Current rally past Angel City to keep undefeated start

Things started out well for Angel City on Friday night.

Welcoming the first-place and undefeated Kansas City Current to BMO Stadium for a Friday night matinee, Angel City displayed the same resolve that enabled them to almost come back from multiple two-goal deficits in the previous meeting in Kansas City last month, only this time, they displayed that resolve from the start of the match.

Claire Emslie got Angel City going with a first half goal, but in the end, Kansas City showed why they are indeed the league’s top team. Kansas City leveled on a Golazo by Vanessa DiBernardo, then Claire Lavogez won the match with two stoppage time goals, and Kansas City escaped with the 3-1 result.

“You have to be on your game for the entire 90 minutes,” Angel City defender Ali Riley said. “I don’t think you can fault the effort that was put in against a really top team. It’s just a shame that we couldn’t keep that going through the end and come out with three or at least one point.”

Angel City seized the advantage in the 34th minute. Emslie played Alyssa Thompson forward, Thompson them played a ball back to Emslie inside the penalty area and Emslie did the rest, first by dekeing Stine Ballisager, then firring a left-footed shot that got past two Current defenders and keeper AD Franch far post to stake Angel City to the lead.

“We had a lot of possession at the time and we were winning the ball back after we lost it too,” Thompson said of the sequence. “Our shape behind the ball was really good, and we were able to get in positions that we practiced. There’s just a lot of interchange and I went wide and I saw Claire and she’s always in good positions. I passed her the ball and she scored.”

Angel City took the lead into halftime, but one moment of brilliance got Kansas City back into the game. It occurred in the 54th minute, as Bia Zaneratto left a ball for DiBenardo, who then fired a right-footed volley from about 27 yards out, and the shot sailed past keeper Didi Haracic far post for a spectacular equalizer.

Lavogez then won it for Kansas City late in the match. Lavogez gave the Current the lead in the 90th minute, as Debinha played Isabel Rodriguez into the penalty area, Rodriguez then sent a ball into the six-yard box and Lavogez touched a ball past Haracic and Madison Curry into the back net to put Kansas City in front. Lavogez then sealed the three points for the Current in the 93rd minute, as they won back possession deep inside Angel City’s side of the field, Temwa Chawinga dribbled all the way in the six-yard box, Chawinga then switched a ball that deflected off Haracic, but continued towards goal and Lavogez swooped in and touched a ball into the back net.