Spencer lifts Angel City over Kansas City in cagey road victory | National Women's Soccer League Official Site

31 August 2023By: NWSL Editor

Spencer lifts Angel City over Kansas City in cagey road victory

KANSAS CITY, Ks.

– Angel City FC picked up a crucial victory over the Kansas City Current on Friday night after defender Jasmyne Spencer’s 66 ^th minute tally separated the two sides in a cagey affair. The victory helped Angel City move into 7 ^th place ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures with 24 points from 18 games played, while Kansas City remain in 11 ^th lpace with 19 points from 18 games played. Straight into the action, Angel City had won a free kick in the 11 ^th minute just inside the opposition half on the right side with forward Clarisse Le Bihan behind the ball on set piece duty. Le Bihan swung in a high cross that dipped in perfect position to pick out teammate Mary Alice Vignola in the penalty area. Vignola was able to get a solid foot on the ball and redirect it toward goal, but an outstanding save from Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch kept the hosts level. The Current then charged forward with a great chance of their own in the 25 ^th minute as forwards Michelle Cooper and Kristen Hamilton linked up, with the latter testing Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson in the end. Cooper had played a ball forward to Hamilton on the counter with Hamilton in loads of space down the left. Working her way toward goal, Hamilton had one defender to beat as she approached the penalty area and attempted to curl a low effort around Anderson to the far side of goal. However, the shot stopper got a solid hand on the opportunity and sent it away wide for a corner kick that ultimately produced nothing. Before the half, a flurry of chances for Angel City saw all of Paige Nielsen, Jasmyne Spencer, and Scarlett Camberos, but none were able to convert despite the threats. In the 32 ^nd minute, a headed effort by Nielsen in front of goal was sent just high over the crossbar in a solid look for the visitors. Six minutes later, Spencer received a pass on the edge of the penalty area and twisted around the Kansas City defense before firing a deflected shot that saw the half-chance ended. Finally, Camberos was working her way through the right side of the penalty area in first half stoppage when a couple of stepovers created enough space for her to cross or shot as she approached the endline. Opting for a shot, she tested Franch from close in, and Franch again responded with a phenomenally strong hand to keep the ball out and end the move. Into the second half, Angel City’s first real look on goal came in the 62 ^nd minute as the defender Spencer went nearly the length of the field in a gut-busting run and ultimately tested Franch with a curling effort toward the back post. However, four minutes later, Spencer got the goal she was looking for and sent her team ahead after 66 minutes of action with a low shot that snuck through a packed penalty area and into goal. Spencer was on the ball in the right side of the box when she attempted to slide a cross to the middle of the area. Seeing that cross deflected back to her, Spencer then lined up a shot with her left foot that somehow rolled through a sea of bodies in front of her and left Franch helpless as it found the back of the net to send the visitors in front. One more opportunity in front of goal came for Angel City as forward Sydney Leroux forced a good save out of Franch down to her right with a chance in the 83 ^rd minute, but Kansas City struggled to find their footing in the second half and ultimately could not create enough to find a leveller. The loss broke a brief two-game unbeaten run for the Current, but the win for Angel City extended a 10-game unbeaten stretch in all competitions including seven in regular season play as the Los Angeles-based side continues to push for a playoff position with now just four regular season contests to go.