How Angel City FC Turned Its Season Around

This year, Angel City FC’s season in the NWSL was full of unpredictability. The beginning of the season was not as successful as they had hoped, leading them to fight to remain out of last place towards the middle of the season. In June, the coaching situation changed, which shook the team’s trajectory, but ultimately, in a positive way. With the many changes to the team throughout the season, they had a remarkable turnaround.

Season Recap

With ACFC only being in its second season, there were not too many expectations for the season as a whole, but even then, the beginning was a rocky start. From the beginning of the season to the end of May, they played 12 games, which resulted in six losses, four ties, and only two wins. Their worst loss, which solidified their failure to thrive, was against OL Reign, where they were defeated 4-1. 

In early June, the team announced they were parting ways with Freya Coombe, their head coach. This is assumed to be in response to their unimpressive record in the middle of the season, coming in at 11th place out of 12 teams. 

With Coombe gone and an interim coach on the way, the team started to perform surprisingly well. The team got back on their feet and shocked crowds, beating their rival San Diego Wave by the end of June.

SoCal is Sol Rosa! 😤💪#AngelCityFC | #NWSL | #UKGChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/8lF96DcjhQ

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) June 29, 2023

The new record, post-coach-separation, has become six wins, five ties, and only two losses–an almost exact opposite record from the beginning of the season.

Changes in Strategy and Player Development

The midway season mark seemed to be where the team settled down and gathered themselves in order to have a better game outcome. Though this is right when a change in coaching occurred, there were also some changes to players and game strategy. 

At the beginning of the season, there was a four-player defensive that strongly relied on them to save breakaways. Towards the middle of the season, the team switched to a more balanced formation, prioritizing the defensive lineup but leaving room for offensive opportunities. 

Throughout the season, new, younger players were also given more opportunities on the field while learning from older, more seasoned players. With a new mentality towards formation and play-time, we see the benefit in a mid-season game against the North Carolina Courage. In the game, a new player, Elizabeth Eddy, created a goal with a powerful cross into the middle of the field, and it ricocheted into the goal off of a Courage player.

New opportunities for players added to the balancing of positions have also encouraged team camaraderie. Healthy competition in the team also leads to support from players coming from within the team. Here are some of the player’s thoughts on turning the season around:

💬 @RileyThree: “we can turn this season around, and it will be because of players like Madison”#AngelCityFC | @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/gTzDj43Kp1

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) June 29, 2023

Looking Forward

Angel City FC’s devotion and dedication to improvement have led them to increasingly successful scoreboards. They could see and learn from their mistakes, take accountability, and make a change. The team has three more games to level up and have the opportunity to play in the post-season. Looking at their record this season, they are able to stay committed to progress and chase those two points that stand between them and the finals. Only time will tell whether the team’s mid-season shift will carry them all the way.

Featured image via @weareangelcity on Instagram

_

GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS