Defend first.
It’s a mantra soccer coaches maintain when things aren’t going as smooth as could be. The longer you can keep the opponent at zero, the better the chance of a positive result.
After four consecutive losses, Angel City turned defensive Sunday, playing to a scoreless draw against the Portland Thorns.
“I’m very proud of the players and the way they’ve worked and what they’ve done over the last weeks, even though we haven’t had the luck on our side,” ACFC coach Alex Straus said Sunday.
The four-game losing streak was snapped, but the attention turns Wednesday to getting back in the win column. Since opening the season with three consecutive victories, Sunday’s draw was the first point Angel City earned since March 27.
The shutout was just the second this season for Angel City (3-4-1, 10 points) and goalkeeper Angelina Anderson.
“I think there are moments in the game where we are dominating and there are also moments where we have to defend,” Straus said. “There are moments in the game where we are unfortunate that we don’t score or create a big chance and there are moments in the game toward the end that we are a little bit fortunate that we don’t let in a goal.”
“We create enough to score a goal in a very difficult environment, difficult away game against a team that in the last couple of weeks maybe has had a little bit more wind in their sails than we have had maybe in the last couple of weeks. I’m proud we got a point in a difficult away game, but the same time we can be better.”
The next challenge comes Wednesday against the Kansas City Current and Temwa Chawinga. After sitting out due to injury, Chawinga has scored five goals in the last two games.
The Current (5-4-0, 15 points) have won the last four meetings against Angel City by a combined score of 9-3.
Angel City’s busy month of May continues after Wednesday with a trip to Houston on Saturday and then back home May 31 against North Carolina. Busy days calls for an all-hands-on deck attitude, according to Straus.
“We don’t have the biggest roster available, so a lot of players have to play three games (this week),” Straus said. “We need to be able to recover in between the games, use the rotations that we can use, with the numbers that we have, who is fit and ready to go.
“When this week is over, I think we still have two-thirds left of the season, but we need to prepare for that part as well. There will be players that will get minutes, major minutes and then they have a chance to shine and maybe had a chance to tell the coach that they should have got more minutes earlier this season. I hope players will grab this chance with both hands and show me that they want to be part of this going forward.”
NOTE
Midfielder Maiara Niehues returns from her two-game suspension. Niehues received a red card against the Utah Royals and the NWSL disciplinary committee added another game.
KANSAS CITY CURRENT at ANGEL CITY FC
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: BMO Stadium
How to watch: Victory+