Angel City FC took home a gritty 1-0 victory late in their game Saturday, securing a momentum-building away game win versus the Washington Spirit.
Both teams came to play, each coming into the match with a recent win on their backs. The possession was split pretty evenly, with the Spirit holding 53% and ACFC with 47%.
And the continuity didn’t end there. The entire game had back and forth play, each team offering up solid opportunities to score but lacked an equivalent finish.
Washington’s forward Trinity Rodman had a solid chance early on to take the lead for the Spirit in the 8th minute. Rodman snuck past an oblivious ACFC defensemen Savy King to get a head on an incoming cross into the box from Andi Sullivan. However, the ball missed to the left.
Angel City clapped back in the 28th minute when midfielder Ary Borges rocketed a right footed shot from way outside the eighteen, but went over the bar.
The tension continued to build up as the game progressed. ACFC won 37 duels total, while Washington fell two behind with 35. Each team kept the precision up, and continued to create close chances into the second half.
Angel City started the second strong. In the 57th minute, Angel City forward Prisca Chilufya beat past two Spirit defenders within the six but Spirit goalkeeper Sandy Maclver made a diving save to prevent ACFC from taking an earlier lead within the second half.
Washington’s Rodman was hungry for a goal the entire game, looking for her second straight after scoring one in the Spirit’s last game versus’ Chicago. In the 71st, Rodman broke away from ACFC midfield and bolted towards the net, firing a rocket from outside the box that soared just over the crossbar.
But it was Angel City who finally broke the scoreless game, going up 1-0 in the 88th minute when midfielder Maiara Niehues pulled up from just outside the box to strike a powerful blast to the top corner of Spirit’s net.
The Spirit couldn’t seem to squeeze a late goal past ACFC keeper Angelina Anderson, allowing ACFC to take all three points from the matchup and grab another clean sheet.
The LA-based team now sit in sixth place in the NWSL tournament standings, sending them into a solid spot for playoff contention.
ACFC will look to continue their win streak further, as well as move higher up in the standings as they take on Gotham FC on Sunday, October 4.