ACFC 3-2 Racing Louisville
Wow. I think that everybody associated with Angel City needed this win, from the players to the coaches to the fans. You could see how much it meant to us all. This was a big win, and I’m glad that we’re going again right away. Let’s use this momentum. I also thought that the first 45’ might have been the best we played all season. This was Angel City’s first win since May 5th, and the first win at home since April 21st. I think that it was clear how much of a relief this was.
There was a lot that I was encouraged by, but there was also a bit that was concerning. Namely, how we let Louisville back into the game. All’s well that ends well, but I think that a better team could have punished us. Still, every team needs some breaks at some point, and especially when things aren’t going well. We’ll take them.
First Half versus Second Half
I don’t personally have data that can be broken down into separate halves, but there are some indicators. The best one is comparing Curry with Spencer, as they each played 45’. Obviously different players, but it’s pretty striking how much of a contrast there was. Curry in the first half had 35 Touches and went 25 of 30 on her passing. Spencer in the second half had 22 Touches and was 11 of 13 passing. They weren’t playing in exactly the same spot, but I think this is indicative, and only 63% as many touches is pretty dramatic decline. Shots also tell us something. In the first half, Louisville had only 3 Shots (including the penalty), but then followed that with 12 Shots in the second half. In particular, during the stretch from halftime until Pickett’s goal in the 64’, Louisville had 8 Shots worth .74 xG, while Angel City had 0 Shots during that same span. It was pure Racing dominance for a while.
While I thought it was a bad sign that we let Louisville back into the game, I wasn’t actually upset by the penalty. It looked accidental, and was unfortunate, but I would agree that it’s a penalty. Having the break at halftime should have given the Angel City players the chance to put that event behind them and rally for the second half. Instead Louisville had all the momentum to start the half, and they did eventually equalize. When a team starts to dominate, we need to find some ways to break that up and regain control. Sears coming on at halftime was another major change, and I don’t think that our defense ever found an answer for her. Sears’ 6 Shot Creating Actions were more than any player on the pitch except DeMelo and Alyssa Thompson (7 and 6 SCAs respectively), but of course, Sears only played half as many minutes as they did.
All of that being said, this win wasn’t totally a fluke. There was a lot of good work done. As I mentioned in my last analysis, in the Houston game there was only shot worth at least .1 xG aside from the Emslie’s penalty and Bright’s last minute chance. In this match there were 5 chances that met that threshold and another at .09 xG. The quality of chances were much higher in this game, and I think higher than any other match we’ve had. There was also a variety in the types of goal scored, as well as goalscorers, with Rodríguez and Fuller getting their first goals of the season (and first of her career for Fuller). The other encouraging factor was that a lot of this was accomplished without some the usual starters. Emslie and Le Bihan, in particular, have been driving a lot of the offensive stats for Angel City. I’m not saying that we are a better team with them on the bench, but it was gratifying to see other players shine when given the opportunity.
One area of real concern, though is at centerback. We opened the game in a 5-3-2 formation, though maybe there’s some debate about that, as Gisele looked to be playing more of a Right Wing. But regardless, Curry, Reid, and Gorden all started the match together. Curry was taken off at halftime. I don’t know why, but can only speculate it was an injury concern because she was playing well, and the team was playing well. Gorden, on the other hand, did not have a good game, I thought. She had a several bad giveaways in dangerous spots, she was the only Angel City player charged with a mistake that leads directly to an opponents shot, and Pickett’s goal went in on a deflection off of her. She is also just coming back from injury, and we have another game in just a few days. Sarah Gorden is a great player, but everybody has off days. And with the other reasons that I mentioned, it could have made sense to substitute her and make sure she’s ready for the Bay FC game. Except there is no other centerback to bring on. When Nielsen was traded, it wasn’t just about losing a great player and fan favorite, it was about depth. I’ve liked it when Tweed has tried new formations, but not having an additional centerback is definitely something that limits her options, both in terms of a starting formation, and what changes are available. Yes, we won this game, but I think it could have been a lot more stable if Nielsen was still part of the team.
Passing Statistics
There are a few passing stats that I think can work as something of a barometer. First, is looking at who on Angel City has the most passing attempts. In general, I think that when we play well, we see more midfielders and fullbacks higher up this list. When we don’t play well, it’s the centerbacks, and in the worst scenario, the goalkeeper. I think that this provides a good snapshot, because when we can’t break the first line, or when we’re not hanging onto the ball, it’s going to skew in favor of the centerbacks. As an example, in the last game against Houston, in which we had one of our best possession shares, the most pass attempts came from Curry, Spencer, Gisele Thompson, Hammond and Le Bihan. Haračić was 7th on the list. In this game, our Top 5 Pass Attempts came from Gorden, Haračić, Reid, Hammond, and Rodríguez. Alyssa Thompson is the first attacker to show up in 8th place, and she actually had fewer Pass Attempts than Curry, despite playing 45 minutes more. I think this is largely due to that stretch in the second half when we were stuck in our own defensive third, but I think that it’s actually a good sign that we could get the win despite this usual red flag.
The other statistic I always like to look at is Passes Into the Attacking Penalty Area (PPA). Again, for comparison, in the Houston game, we had only 4 PPA, reflecting that while we had possession, we often weren’t getting the ball close to goal, i.e. into good scoring positions. In this match, we had 9 PPA, which is tied for our second highest mark this year, and I think that the 3 Goals and 5 Shots worth at least .1 xG are reflective of that. Interestingly, Curry led the way with 4 PPA. We really can’t overstate how important of a player she is to the team, both in terms of defending and buildup. I was really happy to see her get her first assist, and I’m sure it’s the first of many.
Goals
17’ Angel City - This goal starts with a throw-in in the attacking third on Angel City’s right. Mathias takes it, and does a great job to get it all the way Hammond. It’s not exactly a throw to Hammond, but rather a throw into the space where Hammond can get it, in the middle of the pitch. At this point, Fuller is all the way over to the right, trying to present a target for the throw. Hammond does a great job letting the ball roll past her, rather than trapping it, which then allows her to just push it on to Curry, who has stepped up from the defense. Curry carries the ball forward, and crucially, Alyssa Thompson drifts wide left. Taylor Flint comes all the way across to cover Alyssa, and the entire Louisville backline also stretches wider to cover. Meanwhile, Fuller makes a diagonal run into the box. Curry passes it to her, kind of against the grain, if you will. As Louisville’s defense shifts to their right, the pass is back to the left. It finds Fuller right in a seam between the centerbacks, and Fuller does the right thing to just pass it into the bottom corner first time. It’s a .19 xG shot; you don’t need heroics. Excellent job by everyone involved. This took Mathias’s vision, Hammond’s quick progression, Curry’s willingness to join the attack, Alyssa’s ability to stretch wide, and Fuller’s off-the-ball movement and finishing. Best team goal of the season for me.
32’ Angel City - This comes from a free kick, after a foul on Curry, that was frankly unnecessary and should have been a yellow. It’s from Angel City’s left, almost at the sideline. Mathias takes it, and delivers a good ball into the box. It’s worth noting that her set piece delivery has been good, when she’s been called upon, which isn’t often. But that ability is part of what allowed Tweed to rest Emslie and Le Bihan at the start of this match. But despite the good delivery, this is some pretty terrible set piece defending from Racing. On a delivery like this, the ball shouldn’t ever make it to the ground, but not only does it make it to Rocky’s feet, she also has enough time to control it, and then shoot. It’s a fantastic finish, buried with authority by Rocky, but I think that this goal is due mostly to the truly shambolic defending by Louisville. Still, it’s good to see us punishing teams when they do make mistakes.
41’ Racing Louisville - I touched on the penalty before. It’s an accident; I think that Reid is just trying to change direction. The yellow card is harsh. But the timing is unfortunate, so soon after our second goal, and in a situation in which there is absolutely no danger. But these things happen. Flint’s penalty was fantastic. Hard, into the side netting. I’ve stated before that I really thought that Angel City should have gone after Flint in the offseason. She would fill so many needs on our squad, and when she put in a transfer request, I don’t know why we weren’t first in line. But add consistent penalty taking to the list of skills that she has, and that Angel City needs.
64’ Racing Louisville - This was Angel City’s turn for some pretty awful defending. Racing wins the ball right back after an Angel City goalkick, and has the ball on their right side of the field. After the Thompson sisters run into each other, they double team Demelo, which leaves Sears wide open on the right. Demelo lays the ball off, and Sears crosses it all the way across the box to Pickett. There are eight ACFC defenders, plus Haračić, in the box, yet there are two Racing players open on the far side, and Pickett has the time to control it, and then bury it. It’s unlucky that it deflects in off of Gorden, and there’s nothing that Haračić can do about it. It’s also a beautiful first touch by Pickett to control the pass. But what really bothers me about this goal is that Sears isn’t challenged at all on the cross, and Pickett is so open on the far side. The usual thing I hear is that to stop the goal, you stop the cross, and that’s where I think this really breaks down. It’s also part of a trend that just baffles me, which is leaving star players unmarked. Everyone knows that Pickett is a huge part of the racing attack, and the defense should be aware of her at all times. And yet, she’s left unmarked, just like Marta vs. Orlando, or Lavelle vs. Gotham, to name two.
85’ Angel City - This starts with a free kick, deep in Angel City’s end. Haračić hits it up to the half line, into a congested group of players from both teams. It goes forward, and Emslie keeps it alive with another header, which goes up to Leroux. She heads it back, but immediately starts to run in behind the Louisville defense, before the ball comes down. Alyssa Thompson gets the ball first, and executes as perfect of an assist as you could ever hope to see. First time, on the ground, perfect weight. Leroux takes a touch and finishes with aplomb. I would love to know if this is something that they worked on in training, because from the moment Leroux heads it back, she seems to be expecting this pass. It’s felt like for most of this year, Leroux has been wanting the ball played to her feet, but I love a good through ball, and I think that this kind of a run suits Leroux’s skill set much better. I’d love to see this more often, but great work by Alyssa and Leroux.
Conclusions
There was some luck in this win, but there was also a lot that was really encouraging. There’s been some talk about whether Becki Tweed should be replaced, but I don’t think so, and not even because of the win here. Watching the players, it’s clear that they’re still fighting for her, and for each other, which was not the case, I thought, at the end of Freya Coombe’s time in charge. When a team is still fighting, I think that it can actually hurt morale to replace the manager. I also think that Tweed has been dealt a difficult hand. She was given the directive not to play in the fashion that worked so well last year, but she’s also given a squad that was not really built for the type of football that the club said that they wanted. So it’s all been in a bit of limbo. I think this match showed that things are moving in the right direction, and again, not because of the win. It still wasn’t a 90 minute performance, but there was good football, and good character, and good resilience. Let’s hope that carries into the next match versus Bay.