LOS ANGELES — With opportunities dwindling to climb back into the playoff picture, Angel City FC failed to take advantage of a depleted Washington Spirit team, falling 2-1 on Friday night at BMO Stadium.
Despite missing NWSL assist leader Croix Bethune, who was lost for the season three weeks ago, and two of the league’s top five goal scorers (Trinity Rodman and Ouleymata Sarr), Washington still found the opening goal.
As Angel City operated in its half of the field, defender Megan Reid received a back pass and hesitated before pulling the ball back so she could reset and feed goalkeeper DiDi Haracic. However, Spirit forward Ashley Hatch anticipated Reid’s movement and pickpocketed the defender, leaving nothing between her and Haracic.
Three dribbles took Hatch to the box, where she calmly put away her fifth goal of the season.
In the opening 45 minutes, Washington outshot Angel City 5-1. After returning from the break, ACFC turned up the temperature and in a short span created several dangerous chances that tested Spirit goalkeeper and captain Aubrey Kingsbury.
Angel City star Alyssa Thompson’s sixth assist of the year set up defender Messiah Bright’s first NWSL goal of 2024. She didn’t know much about Thompson’s pass as it made its way through traffic and clanged off her shin pads and past Kingsbury in the 50th minute.
The two teams traded chances as Haracic and Kingsbury kept their squads level.
In the 78th minute, Kingsbury turned her goalkeeping skills into instant offense.
Throwing a long outlet pass to Rosemonde Kouassi, whose speed troubled ACFC defenders all night, the Spirit capitalized with the game-winner when the 22-year-old Ivorian attacker split Jasmyne Spencer and Sarah Gorden with a pass from the outside of her right foot.
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The perfectly weighted pass set up a nifty chip from the penalty spot by Makenna Morris, who was brought onto the field a few minutes earlier.
Washington (15-5-2, 47 points) secured a top-four playoff seed, while Angel City (6-11-4, 22 points) remained three points back of the playoff line with four matches remaining, just one at BMO Stadium.
More to come on this story.