Angel City Players and the SoCal Youth Soccer Clubs They Played For
From weekend matches to intense training sessions and local fields to BMO Stadium, let’s take a look at the Southern California-based clubs that helped shape some of ACFC’s premiere talent.
Ali Riley
Defender Ali Riley is a Pacific Palisades native and graduate of Harvard-Westlake (along with teammates Alyssa and Gisele Thompson), and played for clubs LA Breakers FC and Real SoCal. LA Breakers FC was formed in 2018 through a merger with the Westside Breakers and FC Los Angeles. Riley went on to captain the Stanford soccer team and was named Pac-10 Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Gisele Thompson
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Newcomer Gisele Thompson, sister of teammate Alyssa Thompson and Harvard-Westlake graduate, played for Real So Cal (now known as LAFC Youth Recreational League) before transitioning to play with the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, which was founded in 2010 as Ventura County Fusion. Thompson also played for the U.S. at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship.
Thompson was due to play at Stanford until ACFC signed her to a three-year contract.
Alyssa Thompson
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Like her sister Gisele, Thompson graduated from Harvard-Westlake, where she scored 48 goals in just 18 games. She and her sister grew up attending Total Futbol Academy before transferring to Real So Cal. In 2020, Thompson returned to TFA, competing on boys’ teams and setting herself apart as a star player. She was awarded the 2020-2021 Gatorade Player of the Year, and in 2023, Angel City selected her as the first overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Lily Nabet
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Midfielder Lily Nabet is a native of Tarzana and attended Chaminade Preparatory School. She played for Real So Cal. Nabet later attended Duke University, where she co-captained the Blue Devils. She was drafted to NWSL in 2022.
Christen Press
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Forward Christen Press, a Palos Verdes native and UWNT star, played her youth career with Slammers FC, where her team won a national championship. She was also awarded the Golden Boot. Press later became the leading scorer for Standford’s women’s soccer and was named the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy Winner. Press also played for Pali Blues alongside other notable alumni, including Tobin Heath, Ashlyn Harris, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, and ACFC teammate Ali Riley.
Madison Curry
Like her teammate Christen Press, Curry also played for Slammers FC, earning a U-15 Elite Clubs National League Championship in 2016. Curry also served as team captain for the Santa Margarita High School team and earned a 2019 Southern California High School All-Star Team selection. Angel City selected Curry as part of the 2024 NWSL draft, where she plays as a Defender.
Elizabeth Eddy
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Defender Elizabeth Eddy is a SoCal native, USC Trojan grad, and former member of SoCal Blues, a local club with 11 alumni currently playing in the NWSL. She was also named the ESPN RISE Winter All-America Team as a senior and was named 2006 Orange Coast League MVP as a freshman.
Fun Fact: Angel City FC owner and U.S. Women’s National Team co-captain Julie Foudy was also a SoCal Blues alum.
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