Alyssa Thompson shines as Angel City battles San Diego Wave to wild draw | OneFootball

Angel City opened the 2025 season on a 1-1 tie against San Diego Wave in their home stadium. The match may be uneventful to many, but on the pitch, far from it. The game was of high tempo, with speedy attacks, unblocked opportunities, and performances on an individual basis that will mark the rest of the season. It was Gia Corley and Alyssa Thompson who tallied the net, but the narrative of the ball game went much further than the scores.

San Diego starts in flight in the first half and assumes control

The second the ball started rolling, San Diego made it clear they weren't there to mess about. In the first few minutes, Delphine Cascarino had managed to find a route past the defense of Angel City, sprinting down the right touchline and slipping in to the center of the box, where Gia Corley was making her run. Corley finished with a sharp one-touch slider, sending the ball into the far corner of the goal.

The visitors did not give up after the score. Instead, they kept pounding and came up with another opportunity shortly after. In the 10th minute, midfielder Kenza Dali sent a dangerous free kick into the box, with the ball sliding off the head of Cascarino before being deflected off an Angel City defender. Cascarino awaited the loose ball to drop and volleyed the ball towards the far post, but it sailed marginally wide.

Angel City gradually began getting some rhythm midway in the match, having their first good chance in the 19th minute. Forward Alyssa Thompson distributed down the left wing to the touchline, outpaced her marker inside, and distributed a pass to forward Claire Emslie at the six-yard-box edge. Emslie released her first-time volley precisely, but keeper Kailen Sheridan was promptly into action to touch it away from close range.

The hosts came close to scoring again in the 33rd minute when Emslie sent a long ball down to Thompson. Thompson carried the ball into the box to set up for her shot, but Sheridan rushed out to take the pressure off before she could shoot.

At the 42nd minute, Dali played forward Kyra Carusa with a through ball from midfield to the edge of the box. Carusa switched the ball quickly to Corley, who had a one-touch shot that sailed out wide.

Second half starts with huge saves before Angel City gets on the scoreboard

The second half began with a crucial save by ACFC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Cascarino in the 48th minute played midfielder María Sánchez to the box line with a cross. Anderson dove to deflect Sánchez's close-range shot.

Angel City continued to press again and had a chance in the 51st minute when defense player Gisele Thompson struck alone from wide on the field. Sheridan dove to save it, but the ball only sailed wide.

ACFC equalized in the 54th minute. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller played a long ball down the side to Thompson, who cut inside the box, beat two defenders, and beat Sheridan to slide the ball inside the far post.

Angel City pushes up, but the draw holds

In the 68th, Angel City nearly put together a second goal when defender MA Vignola came racing onto a pass from Fuller and crossed across the box to forward Riley Tiernan. Tiernan passed to Gisele Thompson playing back into goal in the six-yard box and to her sister at the 18-yard line, but the older Thompson's shot was deflected away.

Angel City was guilty of two other essential defensive moments. Defender Sarah Gorden, for the first time, made a solid tackle to stop Cascarino from taking her one-on-one with Anderson. Anderson made another massive save in the 81st minute by diving low to gather a long-range shot from forward Melanie Barcenas.

Barcenas tried again in the 89th minute, firing again from distance, but Anderson headed it over the crossbar to preserve the scoreline.