Angel City Ties San Diego Wave in Season Opener

Angel City FC forward Alyssa Thompson skillfully maneuvers a goal past San Diego Wave FC's goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and defender Kristen McNabb. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

As expected, 19,728 supporters packed BMO Stadium to support Angel City FC in their game against SoCal rivals San Diego Wave, marking the start of their 2025 NWSL season. The match concluded with a 1-1 draw.

Match Highlights from Angel City FC's YT channel

San Diego started the scoring quickly on the fifth minute when forward Delphine Cascarino dashed up the right wing, outpacing the Angel City defense, and delivered a cross into the middle of the 18-yard box, where forward Gia Corley was advancing. Corley executed a sliding one-touch shot to score.

San Diego Wave FC's goalkeeper blocks a shot from Angel City FC defender Gisele Thompson. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Alyssa Thompson equalized the score at 1-1 with a goal in the 54th minute, early in the second half. The 20-year-old phenom scored from the corner of the box, prompting cheers from Disney CEO Bob Iger, the new owner, who was sitting beside NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman.

Angel City FC forward Alyssa Thompson skillfully maneuvers a goal past San Diego Wave FC's goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and defender Kristen McNabb. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Addressing the press post-game, Sam Laity expressed: “What we got from the players is what we saw throughout the course of preseason, which is a very resilient team. There were times today where we were under pressure, and we held strong. The resilience will keep us in good status as we move forward throughout the season. This league is absolutely brutal so for us to show the determination in coming back from an early goal was very good.”

Angel City FC's goalkeeper, Angelina Anderson, deflects the ball away from Savannah McCaskill of San Diego Wave, with M.A. Vignola and Moriya Miyabi providing defense. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

San Diego failed to convert their opportunities, even though they controlled possession for 63% of the match and had a 16-10 lead in shots. Angel City will play their next game this Friday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time, away against Portland Thorns FC. The match will be streamed live on Prime, and there will be a radio broadcast on iHeart. The official ACFC Los Angeles watch party will take place at Grand Central Market.