Angel City ends win streak with 2-1 loss to Louisville

LOS ANGELES -- Angel City Football Club's three-game win streak ended Sunday night with a 2-1 loss to Racing Louisville FC before 15,908 at BMO Stadium. 

Despite an 80th-minute goal from Sveindís Jónsdóttir, the Los Angeles side was unable to equalize after falling 2-0 in the first hour of play. 

After returning from the NWSL Summer Break with three consecutive 2-0 wins against the Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave FC and the Chicago Stars, Angel City was determined to secure a four-game winning streak but again fell short. The night's score paralleled the club's first three wins to start the season. 

Racing Louisville (3-10-2, 11 points) took home their first win since May 8th, while Angel City (7-1-7, 22 points) dropped from seventh to eighth place in league standings. 

Maja Lardner scored both goals for Racing Louisville, one in the first half and the other in the 55th minute. Lardner headed home a cross, sneaking through ACFC's Emily Sams and Gisele Thompson.

Angel City made it onto the scoreboard with a perfectly executed assist from Sophia Mattice, who sent the ball out the back to Jónsdóttir, who scored through Racing goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer’s legs.

Jónsdóttir's goal marked her sixth goal contribution this season and Mattice's first assist. 

Mattice entered the game just six minutes prior as a substitute for rookie Karysn Cherry, who was making her first professional start for Angel City.

“We couldn’t create enough in the first half,” Angel City interim coach Leif Smerud said. “I thought we had the opportunity to roll them out on the left and get more, more clear chances, and we didn’t do it. It wasn’t a good first half, and maybe it (1-0 halftime deficit) was deserved.

“The goal (from Jónsdóttir) came a bit late, to be honest. I think we have the chances, but were not connecting enough passes in the final third. We attacked a lot, but it was a bit impatient and a bit wild. The goal helped because we got the crowd going and more intensity. We were really close on a couple of occasions, but it’s frustrating to lose a game like this.”

Early in stoppage time, Riley Tiernan tried for the equalizer, but her strike from just inside the 18-yard box hit the crossbar. Minutes later, Angel City’s Ally Sentnor almost made it 2-2, but Bloomer got low and pushed the shot wide. 

Anderson had six saves for Angel City, and the team finished with six shots on target out of a total of 25 shots. 

“We never want to lose and definitely never want to be 2-0 down…we had the momentum in the last 30 minutes of the game, you know we always push, we never give up,” said forward Claire Emslie after the match. “Unfortunately, we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net enough times tonight, but yeah, we’ll look at it and improve our next game.”

Smerud has now led the Los Angeles side for four games since taking over after the firing of Alex Straus. At eighth on the table, Angel City now sits at the edge of playoff contention. With 15 regular-season matches remaining, ACFC's biggest challenge will be remaining at the top of the table. 

“I think we have to look at more than the result, and when we lose, we have to also find what was good, and when we win, we also have to look at what was not so good, so we can learn,” Smerud said. “We need to learn today from some things, and some things were good as well, so it’s focusing on that, but I know I think everyone is very disappointed, and I think it’s OK to be that. 

“The players, the staff, everyone care a lot about this, and that’s why we’re disappointed. It’s OK to be disappointed for a little while.”

The teams will meet again on Sept. 5 in Louisville. Angel City now heads on the road to face the Kansas City Current on August 1st.