Angel City (2023) s01e03 Episode Script
It's Who We Are
1
[TV static drones]
[bright tone]
[overlapping shouting]
Just gut-wrenching
news this week
of Christen Press
having a torn ACL.
Yeah, it's so sad, and
she was just having
an outstanding year.
- Christen leaves a very
big goal-scoring gap.
Do we have just one
forward that comes in,
or do we replace Christen's
attributes with two?
- Yeah, I think we
definitely need someone
that is able to come
in straightaway,
someone at a high level
that will continue
to play for us
and isn't just a
Band-Aid for the season.
So are you still keen
on Sydney Leroux?
Yeah, I think Sydney's
Is a proven goal scorer in
this league at this level,
and I think there's
less doubt around her,
the ability to do the job.
If we are going to go out
and get another player,
we should always start
from the viewpoint of,
is what we're getting
better than what we've got?
You know, we have players
like Stefany Van Ginkel.
She's part of our team
and can play as a forward.
But, like, you've gotta
give players a chance
to actually prove, yes or no,
whether they can play
in that position.
Otherwise, it's just
a waste of a player.
No, I disagree a little bit.
I so think she's at
their level in training,
let alone going into the game.
But I also think it's worth
If you don't agree with me,
speak to the coaches.
Oh, I've spoken to them.
I've spoken to them,
and I don't know,
maybe people change
what they say to me,
but that's okay.
Like, we don't have to agree.
Do we have the same
conversations every time?
- But everybody
doesn't have to agree.
Everybody doesn't have to
agree with what you say.
Yeah, but they do agree, Eni.
- This is the whole point
- I'm asking the question,
- because I just needed to
- Oh, my God.
'Cause I'm seeing
something different.
[energetic music]
All right, off we go!
Angel City, spread your wings!
♪
- U.S. soccer on
the women's side
has been fighting for respect.
♪
- The mantra always was,
"You should be thankful,"
and, "You can't screw it up."
- The National
Women's Soccer League
just kicked off
its tenth season.
- Two new clubs coming
out in California.
- Angel City Football
Club in Los Angeles
is backed by the largest
female ownership group
in professional sports.
- 14 former U.S. Women's
National Team players
are investors.
- These are the best
players in the world.
We're gonna elevate the sport
and show how
valuable it truly is.
- When you watch
these athletes play,
you're changing something
that was formed in your brain
about what it means for
a woman to be a woman.
[vocalizing]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
One, two, three.
Oh! Nice.
First of all, how lucky are
we to have Sydney Leroux?
Leroux can take this herself.
Dribbles around the
keeper Scores.
Leroux is in the clear.
And the keeper she goals!
Sydney is a nightmare
to defend against.
At any second, she can go off
and score three goals
if she wanted to.
She's a world champion
with the U.S. Women's
National team.
She's won the Olympics,
won the World Cup.
Yeah! Of course.
- She has an incredibly
large following.
I think it's something
over 3 million followers
across Insta and Twitter.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Aw, thank you.
I almost got, like, emotional.
Like, just a weight
has been lifted,
and I just am so happy, so
I'm very excited to be here.
Good.
Well, it's a work in progress.
We wanna optimize this
from a press perspective,
a media perspective,
concept perspective,
and then obviously
merch perspective
and get, like, Sydney
merch up, content up.
Hit the subscribe button below
for more exclusive
content from the NWSL.
Sydney gives us that,
you know, strong forward
that can push the team.
She's an attacker.
She presses.
Getting it here for this.
- Yep.
- And then that ball.
We're also bringing
in Claire Emslie.
She's a player that
we selected her
in the expansion draft
at the end of last year
whose visa's finally coming
through in a couple weeks.
So the idea's that we'll
have two players now
and to see how they can
sort of work to
replace Christen.
I sound like I know what I'm
talking about now, don't I?
- You do.
- It's fascinating. I know!
♪
This is my first
year in the NWSL
and first year
playing professional.
You know, I'm a rookie,
but I'm ambitious.
This is my board.
Here I just write things
that are in my head
and my goals this season.
"Make smart decisions."
"Good relationship with
coach" is one of my goals too.
Sometimes when you
don't play, you're like,
oh, I don't play because
I'm not good enough.
I wanna be so good
that it's gonna be obvious
that I have to play.
[engine humming]
So we talked about, at
the start of the season,
around how playoffs was a goal
that we wanted to achieve.
6 out of 12 teams go
and make playoffs.
With everything that we've had
in terms of a little
bit of an up and down
and everything with the
start of this season,
we are still on track to
be able to meet our goal,
which would be a
fantastic achievement
for an expansion team.
Let's make sure now we
continue to keep our focus
and we take advantage
over the next few weeks
for us to be able to
really grab some points.
[pop music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
[roars]
[laughs] How are ya?
Welcome, everyone, to the
Angel City Fan Festival!
[cheers and applause]
Talk about wanting
to be a spectacle.
[cheers and applause]
Like, it is an experience.
It is a fun, engaging experience
where you also watch football.
Oh, wow.
You know, I would
always joke internally
that our first game was
the greatest show on Earth.
But the next game has to be
the greatest show on Earth,
and the game after that has to
be the greatest show on Earth.
Like, we actually have
to keep raising the bar,
because we have to remember
that it's always
somebody's first game.
And if they don't have an
exceptional experience,
they may not come back.
They may not tell their
friends to come back.
They may not buy season
tickets for the next year.
[cheers and applause]
- What you just saw was an
all-female skydiving team,
four of the best
skydivers in the world.
Winning and losing
does play a factor,
but if you still love the club,
then you wanna come, no
matter the ups and the downs,
the wins and the losses,
the highs and the lows.
Whoo! Right?
It has to be that
important to you.
[cheers and applause]
All right, so we're
gonna welcome our players
by doing our three clap.
Y'all know the three clap?
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
[cheers and applause]
Wait, just stop here. Hi!
This is my 12th
professional year,
and I've never
experienced an injury.
And then to get a major
injury in this way
is, like, really shocking.
Thank you.
What day did you get here?
Two days ago.
So are you available?
- Okay.
- Yeah.
I mean, I think that
I could do more,
but I'm, like,
not fit right now.
- Yeah.
- I haven't played.
- Yeah.
- But, like, if I was
out there, I'm like, sure,
I could figure it out
- Yeah.
- But
Oh, I don't have that attitude.
You know me; like, I need
a full month of training
before I even think about
anyone giving me talks.
Just put me out there.
Sydney had an ankle injury
when she was in Orlando
and rehabbed it
while she was there.
We talked to the
medical staff in Orlando
and felt like it was
something that was manageable.
The contribution she
can have on the team
is credibly significant,
and we're gonna be
better because of it.
[speaking indistinctly]
Sydney Leroux!
[cheers and applause]
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you!
- How are you?
- I'm good.
- You've been better, right?
- Yes. [laughs]
Oh, my goodness.
I also just want
you to know, like,
I'm such a big fan.
- Thank you.
- Like, I literally
I like, watching you play,
like, inspired me so much
- Aw, thank you.
- Just, like, as a Black woman.
I tell you, I've seen
people we've inspired
go on to do it themselves,
and then now you're
gonna inspire
the next round of
young girls to do it.
It doesn't get better
than that, really.
And we are underway.
Quick passing here,
McCaskill trying to come in.
[whistle blows]
Is this an early
penalty? It is!
Not even a minute gone.
McCaskill oh, it's saved!
And McCaskill puts it in!
[cheers and applause]
Angel City strikes
90 seconds in.
- And this is exactly
what they need.
- Yeah, we're up 1-0.
- [laughs]
Feeling great.
Can the game end?
Let's go!
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, if we can
get her just to
And then sit in a minute 30,
if you're happy with that.
Yeah, I would get her.
[cheers and applause]
Now entering the
match, number 2,
- Sydney Leroux!
- Yay!
This is the moment
everybody's been waiting for.
It is Sydney Leroux
time for Angel City!
Could she be the one tasked
with really getting this
Angel City attack on track?
Here's Leroux.
Sydney Leroux dispossessed.
Hubly was there.
Dani, let's keep everyone going!
It's good! It's good!
The City trying to hold on.
- Angel City right
now, you're all about
keeping possession.
I've learned this new phrase
which is "park the bus."
Opportunity for Portland.
- So we've been
having a hard time
holding it at the end.
We haven't been able
to park the bus.
Then we can put Stef in.
You're gonna go in and play
on the right-hand side.
- Okay.
- Okay?
I will press in the
same way we've been?
Yeah.
I prefer playing
in the midfield,
but Freya thought I would
be better on the wing.
[whistle blows]
Brazilian Stefany
Ferrer Van Ginkel
checking on.
Ten minutes to go.
Don't dive.
[tense music]
♪
- There is space
on the far side.
Pogarch is there.
♪
Cross comes in.
The header is in!
Fuck me.
Pogarch, what a ball in.
[whistle blowing]
And that will be the
end of proceedings.
Wow, what a finish.
I mean, it's like,
there's 30 seconds.
I know.
It's been a question mark
that's been hanging around
for a little bit about
the depth of our team.
And when people
talk about depth,
they talk about
roster construction.
So do we have enough people
to come off the bench
to help us win?
Which is, you know,
fundamental to my job.
[moody music]
- Look, I think the
tension is more just,
like, trying to build the
plane while it's being flown.
And there is the, yeah,
I recruited these players
to play this way,
and the reality is,
once you get, you know,
these players together,
the chemistry doesn't
necessarily support
what the objective was.
And I think they're
still coming to terms of
what's possible and what is.
Got a mint cucumber
lemonade over here.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, you guys enjoy.
We didn't have a good
last game at home.
It's a challenge to be
on the wing on the sides.
- Ooh! [gasps]
- Got a French toast.
Do you eat this in Japan?
French toast? Yes.
Our team is good.
But it's tough sometimes.
I'm excited to
work on the things
that I saw that I
need to improve,
and I always improve.
I never stay the same.
That's something
about me: I grow.
There always has to be pain
- for then to be good.
- Yeah.
Have you cried since
you've been here?
- Here?
- Yeah. Have you cried?
- No.
- No? You haven't cried?
- Japan
- Yeah.
- So many.
- In Japan?
[laughing] So many.
- I cry, like, every week.
- Yeah, I know.
[laughter] I know. I know.
[light music]
♪
- Up until now, we've been
at the mercy of the Rams.
And it's just not
the way forward.
We will be moving
here next week,
the modular buildings where
the team will eventually
move over to with
the locker rooms
and offices and eating space.
And more importantly,
we're on our own schedule.
Angel City gets to set the
schedule, not the Rams.
No. Almost.
We all joke that we're
like ACFC Moving Company.
- [chuckles]
- You missed a spot.
I missed a lot of spots.
That's lovely. [laughs]
Definitely not sealed.
Definitely hot as hell.
It's gonna be a little sweatbox.
We set things up in a
limited amount of time,
and, you know, finding real
estate is slim pickings.
But we're pushing to get things
to a certain standard.
Part of what we had to do
was enter a partnership
that shares the soccer pitch.
The pitch is not I mean,
it's not, like, perfect,
but it's not horrendous,
and it's got a lot of space.
- [laughter]
- This is normal!
I want that!
Angel City as a club
made a brave and bold statement
in that we were going
to set new standards
in terms of women's football
and try to be the best
club in every aspect.
Those boxes were
checked in terms of
having the most attendance,
having the best fans.
Sponsorship-wise,
all of these things
have been incredible,
but from a sporting perspective,
there were definitely challenges
that were not
really accounted for
in terms of
facilities and space.
These players have given
us a lot of breaks.
I mean, we sold a vision
that we will get to,
but we are absolutely
not there today.
Elle, do you want any
of those bracelets?
- No.
- I have tattoos we can put on
when we get down there.
'Cause, you know, it's not
a game day without a tattoo.
Okay.
How big is this San
Diego game today?
It's very big.
'Cause San Diego's
winning right now
in the terms of,
like, the standings,
but Angel City is
doing so much better
on revenue, resources,
and, like, being
able to broaden it.
Like, we have a good team,
but they, like,
focus solely on that,
which it's different.
I mean, when you have
neighbors that have
global stars like
Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper
and Casey Stoney and Jill Ellis,
of course I wanna beat
them and be the best
in Southern California
and will fan that flame
every chance I get.
Angel City and San Diego
both, I think, had very
different approaches
to introducing themselves
as a team, as a brand.
Teams are prioritizing
different things.
You have San Diego Wave,
who have really focused on
running the team
at a high level.
And then you also
have Angel City,
who have just been like,
"Hello, we're here,
and you're not going
to ignore us, period."
[percussive music playing]
[indistinct chanting]
San Diego Wave is crushing
it right at the moment,
but Angel City is firmly
in the playoff chase.
The top six teams
go to the playoffs.
You get three points for
a win, one for a tie,
and zero for a loss,
so there's a lot of
opportunity for movement.
Angel City had a much
more difficult journey
to this moment just in terms
of players having injuries.
You know, Christen
Press is a player
that you build a team around.
[indistinct chanting]
I'm here with Angel
City's Official
Look at it The Soccer Moms,
Glennon Doyle and
Jennifer Garner.
[all exclaiming]
Glennon Doyle and Jen Garner
declared themselves
Angel City Moms.
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, you got enough
sleep last night?
Did you have a nice chill day,
- a good meal?
- I did.
- You're warmed up?
- [laughs]
AC all: FC!
[all exclaiming]
They really believe in
what we're building here,
and they believe in this team,
and they wanna be a part of it,
so it's incredible
when you see two women
that aren't soccer women at all
embrace this club,
embrace this team,
embrace the mission
the way they have.
- It's an honor.
- Hi, how are you?
You need someone who
doesn't care what you do.
No, just loves you
no matter what.
Aw, I love that.
And we love them no matter what.
I think that's the top strategy.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Love no matter what.
Here we go. One, two, three.
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
Tonight there's
more tickets out,
and attendance is
due to be bigger
- than our home opener.
- Whoo!
That is because the city's
turning out with pride.
It's a massive thing
for us, and as a group,
we have to be proud
of our performances,
we have to be proud of
getting points on the board,
and we have to proud of getting
into that playoff
spot on the table.
The league's hotting up.
We're getting competitive.
So now we can go in and put in
that performance
that we're proud of.
- Let's go.
- Let's go.
[applause]
AC all: FC!
[cheers and applause]
[whistle blows]
And here we go.
Leroux takes off
after Endo.
Endo searching.
Goes wide.
Riley comes in!
Angel City on the board!
[stirring music]
Yes!
That's a huge statement
from Angel City
to start this match against
their California rival.
What a moment for Ali Riley.
Keep it up! That's right!
In the midfield.
Doniak rips a shot.
San Diego's got a bit of
a fire lit under them.
We look fucked.
[shouting indistinctly]
Up!
Angel City's back line
has truly been tested,
put under a lot of
pressure by San Diego.
Oh, fuck. Fuck.
McNabb floats it in,
tucks it in the corner!
The equalizer for San Diego.
Hey, we're working
so fucking hard
to get the ball back, and
we fucking pissed it away!
For Angel City,
number 10, Claire Emslie!
[upbeat music]
I'm Claire Emslie.
I'm a forward,
and I'm from Scotland.
♪
Claire Emslie, who
arrived three days before,
she was always intended
to be additional depth
for our forward line.
We'd planned on maybe
play the last 30 minutes.
Then at halftime,
the coach was like,
oh, can you go on now?
And I was like oh, right, okay.
And it was so strange,
'cause I didn't even
know the girls' names.
Like, I didn't know
who everyone was.
So I'm, like, shouting,
like, hey, hey,
like, trying to see what
the name on their back was.
Like, so excited but so nervous,
'cause obviously
the game was a tie.
♪
To be honest, more
pressure, more exciting.
That's fucking well class.
It's absolutely well class.
Yeah, I love the
pressure. [laughs]
[exciting music]
♪
You can see the most
confident players
in our league.
They take control of
games. They want the ball.
They touch the ball.
They make amazing things happen.
At the end of the
day, it's a battle.
It's who's first to the ball,
who can win the second ball,
and winning those 50/50s.
It's brutal at times.
A defender is I
think they're gritty.
They have to enjoy
the physical battles.
And for me, anytime I
get beat one-on-one,
I take it personally.
Like, you're not getting
past me even if you want to.
Center official is letting
both of these sides
duke it out on the field.
Yeah, you said it. It's
been pretty physical.
Takeaway, Ali.
Pushed by Lussi.
And we got a card for
Lussi! [whistle blows]
- [yelling indistinctly]
- That's her second.
So now Angel City
is playing a woman down.
That's a huge, huge loss.
Here comes a free
kick for San Diego.
And it bounces,
intended for Riehl,
ends up going out.
[cheers and applause]
Go! Go, go, go, go!
Charley
- [grunts]
- Takes Telford.
Simone Charley goes for it!
Here's a chance.
Dahlkemper denies.
Chaos!
[cheers and applause]
Roccaro.
Leroux.
Here's a chance.
Got it!
Emslie! Her first
game with Angel City!
Down a woman!
Oh, my gosh.
And when she scored,
the crowd got so loud, like,
my vision was, like, shaky.
[cheers and applause]
It all happened so fast.
[whistling blowing]
Yeah!
- Yes!
- Yes! Fuck yeah!
[uplifting music]
♪
Being able to react from
quite a disappointing
result against Portland
to then beat the best team
in the league right now
Huge momentum shift.
A huge win for us.
- Congrats!
- Thank you.
Say what?
This club is incredible.
[exclaiming]
[speaking indistinctly]
We had Jennifer Garner
Like, she's handing out oranges,
and, like, Abby
Wambach's giving me hugs.
And I was just like,
what is happening?
You really did it!
Like, this is mad.
AC
all: FC!
Whoo!
♪
[moody music]
Obviously, you know,
you're taking a risk
whenever you bring someone
on that has an injury
or had an injury.
Sydney came into Angel
City, started playing,
felt great, and then slowly
wasn't feeling so hot,
so we did an MRI of her ankle.
And the injury got worse.
Yeah.
Mm.
[somber music]
[indistinct chatter]
From day one, I
was really big on
a no-trade culture.
Halfway through the season,
we've had so many
injuries that
that principle of not
trading got questioned.
♪
In difficult moments,
you kind of have to stick
to those values, right?
So the question should be,
how are we gonna win
with these players?
How are you gonna
coach these players
to go from five out of ten,
if that is what the
determination is,
to ten out of ten?
I feel proud of
our no-trade policy
because I think
it is a big part of
player well-being.
But it's certainly an
ideology difference.
It's stressful,
because we're supposed
to have this mindset of,
you know, we're
building this year,
we're competing next year,
and we're winning
the third year.
Well, this team's been winning,
and the team wants to win.
We keep going sixth,
seventh, sixth, seventh,
sixth, seventh in the league,
and only the top
six go to playoffs.
♪
It's been a month
since that game
where we beat San Diego,
and we have three games
in a really short window,
which gives us a
greater opportunity
to make up ground.
For Orlando.
Ball went to cross.
It touched it, over the line!
On the precipice
of stoppage time.
It was a really tough period
where we were on the road,
our schedule is
really condensed,
and we had to get results.
Angel City below the line,
trying to pull level for sixth.
Angel City, driven in.
Charley's there, and
so was McCaskill!
1-0, Angel City.
[whistle blowing]
Game over, 3 points
for the home side, Angel City,
and they wanna just make it
to at least that sixth position.
Angel City should have been
eliminated a long time ago,
given all the turmoil and
injury that they've had.
Instead Freya Coombe, the coach,
hold this team together
with baling wire
and paper clips.
Riley in.
Press came off the line,
and there's the goal
from Angel City!
Oh, cross needed to be better.
- And then
- It is a penalty kick.
LaBonta steps up and scores.
1-1.
So it ends as a 1-1 final.
Important points to
play for right now.
Remember, it's the
top six to get in.
And you always say, if you
don't put 'em away early,
it can come back to haunt you,
and they will certainly
feel that way.
I know, I'm, like, praying we'll
have a miracle and
make it to playoffs.
We've been playing
the best soccer
we've been playing all year.
So now it just has to
convert into points
and to wins and
Are we doing
anything about, like,
building internal culture
- for the
- Yeah.
Administrative and
The groups within
the soccer house
weren't working well together,
and so we moved Angela
into a role to oversee all
of coaching, recruiting,
performance, medical,
and operations
and allowed Eni to focus
purely in record recruiting,
which felt like her sweet spot.
But the reality of
that shift in role
is reduction in
responsibilities.
It's just the
reality of that role.
When we first started hearing
that there was friction between
Eni and Freya's approaches,
I was very concerned.
But then people on the
board were saying, no,
that's good; that's normal.
And that's how people
challenge each other
and move things forward.
So it doesn't always
feel the same.
But at a certain
point in the season,
we start hearing that it's
not that productive friction.
It's becoming much,
much more negative.
[cheers and applause]
[dramatic music]
At this point in my career,
leadership is what
I wanna be doing,
and I don't think this new role
is gonna allow me to do that.
So I think I'm not the
person to take this forward.
Angel City will go on to
do great things, I'm sure,
and I will too.
But sometimes the timing of
those two coming together
doesn't work.
I will always root
for these players.
I mean, an incredible
group of women, and yeah,
I'm very proud of the
legacy that I think
I started as kind of the
first board and director.
♪
Okay, this week, focus has to be
three points against Gotham.
We are in the chance
to make history
as a team that's
an expansion team
that comes in and
makes playoffs.
And as a staff,
we're gonna step up
in terms of making sure that
this is delivered for you,
and we want your feedback.
So if there's something
that you guys need
that we're not delivering,
come and talk to me about it.
We wanna make sure that
we go into playoffs
knowing that we've done
absolutely everything.
This is really important.
Coach Freya is very different
from any coach I've ever had.
She does a good job of
demanding a high standard,
but she also takes a step
back and kind of listens
and tries to navigate
things behind the scenes.
[overlapping shouting]
I was the goalkeeper
coach at Gotham,
and I worked with
Freya for one season.
So same thing, or I can pass.
So there's a decision
here now, yeah.
I'm really excited to see
the women from Gotham,
because it's not lost to me
that I now have the
privilege of working
at one of the best
clubs in the world,
but I wouldn't have
had that privilege
if I hadn't have had the
privilege of working with
lots of the women that we're
competing against tomorrow.
♪
You're so cute. Thank you.
It's been a year and a day,
which is my return
to Red Bull Arena
to, yeah, play Gotham.
- To Freya.
- Freya.
- So nice to see you.
- It's good to see you guys.
Really, it's so nice to see you.
Cheers, guys.
How are you feeling
about tomorrow's game?
It's all about the performance
goals for the team.
But inside, I wanna win so much.
[laughter]
But I'm trying not to
project that onto the team
and just It's
just another game
that we have to get
three points from.
Seven left.
Gotta get four
wins out of those.
- Angel City come
across the country
to Red Bull Arena in
Harrison, New Jersey.
Freya Coombe, who is back
at her old stomping grounds.
[percussive music]
♪
One, two, three.
Quite the crew in
Harrison, New Jersey.
Thank you.
Has it been what you expected?
It has, except, actually,
with a higher potential
than I imagined, honestly.
The broadcasting, I'm, like,
super looking forward
to that improving,
'cause trying to watch
games has been so hard.
- I know.
- It's not sustainable.
Like, it has to be better.
And I think you want
people to dedicate
advertising dollars to it.
Yeah.
Like, if people know about it,
they will watch it, you know?
I mean, we saw that
with the NCAA, right?
Like, when they put
women's sports on
a time that people watch on
a channel that people watch,
it did well.
[indistinct chatter]
There's a concern I have
that, oh, we're grateful
to be here; we'll
take what you give us,
as opposed to showing
up with the confidence
and conviction that this
is the biggest growth sport
in the world, and we're
on the ground floor,
and whoever gets on
with us is gonna ride.
AC
all: FC!
One minute.
Right now, the league
is not profitable.
But it can be quickly
if they negotiate fair contracts
for broadcasting, for
sponsorship deals.
The fans are there.
We see it every day.
So the revenue's important
to make sure that our players
are treated as
best as they can be
and are valued as highly
as they should be.
They're really the ones
that are gonna see
the benefit of that.
[whistle blows]
And off we go.
Go, Angel City!
Let's go, Angel City!
McCaskill, a nifty nutmeg.
McCaskill!
- Oh!
- Yeah!
- Yes!
- Yeah!
Wow!
Olympia!
She put that ball
right between her legs
and then ran around
her and scored.
- Let's go!
- All right, all right.
Long ball. Simone's got it.
- Simone is very fast.
- She's so fast.
Come on, Simone. Look, look.
Good move, good move, good move!
Finish. One more, one more!
Yes!
Nice! Nice job!
[cheers and applause]
Whoo!
Yeah, Emslie!
Emslie looking for options.
Cuts back with a left!
[cheers and applause]
All right! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
- A world-class finish.
I have chills. That was crazy.
Where did she kick that from?
That was beautiful.
An emphatic first
45 for the visitors.
They drop a three-spot
in the first half.
If you're Angel City, you
want to keep the pressure.
♪
Gotham looking to
build something.
Come on! Keep pushing!
♪
Compete! Come on!
This Angel City back
line has come through
when they need it to most.
Gotham just knocking
on the door.
Four minutes for Gotham.
It's gotta be
time, Ref. Come on.
- That's time, Ref.
- [laughs]
Wrap it up!
Over over over!
Haracic.
[whistle blowing]
[cheers and applause]
♪
Bring yourselves in.
Let's go, let's go.
Hey fuck yeah.
- Whoo!
- Whoo!
AC all: FC!
Whoo!
Olé, olé, olé, olé ♪
Freya, Freya ♪
DiDi, you are
- [laughs]
- Hi. Thank you.
- Magic.
- Are you okay? Is the hand
Can I introduce
you to my mother?
- Of course.
- [gasps]
She's, like, your biggest fan.
- Are you kidding me?
- So I don't wanna fangirl
- for her.
- Should I go out there?
- Do you mind?
- No problem.
I'm just so proud
where she's now.
I'm really happy for her.
She does this thing.
She sits like this.
And she holds on tight, and
anytime we clear it away,
it's the quick clap.
Always. So I can hear
it. I know who it is.
- [chuckles]
- I love DiDi Haracic.
I love DiDi Haracic.
Thanks. I love Dan Ball.
[laughter]
- [laughs]
- I know.
To be fair, Angel City is
actually the first club
that used the little things
- Apostrophe?
- On my la
Yeah, whatever you call
them on my last name.
My tenth year, Angel City's
the first one who did it.
♪
[helicopter rotors whirring]
♪
Drive.
There we go. One more.
Come on. Got it.
Awesome. Very good.
There we go.
It's a nine-month
recovery from surgery,
minimum, so it's
definitely a long process,
and I think that's give
or take many weeks,
depending on what my
individual journey looks like.
I have a season to get back to.
We have a World Cup this summer.
And so those things
keep me motivated
to come in here and
work really hard.
- There you go, six more.
- Halfway.
Come on, come on, you got
it. Don't wait too long.
It will not get easier.
Eight.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
Just realized summat.
We haven't got a blade.
Oh, that was just the tubs.
No, no, it's meant
to be in there.
"High-grade stainless
steel blades."
Yeah. It's not in here.
- Is it in
- It's in here.
- Oh.
- Calm down.
You didn't even look in the
Didn't even look
in the cupboard.
Oh, that's shockin'.
Oh, my God.
We can edit that out.
That's embarrassin', eh?
- [doorbell rings]
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm taking my shoes off.
Have a little
housewarming gift for you.
- Ooh! Thank you.
- My shoe is on your shoe.
- It's so good when we win.
- Oh, my God.
Everyone is so happy.
In Challenge Cup, I was
like, I hope we win the game.
- A game.
- So if we win the next two,
- we are in.
- Yes, correct.
They can't drop points.
We just gotta win,
and that's it.
You ready?
- Yes.
- We're ready!
[light music]
♪
- Hi, guys!
- Hello, hello.
Here, walk around
this way, mama.
It's not just a regular game.
We're playing San Diego.
Yeah, I mean, it'd be
great to give the rah-rah,
like, hey, we're two
expansion teams, but no,
we're going down to San Diego
and coming home
with three points.
If we win, even if we
don't go to playoffs
That would be a
win for the season.
I'm fine with that, okay?
- Yeah.
- Well done, everybody.
Yay!
- Snapdragon this.
- I got it.
Angel City is fighting for
a spot in the playoffs,
will do so this weekend in
front of the largest crowd
in NWSL history.
[phone ringing]
Game day! What's up?
Hey, buddy, how are you?
Are you ready?
How you feeling? Feeling
a little nervous?
- Little anxious?
- I'm excited.
[laughing] I'm hoping
people show up,
you know what I mean?
I think you've got 32,000
fans that are showing up.
I think you knocked that
out of the park, Jill.
You crushed it.
Yeah, I never had to think
about these things before,
just get the team ready.
Now it's like, oh, my
God, I hope the fans come.
That's right, Pres.
Whenever we travel
to an away game,
their attendance goes up.
Now we're headed to San
Diego for their first game
in their new
stadium, Snapdragon,
which seats 32,000 fans.
And it is sold out.
That's a new NWSL record.
[drumming]
all: Angel City!
We've got 400-plus supporters
showing up in force.
We're gonna bring in drums.
We're gonna bring in flags.
So on social media, on
highlights, back and forth,
they're gonna show, holy shit,
Angel City brought it all
the way down to San Diego.
Yay!
All: AC FC!
We are Angel City!
We are Angel City Football Club!
Hey!
So tonight it's fucking special.
This is a really special time
that we don't get back again,
so let's make sure that
we do everything we can.
Be dedicated and driven.
Let's fucking go.
Let's get out there.
- [rapid clapping]
- Let's fucking go.
Embrace it.
AC all: FC!
[vocalizing]
Good luck!
♪
all: Dale, oh! Dale, oh!
Dale, dale, dale, dale!
We are Angel City Football Club!
Here we go!
A sellout crowd of 32,000,
an NWSL single-game record.
Two expansion teams
who are absolutely
just rewriting the script
for how it is done.
[indistinct chanting]
Shaw will put it
back in the box.
Flipped toward the goal
but saved by DiDi Haracic.
♪
Open up! She's there!
Gyau cuts in! A header!
San Diego gets a
goal! It's Shaw!
[cheers and applause]
[suspenseful music]
♪
We have to tie it up.
We have to tie it up.
♪
This Angel City
team did not fade
come 60-minute mark.
Come on. We can go.
We can press it.
♪
[whistle blows]
Emslie was fouled!
It's a penalty.
Right at the edge of the area,
a little bump,
and that sets up a
chance for LA to tie it.
McCaskill, the leading
scorer for Angel City,
and one of the best ever
at facing penalty kicks in
the history of this league,
Kailen Sheridan.
McCaskill oh,
it's saved! Sheridan!
Are you kidding me?
[vocalizing]
Tonight tonight
belongs to San Diego.
[dramatic music]
♪
San Diego Wave FC, 1!
[cheers and applause]
That was the best that
we played all season
by a country mile.
We've had our chance again
to create more chances than
we have in other games.
It sucks. It really
fuckin' sucks.
But we have three games
now that we need to win.
They're three games that we
identify that we have to go.
We have to go and
win those games now.
But if we play like
that, we're gonna do it.
AC all: FC!
♪
It's been a battle of
expansion teams, Herc, so far.
Who do you think has
had a better first year?
On the field, it's
obviously San Diego.
- They're leading the league.
- Okay.
But Angel City is changing
the game right now.
Before they came into NWSL,
they were giving out franchises
for $2 million,
$3 million, okay?
They just did an
evaluation on Angel City FC
that's $100 million.
From a growth perspective,
the demand from
investors right now
is really unlike
anything I've ever seen
in my 20-plus-year career
in professional sports.
We have, literally,
dozens of investors
wanting to invest in the
next round of expansion.
Angel City, I think,
is at the heart of it
and this kind of energy of,
why aren't we being
ambitious right now?
Why aren't we pushing as
hard as we possibly can
to not just grow our
team but grow the league?
And that's something
that the NWSL has needed
for a very, very long time.
We've had a lot of changes
in our training facility,
from, you know, the start
of the season until now.
And I think what's been really
great is that we've improved,
you know, each
step along the way.
And then getting to a
point where we are now,
where we have a dedicated space
for our players that's
just for Angel City.
- Hey, Angela.
- [speaking indistinctly]
Not where we wanted to be
in terms of the timing,
but that's what this
is about right now.
It's finding a great foundation
and how we can continually
make improvements
to elevate our club, to
elevate these players,
and to ultimately
elevate the entire sport.
Ice tubs, little
rehab, rejuvenation, recovery.
I'm just taking a look at this
line is way too small, though.
You get water flow out
a lot faster, so
just fixed.
All else looks good here.
It's not easy
trying to evaluate,
you know, what's in the
best interest of the club,
what's in the best
interest of the player.
Lyon contacted us about
loaning Vanessa to their club.
- Lyon!
- Lyon!
Lyon is a world-class club
in the Champions League.
Vanessa scored our first
goal in Angel City history.
Move to get free,
left foot and
[shouting indistinctly]
But when you look
at the opportunities
for her career growth
and her advancement,
to experience playing
in a different league,
a different culture,
and then, you know, come
back and bring that value
I think is gonna be really
huge when she does return.
[soft music]
♪
The decision was
pretty easy for me
in that I had a
World Cup to prepare,
and obviously Lyon has won
eight Champions Leagues
in the past ten years,
so they know what it
takes to win, and
I wanna win.
♪
I had always stated very clearly
that Angel City
would probably be
the only club that I would
wanna play for in the States,
not, like, from a
sports standpoint
but from the values that
they are portraying.
[speaking French]
Women's rights, fighting
for women's soccer,
wanting to elevate the sport.
The standards that
we have right now
are much better than
they were ten years ago,
but I hope that they're
nowhere close to
as good as they will
be ten years from now.
♪
Ah.
♪
Oh, no!
I think it's cold enough.
I'll sprinkle some
around Simone.
[laughs] Thanks.
[laughter]
Don't bring that
energy over here.
Don't bring that
energy [laughs]
- See? It's not overflowing.
- More?
- Yeah, a little more.
- Okay.
It's do or die, you know?
Like, we have to
win for playoffs.
Yeah, like, back
against the wall.
It's the best, though, you know?
'Cause then it's like,
to make playoffs, like
- that would be freaking epic!
- It would be fun.
- And at home?
- I know.
Under the lights at
the Banc? [alarm rings]
- Bro.
- We done.
Wait. You wanna see
something crazy?
There are three games
happening in LA right now:
the Chargers, Dodgers,
and Angel City.
So the cheapest ticket for
the Chargers is 19 bucks.
Dodgers is 26.
Angel City is 33.
And we're the hardest
ticket to get today.
♪
Tonight we're
playing Louisville.
Our playoff run is
hanging in the balance.
Last game of the
inaugural season.
- How are you feeling?
- I know.
I feel good. Look,
cautiously optimistic.
We're gonna go to the
playoffs, aren't we, Mariel?
- Yes. Yes.
- We're going to the playoffs.
Can you hear me?
[cheers and applause]
One, two,
three!
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
[cheers and applause]
♪
[whistle blows]
[cheers and applause]
♪
Claire Emslie
Haven't called her name
too much here in this
opening half so far.
She can be dangerous
on the ball.
Cutting inside big
long pass across for Endo,
who gets matched up one-v-one.
Onto her right foot,
looking for the corner.
Deflected on the way in!
And it [indistinct]
for Angel City!
Off McCaskill into the goal.
Total team goal right there.
♪
[vocalizing]
♪
Hey! We have to take
care of the ball!
Come on! We got to be better!
♪
Oh, can you believe this?
Louisville's come
back to level it.
♪
Oh, and a point to the spot.
♪
This is tough for Haracic.
- Yeah, you can see
that DiDi's upset.
Not over.
Still possible.
I'm like, we're
gonna win this game.
If we're losing, I don't care.
We can still win.
There's time on this
clock, then, like,
we're gonna go until
there's no time left.
Angel City FC still pushing.
♪
[crowd exclaims]
♪
[whistle blowing]
♪
[cheers and applause]
Let's hear it for Angel
City Football Club!
[cheers and applause]
And at this time, yes,
we have sold out
another home match.
[continues indistinctly]
♪
But what an amazing start
to professional soccer in LA
that we have created.
And no one can ever take
that away in this moment.
'Cause I believe that we have
got so much as a group
Passion, the personality,
the willingness, the talent.
Be pissed off, 'cause
that's who we are,
but don't be pissed
off for too long,
because we have got a lot to
be proud of and look back on.
Come on.
AC all: FC!
♪
At the end of the season,
it's always bittersweet.
Of course we cared about
the outcome, but
in that stadium,
every single game day
felt like we made it as
strong female athletes,
and we're giving young
girls the opportunity
to dream to be a
professional athlete too.
[vocalizing]
I was really upset we
still lost, though.
[laughs]
♪
For a group of girls that met
at the very beginning
of the season
and for us to,
like, come together
and navigate the storms
of not just a season
but being on a start-up,
I'm just really proud to
be a part of that group.
♪
Failing at the last
minute to make playoffs,
that really hurt.
I think that's something
that the players
are gonna take with
us into next season
so that we don't feel that
pain and disappointment
again next year.
[cheers and applause]
- Sorry.
- Don't be sorry.
We still got this.
I'm so proud of how
our team came together and
the culture that they built
and the chemistry
that they built.
♪
I prefer that than
making the playoffs.
♪
"Heartbreaking and
deeply troubling,"
that is what the
U.S. soccer president
is calling the findings of
an independent investigation
that reveals systemic abuse
and misconduct by coaches
in the top tier of women's
professional soccer.
The investigation was led
by former deputy attorney
general Sally Yates.
- The report finding
rampant verbal, emotional,
and sexual misconduct
in the National
Women's Soccer League.
- And lays out in
disturbing detail
the misconduct of
three past coaches.
- You're reading over
and over the failure.
I mean, every layer that
could have stopped it
never did.
I think I felt it
along with them,
because I've experienced
similar things,
but then saddened to know
that it's still happening.
But then empowered to know
that I could affect the future,
and it starts with my team
and then to have a voice
within the National
Women's Soccer League
so it doesn't happen
to anyone else.
We are being birthed
out of "time's up."
No other club has had that
as their origin story.
It was one of the eye-opening
things in this report
is, if you don't have the
resources to make this better,
then get the hell out.
Following the Yates
report, there are two teams
selling their
majority ownership.
Building a new kind of culture
and a new kind of
way of doing things
around women's sports,
that's really what
brought us all here.
Like, it sounds corny,
but it's, like, genuinely
where we are and why we're here.
One of the things that
I believe deeply is,
when you find something
that breaks your heart,
turn towards it.
That, to me, is what Julie
and Kara and Natalie did.
They're like, I'm not gonna
just hear the sad story.
I'm gonna actually
try to figure out
what I can do,
what I can create,
what I can reimagine
to solve for this
heartbreak and to fix it.
[indistinct chatter]
[rain pattering]
So good. How are you? Oh,
I'm so glad you're here.
The last time I was at a
Women's National Team game
was when I first
started thinking
about having our own team.
I got my shirt too, so
I will put this on over.
And now we're here, and
things are changing.
- Oh, hi!
- Welcome.
I think this is a
hundred-year journey.
And we really do
see this as a brand
that we believe will be
worth as much as, you know,
a Manchester United someday.
Oh, Trinity. Oh, come on!
This is Michele Kang
from Washington Spirit.
- So nice to see you.
- Natalie Portman.
So she's the unbelievable woman
that came in and
took over Washington.
I know. We're so excited.
Pulled off an incredible coup.
We're so excited
to be colleagues.
Oh, my gosh.
You too, you too.
I mean, we're all
We're all, like, rising
together, I feel like,
and we've gotta
We're a group of female owners
trying to make the
best conditions
for our players,
and there's no playbook.
We have to write our own.
How big is Wembley, you guys?
Michael, how big's Wembley?
- It's 80,000 or 90,000.
- 80,000 or 90,000, right?
I mean, we can pack this.
I told Freya, after we
win the championship,
we'll come here and play
a match and sell it out.
So soon as we win
a championship,
we're coming to Wembley.
[upbeat music]
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
'Cause it crossed my
mind, it crossed my mind ♪
Made my blood thump
seven, eight, nine ♪
Made my heart
beat double time ♪
Now I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
And the first pick
in the first round of
the 2023 NWSL Draft,
Angel City FC select
Alyssa Thompson.
[cheers and applause]
♪
- There is Thompson,
so, so positive.
So positive, and she scored!
What a talent!
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
'Cause it crossed my
mind, it crossed my mind ♪
I'm a penny in
a diamond mine ♪
Oh, we could be movers ♪
Oh, oh, we
could be shakers ♪
Oh, oh, if we could
just shake something ♪
Out of the blue ♪
And get off the ride ♪
Now I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
Am I the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand ♪
If I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
Am I the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, it's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
Go, go home, it's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
Go, go home, it's over ♪
[bright tone]
[TV static drones]
[bright tone]
[overlapping shouting]
Just gut-wrenching
news this week
of Christen Press
having a torn ACL.
Yeah, it's so sad, and
she was just having
an outstanding year.
- Christen leaves a very
big goal-scoring gap.
Do we have just one
forward that comes in,
or do we replace Christen's
attributes with two?
- Yeah, I think we
definitely need someone
that is able to come
in straightaway,
someone at a high level
that will continue
to play for us
and isn't just a
Band-Aid for the season.
So are you still keen
on Sydney Leroux?
Yeah, I think Sydney's
Is a proven goal scorer in
this league at this level,
and I think there's
less doubt around her,
the ability to do the job.
If we are going to go out
and get another player,
we should always start
from the viewpoint of,
is what we're getting
better than what we've got?
You know, we have players
like Stefany Van Ginkel.
She's part of our team
and can play as a forward.
But, like, you've gotta
give players a chance
to actually prove, yes or no,
whether they can play
in that position.
Otherwise, it's just
a waste of a player.
No, I disagree a little bit.
I so think she's at
their level in training,
let alone going into the game.
But I also think it's worth
If you don't agree with me,
speak to the coaches.
Oh, I've spoken to them.
I've spoken to them,
and I don't know,
maybe people change
what they say to me,
but that's okay.
Like, we don't have to agree.
Do we have the same
conversations every time?
- But everybody
doesn't have to agree.
Everybody doesn't have to
agree with what you say.
Yeah, but they do agree, Eni.
- This is the whole point
- I'm asking the question,
- because I just needed to
- Oh, my God.
'Cause I'm seeing
something different.
[energetic music]
All right, off we go!
Angel City, spread your wings!
♪
- U.S. soccer on
the women's side
has been fighting for respect.
♪
- The mantra always was,
"You should be thankful,"
and, "You can't screw it up."
- The National
Women's Soccer League
just kicked off
its tenth season.
- Two new clubs coming
out in California.
- Angel City Football
Club in Los Angeles
is backed by the largest
female ownership group
in professional sports.
- 14 former U.S. Women's
National Team players
are investors.
- These are the best
players in the world.
We're gonna elevate the sport
and show how
valuable it truly is.
- When you watch
these athletes play,
you're changing something
that was formed in your brain
about what it means for
a woman to be a woman.
[vocalizing]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
One, two, three.
Oh! Nice.
First of all, how lucky are
we to have Sydney Leroux?
Leroux can take this herself.
Dribbles around the
keeper Scores.
Leroux is in the clear.
And the keeper she goals!
Sydney is a nightmare
to defend against.
At any second, she can go off
and score three goals
if she wanted to.
She's a world champion
with the U.S. Women's
National team.
She's won the Olympics,
won the World Cup.
Yeah! Of course.
- She has an incredibly
large following.
I think it's something
over 3 million followers
across Insta and Twitter.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Aw, thank you.
I almost got, like, emotional.
Like, just a weight
has been lifted,
and I just am so happy, so
I'm very excited to be here.
Good.
Well, it's a work in progress.
We wanna optimize this
from a press perspective,
a media perspective,
concept perspective,
and then obviously
merch perspective
and get, like, Sydney
merch up, content up.
Hit the subscribe button below
for more exclusive
content from the NWSL.
Sydney gives us that,
you know, strong forward
that can push the team.
She's an attacker.
She presses.
Getting it here for this.
- Yep.
- And then that ball.
We're also bringing
in Claire Emslie.
She's a player that
we selected her
in the expansion draft
at the end of last year
whose visa's finally coming
through in a couple weeks.
So the idea's that we'll
have two players now
and to see how they can
sort of work to
replace Christen.
I sound like I know what I'm
talking about now, don't I?
- You do.
- It's fascinating. I know!
♪
This is my first
year in the NWSL
and first year
playing professional.
You know, I'm a rookie,
but I'm ambitious.
This is my board.
Here I just write things
that are in my head
and my goals this season.
"Make smart decisions."
"Good relationship with
coach" is one of my goals too.
Sometimes when you
don't play, you're like,
oh, I don't play because
I'm not good enough.
I wanna be so good
that it's gonna be obvious
that I have to play.
[engine humming]
So we talked about, at
the start of the season,
around how playoffs was a goal
that we wanted to achieve.
6 out of 12 teams go
and make playoffs.
With everything that we've had
in terms of a little
bit of an up and down
and everything with the
start of this season,
we are still on track to
be able to meet our goal,
which would be a
fantastic achievement
for an expansion team.
Let's make sure now we
continue to keep our focus
and we take advantage
over the next few weeks
for us to be able to
really grab some points.
[pop music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
[roars]
[laughs] How are ya?
Welcome, everyone, to the
Angel City Fan Festival!
[cheers and applause]
Talk about wanting
to be a spectacle.
[cheers and applause]
Like, it is an experience.
It is a fun, engaging experience
where you also watch football.
Oh, wow.
You know, I would
always joke internally
that our first game was
the greatest show on Earth.
But the next game has to be
the greatest show on Earth,
and the game after that has to
be the greatest show on Earth.
Like, we actually have
to keep raising the bar,
because we have to remember
that it's always
somebody's first game.
And if they don't have an
exceptional experience,
they may not come back.
They may not tell their
friends to come back.
They may not buy season
tickets for the next year.
[cheers and applause]
- What you just saw was an
all-female skydiving team,
four of the best
skydivers in the world.
Winning and losing
does play a factor,
but if you still love the club,
then you wanna come, no
matter the ups and the downs,
the wins and the losses,
the highs and the lows.
Whoo! Right?
It has to be that
important to you.
[cheers and applause]
All right, so we're
gonna welcome our players
by doing our three clap.
Y'all know the three clap?
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
[cheers and applause]
Wait, just stop here. Hi!
This is my 12th
professional year,
and I've never
experienced an injury.
And then to get a major
injury in this way
is, like, really shocking.
Thank you.
What day did you get here?
Two days ago.
So are you available?
- Okay.
- Yeah.
I mean, I think that
I could do more,
but I'm, like,
not fit right now.
- Yeah.
- I haven't played.
- Yeah.
- But, like, if I was
out there, I'm like, sure,
I could figure it out
- Yeah.
- But
Oh, I don't have that attitude.
You know me; like, I need
a full month of training
before I even think about
anyone giving me talks.
Just put me out there.
Sydney had an ankle injury
when she was in Orlando
and rehabbed it
while she was there.
We talked to the
medical staff in Orlando
and felt like it was
something that was manageable.
The contribution she
can have on the team
is credibly significant,
and we're gonna be
better because of it.
[speaking indistinctly]
Sydney Leroux!
[cheers and applause]
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you!
- How are you?
- I'm good.
- You've been better, right?
- Yes. [laughs]
Oh, my goodness.
I also just want
you to know, like,
I'm such a big fan.
- Thank you.
- Like, I literally
I like, watching you play,
like, inspired me so much
- Aw, thank you.
- Just, like, as a Black woman.
I tell you, I've seen
people we've inspired
go on to do it themselves,
and then now you're
gonna inspire
the next round of
young girls to do it.
It doesn't get better
than that, really.
And we are underway.
Quick passing here,
McCaskill trying to come in.
[whistle blows]
Is this an early
penalty? It is!
Not even a minute gone.
McCaskill oh, it's saved!
And McCaskill puts it in!
[cheers and applause]
Angel City strikes
90 seconds in.
- And this is exactly
what they need.
- Yeah, we're up 1-0.
- [laughs]
Feeling great.
Can the game end?
Let's go!
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, if we can
get her just to
And then sit in a minute 30,
if you're happy with that.
Yeah, I would get her.
[cheers and applause]
Now entering the
match, number 2,
- Sydney Leroux!
- Yay!
This is the moment
everybody's been waiting for.
It is Sydney Leroux
time for Angel City!
Could she be the one tasked
with really getting this
Angel City attack on track?
Here's Leroux.
Sydney Leroux dispossessed.
Hubly was there.
Dani, let's keep everyone going!
It's good! It's good!
The City trying to hold on.
- Angel City right
now, you're all about
keeping possession.
I've learned this new phrase
which is "park the bus."
Opportunity for Portland.
- So we've been
having a hard time
holding it at the end.
We haven't been able
to park the bus.
Then we can put Stef in.
You're gonna go in and play
on the right-hand side.
- Okay.
- Okay?
I will press in the
same way we've been?
Yeah.
I prefer playing
in the midfield,
but Freya thought I would
be better on the wing.
[whistle blows]
Brazilian Stefany
Ferrer Van Ginkel
checking on.
Ten minutes to go.
Don't dive.
[tense music]
♪
- There is space
on the far side.
Pogarch is there.
♪
Cross comes in.
The header is in!
Fuck me.
Pogarch, what a ball in.
[whistle blowing]
And that will be the
end of proceedings.
Wow, what a finish.
I mean, it's like,
there's 30 seconds.
I know.
It's been a question mark
that's been hanging around
for a little bit about
the depth of our team.
And when people
talk about depth,
they talk about
roster construction.
So do we have enough people
to come off the bench
to help us win?
Which is, you know,
fundamental to my job.
[moody music]
- Look, I think the
tension is more just,
like, trying to build the
plane while it's being flown.
And there is the, yeah,
I recruited these players
to play this way,
and the reality is,
once you get, you know,
these players together,
the chemistry doesn't
necessarily support
what the objective was.
And I think they're
still coming to terms of
what's possible and what is.
Got a mint cucumber
lemonade over here.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, you guys enjoy.
We didn't have a good
last game at home.
It's a challenge to be
on the wing on the sides.
- Ooh! [gasps]
- Got a French toast.
Do you eat this in Japan?
French toast? Yes.
Our team is good.
But it's tough sometimes.
I'm excited to
work on the things
that I saw that I
need to improve,
and I always improve.
I never stay the same.
That's something
about me: I grow.
There always has to be pain
- for then to be good.
- Yeah.
Have you cried since
you've been here?
- Here?
- Yeah. Have you cried?
- No.
- No? You haven't cried?
- Japan
- Yeah.
- So many.
- In Japan?
[laughing] So many.
- I cry, like, every week.
- Yeah, I know.
[laughter] I know. I know.
[light music]
♪
- Up until now, we've been
at the mercy of the Rams.
And it's just not
the way forward.
We will be moving
here next week,
the modular buildings where
the team will eventually
move over to with
the locker rooms
and offices and eating space.
And more importantly,
we're on our own schedule.
Angel City gets to set the
schedule, not the Rams.
No. Almost.
We all joke that we're
like ACFC Moving Company.
- [chuckles]
- You missed a spot.
I missed a lot of spots.
That's lovely. [laughs]
Definitely not sealed.
Definitely hot as hell.
It's gonna be a little sweatbox.
We set things up in a
limited amount of time,
and, you know, finding real
estate is slim pickings.
But we're pushing to get things
to a certain standard.
Part of what we had to do
was enter a partnership
that shares the soccer pitch.
The pitch is not I mean,
it's not, like, perfect,
but it's not horrendous,
and it's got a lot of space.
- [laughter]
- This is normal!
I want that!
Angel City as a club
made a brave and bold statement
in that we were going
to set new standards
in terms of women's football
and try to be the best
club in every aspect.
Those boxes were
checked in terms of
having the most attendance,
having the best fans.
Sponsorship-wise,
all of these things
have been incredible,
but from a sporting perspective,
there were definitely challenges
that were not
really accounted for
in terms of
facilities and space.
These players have given
us a lot of breaks.
I mean, we sold a vision
that we will get to,
but we are absolutely
not there today.
Elle, do you want any
of those bracelets?
- No.
- I have tattoos we can put on
when we get down there.
'Cause, you know, it's not
a game day without a tattoo.
Okay.
How big is this San
Diego game today?
It's very big.
'Cause San Diego's
winning right now
in the terms of,
like, the standings,
but Angel City is
doing so much better
on revenue, resources,
and, like, being
able to broaden it.
Like, we have a good team,
but they, like,
focus solely on that,
which it's different.
I mean, when you have
neighbors that have
global stars like
Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper
and Casey Stoney and Jill Ellis,
of course I wanna beat
them and be the best
in Southern California
and will fan that flame
every chance I get.
Angel City and San Diego
both, I think, had very
different approaches
to introducing themselves
as a team, as a brand.
Teams are prioritizing
different things.
You have San Diego Wave,
who have really focused on
running the team
at a high level.
And then you also
have Angel City,
who have just been like,
"Hello, we're here,
and you're not going
to ignore us, period."
[percussive music playing]
[indistinct chanting]
San Diego Wave is crushing
it right at the moment,
but Angel City is firmly
in the playoff chase.
The top six teams
go to the playoffs.
You get three points for
a win, one for a tie,
and zero for a loss,
so there's a lot of
opportunity for movement.
Angel City had a much
more difficult journey
to this moment just in terms
of players having injuries.
You know, Christen
Press is a player
that you build a team around.
[indistinct chanting]
I'm here with Angel
City's Official
Look at it The Soccer Moms,
Glennon Doyle and
Jennifer Garner.
[all exclaiming]
Glennon Doyle and Jen Garner
declared themselves
Angel City Moms.
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, you got enough
sleep last night?
Did you have a nice chill day,
- a good meal?
- I did.
- You're warmed up?
- [laughs]
AC all: FC!
[all exclaiming]
They really believe in
what we're building here,
and they believe in this team,
and they wanna be a part of it,
so it's incredible
when you see two women
that aren't soccer women at all
embrace this club,
embrace this team,
embrace the mission
the way they have.
- It's an honor.
- Hi, how are you?
You need someone who
doesn't care what you do.
No, just loves you
no matter what.
Aw, I love that.
And we love them no matter what.
I think that's the top strategy.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Love no matter what.
Here we go. One, two, three.
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
Tonight there's
more tickets out,
and attendance is
due to be bigger
- than our home opener.
- Whoo!
That is because the city's
turning out with pride.
It's a massive thing
for us, and as a group,
we have to be proud
of our performances,
we have to be proud of
getting points on the board,
and we have to proud of getting
into that playoff
spot on the table.
The league's hotting up.
We're getting competitive.
So now we can go in and put in
that performance
that we're proud of.
- Let's go.
- Let's go.
[applause]
AC all: FC!
[cheers and applause]
[whistle blows]
And here we go.
Leroux takes off
after Endo.
Endo searching.
Goes wide.
Riley comes in!
Angel City on the board!
[stirring music]
Yes!
That's a huge statement
from Angel City
to start this match against
their California rival.
What a moment for Ali Riley.
Keep it up! That's right!
In the midfield.
Doniak rips a shot.
San Diego's got a bit of
a fire lit under them.
We look fucked.
[shouting indistinctly]
Up!
Angel City's back line
has truly been tested,
put under a lot of
pressure by San Diego.
Oh, fuck. Fuck.
McNabb floats it in,
tucks it in the corner!
The equalizer for San Diego.
Hey, we're working
so fucking hard
to get the ball back, and
we fucking pissed it away!
For Angel City,
number 10, Claire Emslie!
[upbeat music]
I'm Claire Emslie.
I'm a forward,
and I'm from Scotland.
♪
Claire Emslie, who
arrived three days before,
she was always intended
to be additional depth
for our forward line.
We'd planned on maybe
play the last 30 minutes.
Then at halftime,
the coach was like,
oh, can you go on now?
And I was like oh, right, okay.
And it was so strange,
'cause I didn't even
know the girls' names.
Like, I didn't know
who everyone was.
So I'm, like, shouting,
like, hey, hey,
like, trying to see what
the name on their back was.
Like, so excited but so nervous,
'cause obviously
the game was a tie.
♪
To be honest, more
pressure, more exciting.
That's fucking well class.
It's absolutely well class.
Yeah, I love the
pressure. [laughs]
[exciting music]
♪
You can see the most
confident players
in our league.
They take control of
games. They want the ball.
They touch the ball.
They make amazing things happen.
At the end of the
day, it's a battle.
It's who's first to the ball,
who can win the second ball,
and winning those 50/50s.
It's brutal at times.
A defender is I
think they're gritty.
They have to enjoy
the physical battles.
And for me, anytime I
get beat one-on-one,
I take it personally.
Like, you're not getting
past me even if you want to.
Center official is letting
both of these sides
duke it out on the field.
Yeah, you said it. It's
been pretty physical.
Takeaway, Ali.
Pushed by Lussi.
And we got a card for
Lussi! [whistle blows]
- [yelling indistinctly]
- That's her second.
So now Angel City
is playing a woman down.
That's a huge, huge loss.
Here comes a free
kick for San Diego.
And it bounces,
intended for Riehl,
ends up going out.
[cheers and applause]
Go! Go, go, go, go!
Charley
- [grunts]
- Takes Telford.
Simone Charley goes for it!
Here's a chance.
Dahlkemper denies.
Chaos!
[cheers and applause]
Roccaro.
Leroux.
Here's a chance.
Got it!
Emslie! Her first
game with Angel City!
Down a woman!
Oh, my gosh.
And when she scored,
the crowd got so loud, like,
my vision was, like, shaky.
[cheers and applause]
It all happened so fast.
[whistling blowing]
Yeah!
- Yes!
- Yes! Fuck yeah!
[uplifting music]
♪
Being able to react from
quite a disappointing
result against Portland
to then beat the best team
in the league right now
Huge momentum shift.
A huge win for us.
- Congrats!
- Thank you.
Say what?
This club is incredible.
[exclaiming]
[speaking indistinctly]
We had Jennifer Garner
Like, she's handing out oranges,
and, like, Abby
Wambach's giving me hugs.
And I was just like,
what is happening?
You really did it!
Like, this is mad.
AC
all: FC!
Whoo!
♪
[moody music]
Obviously, you know,
you're taking a risk
whenever you bring someone
on that has an injury
or had an injury.
Sydney came into Angel
City, started playing,
felt great, and then slowly
wasn't feeling so hot,
so we did an MRI of her ankle.
And the injury got worse.
Yeah.
Mm.
[somber music]
[indistinct chatter]
From day one, I
was really big on
a no-trade culture.
Halfway through the season,
we've had so many
injuries that
that principle of not
trading got questioned.
♪
In difficult moments,
you kind of have to stick
to those values, right?
So the question should be,
how are we gonna win
with these players?
How are you gonna
coach these players
to go from five out of ten,
if that is what the
determination is,
to ten out of ten?
I feel proud of
our no-trade policy
because I think
it is a big part of
player well-being.
But it's certainly an
ideology difference.
It's stressful,
because we're supposed
to have this mindset of,
you know, we're
building this year,
we're competing next year,
and we're winning
the third year.
Well, this team's been winning,
and the team wants to win.
We keep going sixth,
seventh, sixth, seventh,
sixth, seventh in the league,
and only the top
six go to playoffs.
♪
It's been a month
since that game
where we beat San Diego,
and we have three games
in a really short window,
which gives us a
greater opportunity
to make up ground.
For Orlando.
Ball went to cross.
It touched it, over the line!
On the precipice
of stoppage time.
It was a really tough period
where we were on the road,
our schedule is
really condensed,
and we had to get results.
Angel City below the line,
trying to pull level for sixth.
Angel City, driven in.
Charley's there, and
so was McCaskill!
1-0, Angel City.
[whistle blowing]
Game over, 3 points
for the home side, Angel City,
and they wanna just make it
to at least that sixth position.
Angel City should have been
eliminated a long time ago,
given all the turmoil and
injury that they've had.
Instead Freya Coombe, the coach,
hold this team together
with baling wire
and paper clips.
Riley in.
Press came off the line,
and there's the goal
from Angel City!
Oh, cross needed to be better.
- And then
- It is a penalty kick.
LaBonta steps up and scores.
1-1.
So it ends as a 1-1 final.
Important points to
play for right now.
Remember, it's the
top six to get in.
And you always say, if you
don't put 'em away early,
it can come back to haunt you,
and they will certainly
feel that way.
I know, I'm, like, praying we'll
have a miracle and
make it to playoffs.
We've been playing
the best soccer
we've been playing all year.
So now it just has to
convert into points
and to wins and
Are we doing
anything about, like,
building internal culture
- for the
- Yeah.
Administrative and
The groups within
the soccer house
weren't working well together,
and so we moved Angela
into a role to oversee all
of coaching, recruiting,
performance, medical,
and operations
and allowed Eni to focus
purely in record recruiting,
which felt like her sweet spot.
But the reality of
that shift in role
is reduction in
responsibilities.
It's just the
reality of that role.
When we first started hearing
that there was friction between
Eni and Freya's approaches,
I was very concerned.
But then people on the
board were saying, no,
that's good; that's normal.
And that's how people
challenge each other
and move things forward.
So it doesn't always
feel the same.
But at a certain
point in the season,
we start hearing that it's
not that productive friction.
It's becoming much,
much more negative.
[cheers and applause]
[dramatic music]
At this point in my career,
leadership is what
I wanna be doing,
and I don't think this new role
is gonna allow me to do that.
So I think I'm not the
person to take this forward.
Angel City will go on to
do great things, I'm sure,
and I will too.
But sometimes the timing of
those two coming together
doesn't work.
I will always root
for these players.
I mean, an incredible
group of women, and yeah,
I'm very proud of the
legacy that I think
I started as kind of the
first board and director.
♪
Okay, this week, focus has to be
three points against Gotham.
We are in the chance
to make history
as a team that's
an expansion team
that comes in and
makes playoffs.
And as a staff,
we're gonna step up
in terms of making sure that
this is delivered for you,
and we want your feedback.
So if there's something
that you guys need
that we're not delivering,
come and talk to me about it.
We wanna make sure that
we go into playoffs
knowing that we've done
absolutely everything.
This is really important.
Coach Freya is very different
from any coach I've ever had.
She does a good job of
demanding a high standard,
but she also takes a step
back and kind of listens
and tries to navigate
things behind the scenes.
[overlapping shouting]
I was the goalkeeper
coach at Gotham,
and I worked with
Freya for one season.
So same thing, or I can pass.
So there's a decision
here now, yeah.
I'm really excited to see
the women from Gotham,
because it's not lost to me
that I now have the
privilege of working
at one of the best
clubs in the world,
but I wouldn't have
had that privilege
if I hadn't have had the
privilege of working with
lots of the women that we're
competing against tomorrow.
♪
You're so cute. Thank you.
It's been a year and a day,
which is my return
to Red Bull Arena
to, yeah, play Gotham.
- To Freya.
- Freya.
- So nice to see you.
- It's good to see you guys.
Really, it's so nice to see you.
Cheers, guys.
How are you feeling
about tomorrow's game?
It's all about the performance
goals for the team.
But inside, I wanna win so much.
[laughter]
But I'm trying not to
project that onto the team
and just It's
just another game
that we have to get
three points from.
Seven left.
Gotta get four
wins out of those.
- Angel City come
across the country
to Red Bull Arena in
Harrison, New Jersey.
Freya Coombe, who is back
at her old stomping grounds.
[percussive music]
♪
One, two, three.
Quite the crew in
Harrison, New Jersey.
Thank you.
Has it been what you expected?
It has, except, actually,
with a higher potential
than I imagined, honestly.
The broadcasting, I'm, like,
super looking forward
to that improving,
'cause trying to watch
games has been so hard.
- I know.
- It's not sustainable.
Like, it has to be better.
And I think you want
people to dedicate
advertising dollars to it.
Yeah.
Like, if people know about it,
they will watch it, you know?
I mean, we saw that
with the NCAA, right?
Like, when they put
women's sports on
a time that people watch on
a channel that people watch,
it did well.
[indistinct chatter]
There's a concern I have
that, oh, we're grateful
to be here; we'll
take what you give us,
as opposed to showing
up with the confidence
and conviction that this
is the biggest growth sport
in the world, and we're
on the ground floor,
and whoever gets on
with us is gonna ride.
AC
all: FC!
One minute.
Right now, the league
is not profitable.
But it can be quickly
if they negotiate fair contracts
for broadcasting, for
sponsorship deals.
The fans are there.
We see it every day.
So the revenue's important
to make sure that our players
are treated as
best as they can be
and are valued as highly
as they should be.
They're really the ones
that are gonna see
the benefit of that.
[whistle blows]
And off we go.
Go, Angel City!
Let's go, Angel City!
McCaskill, a nifty nutmeg.
McCaskill!
- Oh!
- Yeah!
- Yes!
- Yeah!
Wow!
Olympia!
She put that ball
right between her legs
and then ran around
her and scored.
- Let's go!
- All right, all right.
Long ball. Simone's got it.
- Simone is very fast.
- She's so fast.
Come on, Simone. Look, look.
Good move, good move, good move!
Finish. One more, one more!
Yes!
Nice! Nice job!
[cheers and applause]
Whoo!
Yeah, Emslie!
Emslie looking for options.
Cuts back with a left!
[cheers and applause]
All right! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
- A world-class finish.
I have chills. That was crazy.
Where did she kick that from?
That was beautiful.
An emphatic first
45 for the visitors.
They drop a three-spot
in the first half.
If you're Angel City, you
want to keep the pressure.
♪
Gotham looking to
build something.
Come on! Keep pushing!
♪
Compete! Come on!
This Angel City back
line has come through
when they need it to most.
Gotham just knocking
on the door.
Four minutes for Gotham.
It's gotta be
time, Ref. Come on.
- That's time, Ref.
- [laughs]
Wrap it up!
Over over over!
Haracic.
[whistle blowing]
[cheers and applause]
♪
Bring yourselves in.
Let's go, let's go.
Hey fuck yeah.
- Whoo!
- Whoo!
AC all: FC!
Whoo!
Olé, olé, olé, olé ♪
Freya, Freya ♪
DiDi, you are
- [laughs]
- Hi. Thank you.
- Magic.
- Are you okay? Is the hand
Can I introduce
you to my mother?
- Of course.
- [gasps]
She's, like, your biggest fan.
- Are you kidding me?
- So I don't wanna fangirl
- for her.
- Should I go out there?
- Do you mind?
- No problem.
I'm just so proud
where she's now.
I'm really happy for her.
She does this thing.
She sits like this.
And she holds on tight, and
anytime we clear it away,
it's the quick clap.
Always. So I can hear
it. I know who it is.
- [chuckles]
- I love DiDi Haracic.
I love DiDi Haracic.
Thanks. I love Dan Ball.
[laughter]
- [laughs]
- I know.
To be fair, Angel City is
actually the first club
that used the little things
- Apostrophe?
- On my la
Yeah, whatever you call
them on my last name.
My tenth year, Angel City's
the first one who did it.
♪
[helicopter rotors whirring]
♪
Drive.
There we go. One more.
Come on. Got it.
Awesome. Very good.
There we go.
It's a nine-month
recovery from surgery,
minimum, so it's
definitely a long process,
and I think that's give
or take many weeks,
depending on what my
individual journey looks like.
I have a season to get back to.
We have a World Cup this summer.
And so those things
keep me motivated
to come in here and
work really hard.
- There you go, six more.
- Halfway.
Come on, come on, you got
it. Don't wait too long.
It will not get easier.
Eight.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
Just realized summat.
We haven't got a blade.
Oh, that was just the tubs.
No, no, it's meant
to be in there.
"High-grade stainless
steel blades."
Yeah. It's not in here.
- Is it in
- It's in here.
- Oh.
- Calm down.
You didn't even look in the
Didn't even look
in the cupboard.
Oh, that's shockin'.
Oh, my God.
We can edit that out.
That's embarrassin', eh?
- [doorbell rings]
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm taking my shoes off.
Have a little
housewarming gift for you.
- Ooh! Thank you.
- My shoe is on your shoe.
- It's so good when we win.
- Oh, my God.
Everyone is so happy.
In Challenge Cup, I was
like, I hope we win the game.
- A game.
- So if we win the next two,
- we are in.
- Yes, correct.
They can't drop points.
We just gotta win,
and that's it.
You ready?
- Yes.
- We're ready!
[light music]
♪
- Hi, guys!
- Hello, hello.
Here, walk around
this way, mama.
It's not just a regular game.
We're playing San Diego.
Yeah, I mean, it'd be
great to give the rah-rah,
like, hey, we're two
expansion teams, but no,
we're going down to San Diego
and coming home
with three points.
If we win, even if we
don't go to playoffs
That would be a
win for the season.
I'm fine with that, okay?
- Yeah.
- Well done, everybody.
Yay!
- Snapdragon this.
- I got it.
Angel City is fighting for
a spot in the playoffs,
will do so this weekend in
front of the largest crowd
in NWSL history.
[phone ringing]
Game day! What's up?
Hey, buddy, how are you?
Are you ready?
How you feeling? Feeling
a little nervous?
- Little anxious?
- I'm excited.
[laughing] I'm hoping
people show up,
you know what I mean?
I think you've got 32,000
fans that are showing up.
I think you knocked that
out of the park, Jill.
You crushed it.
Yeah, I never had to think
about these things before,
just get the team ready.
Now it's like, oh, my
God, I hope the fans come.
That's right, Pres.
Whenever we travel
to an away game,
their attendance goes up.
Now we're headed to San
Diego for their first game
in their new
stadium, Snapdragon,
which seats 32,000 fans.
And it is sold out.
That's a new NWSL record.
[drumming]
all: Angel City!
We've got 400-plus supporters
showing up in force.
We're gonna bring in drums.
We're gonna bring in flags.
So on social media, on
highlights, back and forth,
they're gonna show, holy shit,
Angel City brought it all
the way down to San Diego.
Yay!
All: AC FC!
We are Angel City!
We are Angel City Football Club!
Hey!
So tonight it's fucking special.
This is a really special time
that we don't get back again,
so let's make sure that
we do everything we can.
Be dedicated and driven.
Let's fucking go.
Let's get out there.
- [rapid clapping]
- Let's fucking go.
Embrace it.
AC all: FC!
[vocalizing]
Good luck!
♪
all: Dale, oh! Dale, oh!
Dale, dale, dale, dale!
We are Angel City Football Club!
Here we go!
A sellout crowd of 32,000,
an NWSL single-game record.
Two expansion teams
who are absolutely
just rewriting the script
for how it is done.
[indistinct chanting]
Shaw will put it
back in the box.
Flipped toward the goal
but saved by DiDi Haracic.
♪
Open up! She's there!
Gyau cuts in! A header!
San Diego gets a
goal! It's Shaw!
[cheers and applause]
[suspenseful music]
♪
We have to tie it up.
We have to tie it up.
♪
This Angel City
team did not fade
come 60-minute mark.
Come on. We can go.
We can press it.
♪
[whistle blows]
Emslie was fouled!
It's a penalty.
Right at the edge of the area,
a little bump,
and that sets up a
chance for LA to tie it.
McCaskill, the leading
scorer for Angel City,
and one of the best ever
at facing penalty kicks in
the history of this league,
Kailen Sheridan.
McCaskill oh,
it's saved! Sheridan!
Are you kidding me?
[vocalizing]
Tonight tonight
belongs to San Diego.
[dramatic music]
♪
San Diego Wave FC, 1!
[cheers and applause]
That was the best that
we played all season
by a country mile.
We've had our chance again
to create more chances than
we have in other games.
It sucks. It really
fuckin' sucks.
But we have three games
now that we need to win.
They're three games that we
identify that we have to go.
We have to go and
win those games now.
But if we play like
that, we're gonna do it.
AC all: FC!
♪
It's been a battle of
expansion teams, Herc, so far.
Who do you think has
had a better first year?
On the field, it's
obviously San Diego.
- They're leading the league.
- Okay.
But Angel City is changing
the game right now.
Before they came into NWSL,
they were giving out franchises
for $2 million,
$3 million, okay?
They just did an
evaluation on Angel City FC
that's $100 million.
From a growth perspective,
the demand from
investors right now
is really unlike
anything I've ever seen
in my 20-plus-year career
in professional sports.
We have, literally,
dozens of investors
wanting to invest in the
next round of expansion.
Angel City, I think,
is at the heart of it
and this kind of energy of,
why aren't we being
ambitious right now?
Why aren't we pushing as
hard as we possibly can
to not just grow our
team but grow the league?
And that's something
that the NWSL has needed
for a very, very long time.
We've had a lot of changes
in our training facility,
from, you know, the start
of the season until now.
And I think what's been really
great is that we've improved,
you know, each
step along the way.
And then getting to a
point where we are now,
where we have a dedicated space
for our players that's
just for Angel City.
- Hey, Angela.
- [speaking indistinctly]
Not where we wanted to be
in terms of the timing,
but that's what this
is about right now.
It's finding a great foundation
and how we can continually
make improvements
to elevate our club, to
elevate these players,
and to ultimately
elevate the entire sport.
Ice tubs, little
rehab, rejuvenation, recovery.
I'm just taking a look at this
line is way too small, though.
You get water flow out
a lot faster, so
just fixed.
All else looks good here.
It's not easy
trying to evaluate,
you know, what's in the
best interest of the club,
what's in the best
interest of the player.
Lyon contacted us about
loaning Vanessa to their club.
- Lyon!
- Lyon!
Lyon is a world-class club
in the Champions League.
Vanessa scored our first
goal in Angel City history.
Move to get free,
left foot and
[shouting indistinctly]
But when you look
at the opportunities
for her career growth
and her advancement,
to experience playing
in a different league,
a different culture,
and then, you know, come
back and bring that value
I think is gonna be really
huge when she does return.
[soft music]
♪
The decision was
pretty easy for me
in that I had a
World Cup to prepare,
and obviously Lyon has won
eight Champions Leagues
in the past ten years,
so they know what it
takes to win, and
I wanna win.
♪
I had always stated very clearly
that Angel City
would probably be
the only club that I would
wanna play for in the States,
not, like, from a
sports standpoint
but from the values that
they are portraying.
[speaking French]
Women's rights, fighting
for women's soccer,
wanting to elevate the sport.
The standards that
we have right now
are much better than
they were ten years ago,
but I hope that they're
nowhere close to
as good as they will
be ten years from now.
♪
Ah.
♪
Oh, no!
I think it's cold enough.
I'll sprinkle some
around Simone.
[laughs] Thanks.
[laughter]
Don't bring that
energy over here.
Don't bring that
energy [laughs]
- See? It's not overflowing.
- More?
- Yeah, a little more.
- Okay.
It's do or die, you know?
Like, we have to
win for playoffs.
Yeah, like, back
against the wall.
It's the best, though, you know?
'Cause then it's like,
to make playoffs, like
- that would be freaking epic!
- It would be fun.
- And at home?
- I know.
Under the lights at
the Banc? [alarm rings]
- Bro.
- We done.
Wait. You wanna see
something crazy?
There are three games
happening in LA right now:
the Chargers, Dodgers,
and Angel City.
So the cheapest ticket for
the Chargers is 19 bucks.
Dodgers is 26.
Angel City is 33.
And we're the hardest
ticket to get today.
♪
Tonight we're
playing Louisville.
Our playoff run is
hanging in the balance.
Last game of the
inaugural season.
- How are you feeling?
- I know.
I feel good. Look,
cautiously optimistic.
We're gonna go to the
playoffs, aren't we, Mariel?
- Yes. Yes.
- We're going to the playoffs.
Can you hear me?
[cheers and applause]
One, two,
three!
[all clap three times]
all: Unh!
[cheers and applause]
♪
[whistle blows]
[cheers and applause]
♪
Claire Emslie
Haven't called her name
too much here in this
opening half so far.
She can be dangerous
on the ball.
Cutting inside big
long pass across for Endo,
who gets matched up one-v-one.
Onto her right foot,
looking for the corner.
Deflected on the way in!
And it [indistinct]
for Angel City!
Off McCaskill into the goal.
Total team goal right there.
♪
[vocalizing]
♪
Hey! We have to take
care of the ball!
Come on! We got to be better!
♪
Oh, can you believe this?
Louisville's come
back to level it.
♪
Oh, and a point to the spot.
♪
This is tough for Haracic.
- Yeah, you can see
that DiDi's upset.
Not over.
Still possible.
I'm like, we're
gonna win this game.
If we're losing, I don't care.
We can still win.
There's time on this
clock, then, like,
we're gonna go until
there's no time left.
Angel City FC still pushing.
♪
[crowd exclaims]
♪
[whistle blowing]
♪
[cheers and applause]
Let's hear it for Angel
City Football Club!
[cheers and applause]
And at this time, yes,
we have sold out
another home match.
[continues indistinctly]
♪
But what an amazing start
to professional soccer in LA
that we have created.
And no one can ever take
that away in this moment.
'Cause I believe that we have
got so much as a group
Passion, the personality,
the willingness, the talent.
Be pissed off, 'cause
that's who we are,
but don't be pissed
off for too long,
because we have got a lot to
be proud of and look back on.
Come on.
AC all: FC!
♪
At the end of the season,
it's always bittersweet.
Of course we cared about
the outcome, but
in that stadium,
every single game day
felt like we made it as
strong female athletes,
and we're giving young
girls the opportunity
to dream to be a
professional athlete too.
[vocalizing]
I was really upset we
still lost, though.
[laughs]
♪
For a group of girls that met
at the very beginning
of the season
and for us to,
like, come together
and navigate the storms
of not just a season
but being on a start-up,
I'm just really proud to
be a part of that group.
♪
Failing at the last
minute to make playoffs,
that really hurt.
I think that's something
that the players
are gonna take with
us into next season
so that we don't feel that
pain and disappointment
again next year.
[cheers and applause]
- Sorry.
- Don't be sorry.
We still got this.
I'm so proud of how
our team came together and
the culture that they built
and the chemistry
that they built.
♪
I prefer that than
making the playoffs.
♪
"Heartbreaking and
deeply troubling,"
that is what the
U.S. soccer president
is calling the findings of
an independent investigation
that reveals systemic abuse
and misconduct by coaches
in the top tier of women's
professional soccer.
The investigation was led
by former deputy attorney
general Sally Yates.
- The report finding
rampant verbal, emotional,
and sexual misconduct
in the National
Women's Soccer League.
- And lays out in
disturbing detail
the misconduct of
three past coaches.
- You're reading over
and over the failure.
I mean, every layer that
could have stopped it
never did.
I think I felt it
along with them,
because I've experienced
similar things,
but then saddened to know
that it's still happening.
But then empowered to know
that I could affect the future,
and it starts with my team
and then to have a voice
within the National
Women's Soccer League
so it doesn't happen
to anyone else.
We are being birthed
out of "time's up."
No other club has had that
as their origin story.
It was one of the eye-opening
things in this report
is, if you don't have the
resources to make this better,
then get the hell out.
Following the Yates
report, there are two teams
selling their
majority ownership.
Building a new kind of culture
and a new kind of
way of doing things
around women's sports,
that's really what
brought us all here.
Like, it sounds corny,
but it's, like, genuinely
where we are and why we're here.
One of the things that
I believe deeply is,
when you find something
that breaks your heart,
turn towards it.
That, to me, is what Julie
and Kara and Natalie did.
They're like, I'm not gonna
just hear the sad story.
I'm gonna actually
try to figure out
what I can do,
what I can create,
what I can reimagine
to solve for this
heartbreak and to fix it.
[indistinct chatter]
[rain pattering]
So good. How are you? Oh,
I'm so glad you're here.
The last time I was at a
Women's National Team game
was when I first
started thinking
about having our own team.
I got my shirt too, so
I will put this on over.
And now we're here, and
things are changing.
- Oh, hi!
- Welcome.
I think this is a
hundred-year journey.
And we really do
see this as a brand
that we believe will be
worth as much as, you know,
a Manchester United someday.
Oh, Trinity. Oh, come on!
This is Michele Kang
from Washington Spirit.
- So nice to see you.
- Natalie Portman.
So she's the unbelievable woman
that came in and
took over Washington.
I know. We're so excited.
Pulled off an incredible coup.
We're so excited
to be colleagues.
Oh, my gosh.
You too, you too.
I mean, we're all
We're all, like, rising
together, I feel like,
and we've gotta
We're a group of female owners
trying to make the
best conditions
for our players,
and there's no playbook.
We have to write our own.
How big is Wembley, you guys?
Michael, how big's Wembley?
- It's 80,000 or 90,000.
- 80,000 or 90,000, right?
I mean, we can pack this.
I told Freya, after we
win the championship,
we'll come here and play
a match and sell it out.
So soon as we win
a championship,
we're coming to Wembley.
[upbeat music]
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
'Cause it crossed my
mind, it crossed my mind ♪
Made my blood thump
seven, eight, nine ♪
Made my heart
beat double time ♪
Now I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
And the first pick
in the first round of
the 2023 NWSL Draft,
Angel City FC select
Alyssa Thompson.
[cheers and applause]
♪
- There is Thompson,
so, so positive.
So positive, and she scored!
What a talent!
Shout when you wanna
get off the ride ♪
'Cause it crossed my
mind, it crossed my mind ♪
I'm a penny in
a diamond mine ♪
Oh, we could be movers ♪
Oh, oh, we
could be shakers ♪
Oh, oh, if we could
just shake something ♪
Out of the blue ♪
And get off the ride ♪
Now I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
Am I the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand ♪
If I'm the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand, right ♪
Am I the only sour cherry
on your fruit stand ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, it's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
Go, go home, it's over ♪
G-g-g-go home, go home ♪
It's over ♪
Go, go home, it's over ♪
[bright tone]