A major six-pointer on tap in playoff race.
Angel City FC are well in the NWSL playoff race, and they can move above the playoff line on Wednesday when they face the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Angel City most recently played the Houston Dash to a 1-1 draw on Sunday. After conceding a Maria Sanchez golazo, ACFC tied up the game with Simone Charley getting a long-awaited breakthrough, and both teams had chances to win the game but they settled for a point apiece. They’re just a point behind the Chicago Red Stars, who sit in the final playoff spot right now, so this game is vital if they want to vault the midwesterners and get into the playoffs themselves.
The North Carolina team Angel City is facing is very different than the one they faced to open up the regular season at The Banc. There’s been considerable roster movement during the season, in and out, but the biggest change is the emergence of rookie Diana Ordoñez, who has become a regular scorer in recent weeks. The Courage were rooted to the foot of the table not that long ago, but with games in hand and a run of form in which they have lost just once in their last five games, they are only four points behind Angel City and a win here for them would put them right down Angel City’s necks with just three games left to play.
So if Angel City can win, they’ll push North Carolina off the pace and move above the playoff line. A draw would put them level with Chicago on points but they would remain under the playoff line, while a loss would let the Courage all the way into the playoff race, with both teams needing to bump two teams above them down the table. This is a huge game for both teams, and we’re in “really, really need to win time” territory here. Let’s go Angels!
Injuries/absences:
Angel City:
- Sarah Gorden (knee) — OUT
- Christen Press (ACL – SEI) — OUT
- Vanessa Gilles (hip) — OUT
- Sydney Leroux (ankle) — OUT
- Almuth Schult (illness) — OUT
- M.A. Vignola (illness) — OUT
Courage:
- None
How to Watch:
Wednesday’s match between Angel City FC and the North Carolina Courage will be streamed on Paramount+ in the United States and streamed on Twitch in the rest of the world. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 4 pm PT with kickoff to come minutes later.