Players to watch:
Angel City midfielder Savannah McCaskill notched a goal and an assist in Angel City’s draw with Louisville on Saturday, her second career game for Angel City with both a goal and assist (also last August vs. Gotham). She is the only player with multiple such games for Angel City in NWSL play. McCaskill is one of four goalscorers for Angel City on the year thus far alongside Alyssa Thompson, Claire Emslie, and Katie Johnson, though only Johnson has scored multiple goals so far.
Following the loss to the Reign, San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan has now played in 101 regular season matches in NWSL, one of seven goalkeepers to have hit the century mark in the league. Sheridan is the only one of those seen who was not born in the United States. On the attacking front, forwards Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw, and Amirah Ali have all hit the scoresheet, with Morgan’s three goals (two penalties) ahead of Shaw’s two and Ali’s one.
Match facts: Angel City FC hosts San Diego Wave FC in a first meeting in 2023 between last year’s two expansion sides. The hosts Angel City now look to add to a win against Orlando and a draw with Louisville in terms of positive results, meanwhile San Diego is looking to bounce back from its lone loss of the year against OL Reign and get back in the win column.
Against Racing Louisville on Saturday, Angel City overcame a two-goal deficit at halftime to earn a 2-2 home draw. It was just the second time Angel City has ever trailed by multiple goals at the half of a regular season match, also doing so in a 3-0 loss to Portland last season. In addition, Savannah McCaskill’s 87th minute equalizer is the second straight game in which a goal has been scored after 87 minutes or later following forward Katie Johnson’s winner in the 10th minute of added time against Orlando the first week of April.
Meanwhile, the Wave conceded a goal in the 95th minute in their 1-0 loss to the OL Reign on Saturday. Since the beginning of last season, San Diego has conceded four times in second-half stoppage time in NWSL play (regular season and playoffs), with only Orlando (6) and Washington (5) doing so more in that span. However, two wins in the club’s opening two games still have it in a good position heading into the weekend.
The Wave won two of the four meetings between the two California sides last season in all competitions (D1 L1) but both those wins came in San Diego. Of the 12 goals scored in the fixture last season, Alex Morgan was the only player to score more than once (two goals, both in Challenge Cup).
