football Club beat NJ/NY Gotham FC 3-1 on the road today, following goals by midfielder Savannah McCaskill, midfielder Cari Roccaro, and forward Claire Emslie, and a goal for Gotham by forward Paige Monaghan.
Gotham were on the front foot for the first 10 minutes of the game, putting together a handful of chances and limiting Angel City’s time in possession. Forward Ifeoma Onumonu had two near misses early on, first in the seventh minute when she took a close-range shot that keeper DiDi Haračić blocked over the endline for a corner kick; in the 12th minute, she hit the inside of the far post with an angled shot from the right. Haračić scooped up the ball as it bounced to the ground, narrowly keeping Gotham off the board.
After that close call, the momentum began to shift in Angel City’s direction, and in the 16th minute, midfielder Savannah McCaskill opened the scoring. Dribbling toward goal from the left, she nutmegged midfielder McCall Zerboni, took a touch, and drilled an angled shot into the upper 90 at the far post.
From there, the visitors dominated the rest of the half. In the 24th minute, forward Simone Charley drove into the box, wove through three Gotham defenders, and took a crack from close range. Her initial shot deflected off a defender, but it fell to midfielder Cari Roccaro, who was lurking on the goal line. Roccaro put the ball away, notching her fourth goal in five games.
Angel City notched their final goal of the day in the 31st minute. After a quick one-two with McCaskill, forward Claire Emslie drove toward the upper right corner of the 18, created some distance from her defender, and sent a hard left-footed shot sailing past goalkeeper Michelle Betos and into the net.
Gotham came out swinging in the second half and got one back in the 52nd minute. Midfielder Nahomi Kawasumi and forward Kristie Mewis passed the ball back and forth at the top of the 18 several times, with Mewis finally getting a shot off from close range. Haračić stopped the initial shot, and the ball bounced around between players from both sides for a moment before forward Paige Monaghan recovered it and put it away.
Angel City played a largely defensive game for the rest of the second half, often staying home and looking to block Gotham’s passing lanes in the defensive third. They limited quality chances by the opponent for most of the half, with the hosts’ best opportunities coming in the last 10 minutes of regulation.
Kawasumi had a shot inside the box in the 81st minute, but they came closest in the 84th minute, when defender Mandy Freeman sent a long ball over the top for Monaghan. Defender Megan Reid was shoulder to shoulder with Monaghan as she dribbled and shot from the top of the six-yard box- Haračić jumped to block it, but the ball was high and flew over the crossbar.
The win gives Angel City three crucial points as they continue to push for a playoff spot during a five-game stretch on the road. They remain in seventh place but still have a game in hand over the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place teams, who are all tied at 27 points- just two points above ACFC. Their next NWSL game is away at Houston on September 11 at 4:00 p.m. PST. Angel City will face the Mexican Women’s National Team in the inaugural Copa Angelina on Monday, Sept. 5 at Banc of California Stadium at 6:00 p.m. PST.
POST MATCH QUOTES
ACFC Midfielder Savannah McCaskill
On general thoughts of the game:
“The first 45 minutes was some of the best soccer we have played all year, which was huge. We talked about wanting to come in and impose ourselves on them right away, which we showed in the first half. Being able to get those three goals before halftime was also huge, so not only were we keeping the ball, but also creating and finishing chances.”
“The first 10 or 15 minutes in the second half, we let our foot off the gas and didn’t keep the ball as well. Props to them for putting us under a ton of pressure, but we saw the game through- minus that goal- so that was also huge for us to keep that lead and finish up.”
On her goal and setting the bar for her offense:
“We did a really good job coming out from the first whistle, really dominating play and creating chances while getting ourselves forward. Obviously, once you get one goal in a game like that, especially in the first half, it was important that we capitalize on those chances right away and Simone did a great job getting herself into the box, while Cari did a great job pouncing on a rebound to put us up two-nil, followed by Claire’s goal with the ball out wide.
“I made a run, drew some players in, while Simone drew some players in as well, allowing Claire to notice the lane inside. She took her touch in and backed herself to hit an absolute worldie. It was just really all around a great performance, to be able to finish off those chances and capitalize on that momentum in the first half.”
On confidence moving forward:
“Every time that we can score goals as an offense, that gives us confidence as players and as a group. This game we have to put in our rearview and focus on the next task at hand. We need to get everyone healthy for our last three weeks of the season. Every single game is going to matter, and we have to get points in order to push for the playoffs.”
ACFC Head Coach Freya Coombe
General thoughts on the match:
“We got off to a good start. We took our chances well in that first half. It could have gone a different way; thanks to DiDi for making crucial saves in goal.”
“We scored some great goals. Claire Emslie’s strike was fantastic and I was really happy with our organization and willingness to do the hard work in the second half. I thought Gotham played extremely well in the second half. I was really pleased with our ability as a team to hold fast and maintain the win.”
“This win was huge for us. If you are looking at our journey and what we wanted to accomplish this year, that was a crucial step for us and one that keeps us in the hunt for playoffs.
“It was good to see Simone Charley play 90 minutes. We have been looking to manage her load and start to stretch it a little bit more. She offers that threat and for her to be able to get through 90 was huge.”
On building Savannah McCaskill’s confidence to score:
“Sav has flair on the ball, the tactical understanding and the technical ability to not only be a top player not only in this league, but internationally as well. I think it is giving her the confidence to embrace herself. All of the coaching staff want to see her on the ball and tonight’s goal was a great example of that.”
On the team’s three goals:
“In terms of some of the chances we created, they didn’t all result in goals, but we have been working hard on how to create the attack and set up chances. I thought some of our movement in the first half was excellent, with forwards coming into those pockets and with players being able to get in behind, whether it’s Tyler Lussi or Sav running behind. I thought some of the movement in that first half caused them some problems. Unfortunately, in the second half we didn’t have the ball a lot to be able to do that and we were defending a lot more.”
“As for the goals, we thought they were excellent. We have asked the players to follow up on every opportunity, so you can see Simone testing the keeper and Cari being able to trust herself and get in the box, and she was rewarded yet again for that. Sav showed a moment of class, which was great for her. Claire Emslie showed that she was up for it and took that opportunity. She practices those strikes from that area a lot, so when she gets into those areas, you can definitely trust her to put the ball in the back of the net.
“We have got to develop trust between the players so that they know they can get forward and their teammates are going to help them….I think they have been rewarded for their hard work and effort and that is what it is. The amount of times that Cari or Sav will get themselves in the box and don’t get the ball and then they’re working their behinds off to get back in behind the ball is massive. The goals that they have scored help that as well, so they are going to keep arriving in those good spaces.”
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