Angel City FC tied San Diego Wave FC, 1-1, Saturday evening in a group play game of the NWSL Challenge Cup at Titan Stadium at Cal State Fullerton in the first game for both teams.
ACFC midfielder Savannah McCaskill headed a cross from Ali Riley from about seven yards in front of the goal past San Diego Wave FC goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan in the 49th minute.
“I saw Tyler make the run to the near post, and as soon as I saw the ball coming overhead, I knew that was going to be my moment,” McCaskill said, referring to ACFC forward Tyler Lussi. “I wasn’t tracked going into the box as well, so I knew if I just put it to either side of Kailyn, she probably wouldn’t be able to get there. It all came together pretty nicely.”
San Diego Wave FC tied the score in the 81st minute of the 90-minute game when Kaleigh Ann Riehl scored off cross by Marleen Schimmer following a corner kick.
Riehl entered the game at the start of the second half.
ACFC led in shots, 17-15, and 6-5 in shots on goal. ACFC goalkeeper Didi Haracic made three saves, Sheridan made five in front of a crowd announced at 6,307.
“We are nowhere near where we need to be,” San Diego Wave FC coach Casey Stoney said. “We need to be a lot better. They created a lot of chances and good openings. Kaylen Sheridan was outstanding tonight, so it tells you the balance of the game. We had a few chances, especially from set pieces, that we could have done better with.”
McCaskill called the crowd and atmosphere amazing.
“We talked about it during warm-ups,” McCaskill said. “We couldn’t hear each other speak, which is amazing for a Challenge Cup preseason game that isn’t even in our home stadium yet.”
ACFC will play its second of six group play games next Saturday against OL Reign at Titan Stadium. The top team from each of the three four-team groups will advance to the semifinals, along with the highest placing second-place finisher. The semifinals will be played May 4 and championship May 7.
The tournament was initially played in 2020 as the league’s return to action following the cancellation of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic and was the first professional team sports event to return to play in the United States.
It was intended to be a one-time only event, but has since become an annual event. It is similar to the cup competitions held throughout the world concurrent with the league season.
ACFC is scheduled to open the regular season April 29 at its usual home, Banc of California Stadium, against the North Carolina Courage. It has sold nearly 15,000 season tickets, a team official said.
A group led by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, and tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian was awarded the franchise in 2020 by the National Women’s Soccer League.
Tennis greats Serena Williams, who is married to Ohanian, and Billie Jean King, actresses Sophia Bush, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria and Gabrielle Union, singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera and talk show host James Corden would later be among the additions to ACFC’s ownership group.
“I’ve been waiting for my entire professional career to be able to come back and play at home and I think for the majority of my career, I didn’t think that was going to be a reality,” ACFC forward Christen Press, who was raised in Palos Verdes Estates and played on the U.S. teams that won the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, said before the game.
“I was lucky growing up in Southern California to watch the 99ers win the World Cup in person. I was lucky to go out to the games and watch professional soccer here and in San Diego previously.
“It kind of felt like a long way away before we would ever have an L.A. team. I think the whole universe knew I wanted to come back, play, and be at home and represent this amazing city that’s given me so much.”
The alumnus of Chadwick School on the Palos Verdes Peninsula was the first player acquired by ACFC, obtained Aug. 23, 2021, in a trade with Racing Louisville. Press is among four ACFC players to have played for high schools in Los Angeles or Orange counties, along with Riley (Harvard-Westlake) and midfielders Lily Nabet (Chaminade) and Dani Weatherholt (San Clemente).