Angel City's self-proclaimed 2.0 era begins with Sydney Leroux out indefinitely
There is widespread agreement in Angel City’s front office that this year, the club’s fourth in the NWSL, is going to be a significant upgrade from its first three. The difference comes over how to describe that.
President Julie Uhrman prefers “a new chapter” while sporting director Mark Parsons likes “Angel City 2.0.”
“My words are 2.0,” Parsons said. “I’m just telling you. It’s version two.”
They were both right. Because while the operating system still needs a few updates, this chapter had a better ending than the two that preceded it with Angel City rallying for a 1-1 tie Sunday with the San Diego Wave at BMO Stadium.
It wasn’t a win but it was still a step forward; Angel City lost it last two season openers.
Gia Corley opened the scoring for the Wave in the fifth minute; Alyssa Thompson matched that for Angel City nine minutes into the second half.
Read more:Angel City believes it finally has right chemistry to be competitive amid rebuild
The crowd was announced at 19,728 for the sun-splashed matinee, making it the first Angel City home opener that didn’t sell out.
And that wasn’t the only bad development for Angel City. Less than 24 hours before kickoff the team learned it would be without veteran forward Sydney Leroux indefinitely. Leroux, who shared the club scoring lead with seven goals last season, announced on social media that she was taking a mental-health break.
“After a lot of reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from soccer for my mental health,” she wrote on Instagram. “Anyone who knows me knows I’m a fighter — I always have been. I take pride in pushing through, in showing up, in giving everything I have. But right now, I owe it to myself and my children to take a step back and take care of me."
“This isn’t goodbye,” she added. “I will be back.”
The post appeared to catch Angel City by surprise. The club, which signed Leroux, 34, to a three-year contract extension in October, didn’t issue a statement until late Sunday morning, and only then after being contacted by The Times.
“Angel City FC fully supports Sydney Leroux in her decision to prioritize her mental health and family,” a spokesperson wrote in a text message. “As an organization we deeply value the importance of our players’ mental health and well being and we are with her every step of the way.”
Leroux was one of three World Cup veterans who didn’t suit up for Angel City’s season opener, but the team knew the other two would be unavailable. Defender Ali Riley, who made just three starts last season, and forward Jun Endo, who missed last season entirely after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during the preseason, are both on the season-ending injury list.
Despite the name, the list is intended primarily to give teams salary-cap relief because the injured players can be returned to the active roster at any point. For the time being, however, Angel City is without three players who combined for 26 World Cup appearances, a valuable source of experience for a team with five players under the age of 21.
The season wasn’t even five minutes old before Angel City fell behind, with a wide-open Corley taking a pass from Delphine Cascarino in the center of the box, then sending a right-footed shot by keeper Angelina Anderson from about six yards out for her first NWSL goal.
If Angel City needed a wake-up call, that might have been it because it was the more dangerous team for long stretches of the game even though San Diego dominated in time of possession. Angel City had two chances at an equalizer in the 19th minute when first Claire Emslie, then Thompson, were stopped on outstanding saves from Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan. Fourteen minutes later a diving Sheridan denied Thompson again, reaching out to take the ball off Thompson’s right foot deep in the box on a one-on-one situation.
But Angel City kept up the pressure and was finally rewarded when the 20-year-old Thompson got loose on another breakaway in the 54th minute, this time getting the ball by Sheridan and into the side netting near the far post to tie the score. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller, 18, who played an outstanding game, got her first NWSL assist on the goal.
Anderson made that goal stand up with five saves.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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