**LOS ANGELES, Calif.** – Angel City FC clawed back from two goals down to produce a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville FC in front of an emphatic crowd at BMO Stadium on Saturday night. After going down two goals in the first half, efforts from Katie Johnson and Savannah McCaskill were enough for the hosts to earn their point.
The action started early when Racing was awarded a penalty after midfielder Savannah DeMelo was judged to have been brought down by Angel City defender M.A. Vignola inside the box as she attempted to latch onto the end of a pass. Up to take the penalty was DeMelo, and she roofed her spot kick from 12 yards out giving Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic no opportunity to keep the effort out.
The visitors only continued to press the Angel City goal too, with a well-worked Racing team move resulting in another opportunity for DeMelo just inside the penalty area. As Racing worked the ball down the right side, DeMelo was the target of a low ball in near the edge of the area. After briefly going down in possession, DeMelo recovered to her feet and twisted from her right foot to her left and shooting. Her powerful drive was then tipped by Haracic onto the post and eventually away as Louisville nearly doubled its lead.
Attempting to go the other way in the 15 ^th minute, Angel City forward Claire Emslie threatened the Louisville goal with a stinging shot from distance that landed just wide. Played ahead by midfielder Savannah McCaskill, who was attempted to start a break by releasing Emslie, the forward got onto the end of the pass just outside the box. Lining up, Emslie got a hold of the ball well but her shot landed just wide of the far post.
However, Louisville would again find success in its attack and this time through forward Kirsten Davis. First, Davis had a look on goal in the 26 ^th minute when a ball into the box landed at her foot only for her to shoot high of the top right corner. However, in the 33 ^rd minute, Davis received a pass from DeMelo and ran onto her left foot where she produced a phenomenal curling effort that stunned the Angel City-heavy crowd into silence. Davis had been attracting the ball in the minutes prior and took a great first touch off the pass from DeMelo to create space. From there, she nudged the ball onto her left foot and curled a screamer past Haracic to extend Racing’s lead to two goals.
As the first half continued, a flurry of corner kicks for Racing near the end of regulation time all saw the visitors come close to adding a third in the opening period of play. These were separated by Angel City’s best look on goal, which came in the 44 ^th minute as Emslie curled a long-distance shot to the far post that came off the underside of the crossbar and was eventually cleared.
At the break then, Racing held onto its two-goal lead against Angel City.
The hosts came back out looking to threaten the Racing goal and, in the 56 ^th minute, saw momentum begin to turn back in their favor as midfielder Clarisse Le Biahn struck a bouncing ball toward goal that resulted in a corner kick. Though Angel City was unable to produce anything from that, a flurry of changes in the 57 ^th minute saw the introduction of club captain Ali Riley, forward Alyssa Thompson, and midfielder Madison Hammond.
Racing would create another opportunity in the 60 ^th minute through forward Jessica McDonald as the side attempted to officially close the door on any Angel City comeback. As Kayla Fischer won a free kick following a foul on Thompson, DeMelo attempted to pick out the head of an oncoming McDonald, who made great contact but ultimately could not direct her header toward goal.
Angel City would instead turn the game back around in its favor as forward Katie Johnson was credited with pulling one back for her side at home. Having won a set piece near the endline, McCaskill whipped in a cross at the near post that hit Johnson and was redirected on goal where it flashed past Lund and hit the back of the net. After VAR review, the decision stood and the home crowd’s energy continued to influence the match.
As Angel City pressed for an equalizer, Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund produced her best save of the match in the 71 ^st minute when she denied Dani Weatherholt’s header from just a few yards out. McCaskill had wrestled down toward the endline before she clipped a cross in toward the center of the penalty area. Weatherholt then leapt to meet the cross and forced a great diving save out of Lund as the hosts inched closer to an equalizer.
Weatherholt then had another pair of opportunities fall to her feet in back-to-back efforts in the 81 ^st minute. McCaskill had lobbed a ball into the box looking for Thompson. However, it instead fell to Weatherholt’s feet who had her first shot blocked. The ball then fell to Thompson again, and she laid it back for Weatherholt to fire on goal again. Weatherholt did just that but was denied again and the Louisville defense continued to prove too resolute.
Approaching the end of regulation time though, Angel City’s pursuit would eventually pay off as McCaskill would turn from provider to finisher of chances herself as she equalized with an acrobatic effort in the 87 ^th minute. The hosts swung in a cross from the left side into the penalty area that bounced through a few players as it made its way to McCaskill. The playmaker then shielded possession and leapt to meet the half volley with a semi-overhead kick that sent the ball bouncing into the back of the net and in for the equalizer.
As if the two-goal comeback wasn’t enough, Angel City then almost went ahead after all of the drama as Thompson broke down the left side and ripped a low shot off the outside of the post and back into play where Louisville could eventually get the ball clear.
In the end, Angel City did all it could to come back from two down to come back level and earn a point at BMO Stadium. McCaskill’s goal became her fourth in Angel City’s three matches against her former club, and Angel City extended its unbeaten run a second game while Racing Louisville extended its to three games after a third consecutive draw.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights