- Whoo!
- Whoa.
Wait a minute.
Yo!
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I could play here.
I had no idea how
big the screens were.
The Challenge Cup was a
nice kick in the pants
that we needed.
Which, I think we're
all grateful for
because, you know, it's
only when things get hard
that you're forced
to learn lessons.
Holy sh*t.
- Yep.
- Yup.
We're hoping for sell-out
which is 22,000 people.
Yeah.
Oh, my God, our home
opener is tomorrow, like...
There's gonna be
nerves with people.
I don't care who you are;
you're gonna look around and
hear the crowd and be nervous.
- Oh, my goodness!
- This is insane.
You got your fit planned out?
I do. Do you?
You're wearing overalls or what?
Yeah!
- Volemos.
- Volemos.
Yes!
Completely customized to
you and what you want...
If you want a chair, if
you don't want a chair.
I'd like a chair.
I'm good either way.
I like chairs, I
don't like chairs.
Yeah, that's nice.
From Pee Wee League to this?
Like, who would've
thought, you know?
This is my tenth
season in the league,
but this is like my first
opportunity on this stage.
I told Dan I was going
to retire last year.
I was second string with Gotham.
To wake up every day
and tell yourself,
"You're enough, you're good,
keep your confidence"...
It's a grind.
epic.
That is epic.
That's where my mum, dad, and
sister get to sit tomorrow.
They got here yesterday.
But look at this place.
This is unreal.
Welcome to the home
of women's soccer.
Whoo!
All right, off we go!
Angel City, spread your wings!
- U.S. soccer on the
women's side has been
fighting for respect.
- The mantra always was
"you should be thankful"
and "you can't screw it up."
- The National Women's
Soccer League just kicked off
its tenth season.
- Two new clubs coming
out in California.
- Angel City Football Club
in Los Angeles is backed by
the largest female ownership
group in professional sports.
- 14 former U.S. Women's
National Team players
are investors.
- These are the best
players in the world.
We're gonna elevate the sport
and show how
valuable it truly is.
- When you watch
these athletes play,
you're changing something
that was formed in your brain
about what it means for
a woman to be a woman.
Goal, Angel City.
I don't think you've ever
seen a camera person be like,
"Hey. How ya doing?"
Does it ever blow your mind
how big a soccer field is?
- Yeah, soccer
fields are very big.
- It's really big.
- Who wants to run this?
Like, in football, you
go like short distances
and you get to stop.
Like, they don't stop.
It's just... it blows me away
when you think about
how big this is.
LAFC's let us use their stadium,
but we want it to feel
like Angel City's stadium,
so there's a lot
of work going on
as far as creating signage,
replacing a lot of
LAFC signs and pathways
so it feels like
our branding's here,
our logo's here,
our crest is here.
You know, the women that are
playing here deserve this.
Oh, that was it.
This is where my
parents watch my games.
If they can figure
out CBS and Paramount+.
There's this pressure
to want to do well
now that we have 15,000
plus season ticket holders.
I want them to buy a season
ticket next year as well.
If we lose every game, I
don't know if I can ask them
to do that.
We have to work damn hard
if we want to beat teams
that have been
around for ten years.
Well, this is where I
practiced my soccer.
And then we had a
net on this hedge.
And so then I would
just dribble around
and then sh**t
against the hedge.
And the hedge was a lot shorter,
and then sometimes
it would go over
into the neighbors' pool.
Wasn't it about that high?
Yeah, I don't know.
How did it get so high?
- Probably as high...
- That was 25 years ago.
The 1999 World Cup was,
I think, really defining.
To see 90,000 people
watching the U.S.,
that's like something
I will never forget.
I loved Mia Hamm. I
loved Briana Scurry.
I wanted to be a goalie
even though I was
like 2 feet tall.
Briana Scurry was
my hero growing up
and why I wanted to play soccer
and believed I could
play at this level.
They've laid such an
incredible foundation for us.
All the success in 1999
was a real breakthrough
for women's soccer,
for women's sports
in this country.
And it really showed
what's possible.
Goal!
Your team has said all
along "We don't want to win.
We want to leave a
legacy." What's the legacy?
All these people in these
stands, 90,000 plus,
and the smiling faces
of these young kids
that are sitting right here.
I have a photo from the
final of the 1999 World Cup
with my face painted
at the Rose Bowl.
And so it's like I look at
those photos and I'm like,
"I definitely was
dreaming of this."
You know, there wasn't
always leagues to watch.
There weren't always
games to watch.
We kind of had to
make our own dreams.
We're finally realizing
that '99er dream of,
we should be
crushing this space.
That, I think, is the
importance of Angel City
being successful.
Lot of big names, players,
actresses, owners.
Can they pull it off?
- We are gonna do our best
to get everything done
that we need to get done
for our partners, our fans,
our owners, our community,
our players, our coaches,
and each one of us.
If something doesn't get
done or doesn't make it,
let's just prioritize
what's most important.
Just remember that the
person sitting next to you
and across from you and
on the Zoom is as stressed
and as busy as you are.
Welcome home.
This is probably the nicest room
I've ever been in for a team
meeting, which is great.
But this is the standard
now that we deserve
as a club, as players,
and I think it's great
that we're finally home
and we can now start
to build on the rhythm
that we found in preseason
and the success as a way
of making this our home.
Come over here.
Be discreet.
- The slow crawl.
- You are awkward!
Vanessa Gilles, everyone.
Now heading into our season,
I would like to make the
captaincy announcement.
Ali.
Yes!
- Speech, speech!
- Speech!
Moving forward to the game...
We had a turbulent
start with preseason
and it was a real slog,
and we had to get results,
but the results
weren't coming our way.
So the first home
game at the Banc,
I want to get the win.
I told Freya, if we do
nothing else this season,
if we only win one game, it
has to be the home opener.
Ooh, game day fresh pair?
Did they get them in time?
I ordered five new
pairs of each color.
I spent $300 on socks.
I got an MRI,
and I have a strained MCL.
We're gonna strap it
up, put on a sleeve,
and just kinda, like, test
it out and see how it feels.
Fingers crossed, 'cause
I really wanna be
a part of the magic tomorrow.
It's gonna be really
exciting, and that's, like...
I really wanna be
a part of that.
It's been four months going
through some injury stuff,
and I'm going absolutely crazy.
I wasn't cleared to play.
The game is finally
here, and I'm not ready.
Yellow, yellow, yellow! Good.
You know, as much as it's
been difficult preseason
and we've had a lot of injuries,
there's been lots of things
that've gone wrong...
I couldn't have asked for
a better group of women.
Like, their hearts, you
know, are in the right place.
Go!
Winning is infectious, but
you gotta taste it first.
Go, Katie!
- The big screen!
- This is a walkout video
- that will play...
- Whoo!
Before you guys enter the field.
When it hits the logo,
that's the cue for the smoke,
the pyro, everything, when it...
- All right, hit it.
- Hit it.
Hit it.
Whoo!
- Whoo!
- Yay!
- Yeah!
- Ahh!
The team has been
through so much,
and it's a really
special moment.
So it was like happiness
but I also was really sad
because I don't feel
like I'm a part of
that entire special moment.
Yeah, but it doesn't feel
like it until I'm back.
And I think a lot of injured
players go through that,
and that's the side a
lot of people don't see.
It's like...
it's tough, it's tough.
- This is the first huge
test for Angel City.
North Caroline has proven
that they can score.
They're averaging
two goals a game,
and Angel City, defensively,
they're not that sound.
I give the win to
North Carolina.
Today is...
Today is what we've
been building for.
It's the home opener.
Angel City Football Club...
It's our inaugural game.
"For the last 22
months, Julie Uhrman
"has been focused on launching
"a women's professional
soccer team
"and little else.
"'My life is Angel City
and my kids, ' she said.
"'Sometimes in that
order.'
"Taking Angel City from
concept to conclusion
"had been a bumpy
ride for Uhrman.
"Then last fall, the league
fined Angel City twice
"within a six-week period.
"First for announcing
the signing of Press
"before the deal was completed,
"and later for violating
NWSL tampering policy
"in pursuit of
midfielder Allie Long,
who had played for
Coombe with Gotham FC."
Jesus, you would
think we are, like...
- I know.
- You know, failing.
I mean...
- The pictures are awesome.
- The pictures!
Hey, guys! On our way to
the first ever home opener.
We're making some
over-easy eggs, pancakes,
that's my game day go-to.
My mom is here.
Hey, everybody!
She's actually about to
iron my pregame outfit,
so bless her.
Volemos.
Oh, my God! Look
at all the people!
I was sh**ting a series,
and I flew out right after work.
I land in L.A., and I
take the COVID test,
and it's positive.
I was just like, "No!"
I was... it was horrible.
It was horrible.
I was devastated.
Look at all these people!
I followed Julie Uhrman around
for my story at the home opener,
and I just remember, like,
somehow I turned into
a person that was trying
to, like, get her places.
It does always feel a little bit
like stepping into a whirlwind.
We have all this progress
on the marketing
and commercial side,
you have big sponsors coming in,
we're spending a lot of money.
I think the really important
thing for everyone involved
is to not lose sight of the fans
who have been there at the start
and the game.
Yeah!
This is it.
This is crazy. Hello, hello.
I was seeing all
the fans. I'm like,
"Is this for a
different event?"
But, no it's for us.
I have no words for you.
I got infumed in the car
from the nail polish.
Literally have a headache.
This is what women's
sports deserves...
A sold-out crowd, everyone
cheering for them,
wearing their scarves and logos.
I am so, so excited.
I'm so proud of everyone
in the organization.
I can't believe
we're really here.
I can't believe
this is happening
I never could imagine that
this day was possible,
and I know there was a
lot of sleepless nights
to get it to here.
Just know this:
There's never been a
press line before a game
- in the history of my career.
- Yes!
I'm tired that when a
woman does something,
they think we only
do it for women.
We do it for everyone,
just like a guy, okay?
So, leadership and
empowerment... let's go for it.
Angel City, you better win.
Why are you guys
out here right now?
- What's going on?
- Nerves. No.
- No.
- No, we just always...
- Do you do this?
- Yeah, we always
- kick the ball around before.
- Oh, you make me
- wanna kick one.
- Well, I mean, come on in.
- Can I kick one?
- Yeah. Here.
- All right.
- We've had a request.
We've had a kick request.
Natalie and I were
at the same event.
I got up on the stage, and
I ended with something like,
"Make a new friend today.
"Find someone that
you have no reason
"to do any business with
"who you're just
curious to get to know,
give 'em your number."
And one person came up to me
and gave me their
number, and it's...
Literally, I can show it to you.
It is still in my
phone as "Natalie P."
She put it in my phone.
I've never changed it.
It's been a while. I
retired in sixth grade.
Okay.
- I've got faith.
- Yes!
All right. I'm gonna
call it on that one.
In life, if you're
looking for new openings,
new friendships,
new experiences,
new conversations,
new adventures,
they will start to
present themselves.
You may not even realize
they're occurring.
But once you sort of
open yourself up to 'em
and you say, yes...
And certainly, some of them
were uncomfortable for me...
It's just like
pulling the string
that can lead you to
a place like this.
When I saw Angel City playing
in the preseason games, I
thought they were awful.
We have the biggest stars
here in Southern
California sports.
It's the most crowded sports
landscape in the country,
maybe in the world.
There are ways
you can stand out,
but bottom line is you need
to succeed on the field.
Fans, make some noise!
- Yeah.
- Right.
For our players,
for many of them,
it's the first
time they've played
in front of a crowd that size.
You've got all these
celebrities endorsing the club
and such a cauldron of pressure.
I grew up playing soccer,
and I'm Chicana...
Mexican American,
proud to be... and football
is a huge part of our culture.
And so, this is a very
full circle moment for me,
and I've cried at
least five times today,
but very proud to be a
part of this, for sure.
All right, I have a
quick little addition
to the three clap,
and I need you all to be with me
because I gotta get
22,000 people together,
and we can't practice this sh*t.
I'm gonna go,
three clap on three...
Boom, boom, boom,
and then you give,
like, a, "Uh!"
Uh!
Whatever it is you want,
but it's from the soul.
- Are you ready? On three.
- Yes!
One, two, three!
Oh! It works!
The three clap came from
the early days of
the national team.
You go, "One, two, three. Uh!"
But we were like, the
"Uh!" is from your soul.
Like, that's right before you
go on the field. Let's go!
Please welcome to the pitch
the owners of Angel
City Football Club.
When I met Julie and
Kara and Natalie,
I was blown away.
So Mia and I were talking about,
"Wow, wouldn't
this be really cool
"if every player who
played on the national team
who had a tie to Southern
California came in?"
We sent out an
email to the group.
Literally, within two
hours, it was like,
"Hell yes!" "Yes!"
"Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!"
"I want in!"
We have 14 former U.S.
Women's National Team players
who are owners on this team.
They are why we are here.
It is their successes,
it was their fight.
They did all the hard work.
Now, they not only
are responsible
for us existing, but now
they have a seat at the table
for how the league grows
and how the sport grows,
and they have a financial stake
in how this team succeeds.
I'm a dreamer,
but I never expected to be
part of an ownership group
of any professional sports team,
let alone the sport
that I played, loved,
and helped build in this
country for so many years.
Everything about what
we've done so far this year
has been a process.
We're getting better,
and better, and better
each game we play, and
today's just another game
for us to showcase that
we're getting better.
Okay? Focus on the process.
Stay in the moment.
Enjoy the game.
Yes, beautiful people,
do you know what's better
than putting on for your city?
♪ Is your city putting
on for you, whoo ♪
♪ Yeah, the city's
putting on for you, huh ♪
♪ See the real,
recognize the truth, uh ♪
♪ And now you, and now I'm ♪
♪ And now I'm
running with the Angels ♪
♪ Whoo ♪
♪ And now I'm running
with the Angels ♪
Eight, seven, six, five.
- Standby, Michelle.
- And then take one.
Ready, three, and...
take three.
♪ You know it's the queen ♪
And now, your starting 11
for Angel City Football Club.
This atmosphere in Banc
of California Stadium
has been increasing
by the minute,
and you can see the
supporters group is unveiling
their first regular season tifo.
This is one of the largest
tifos in NWSL history.
It covers the entirety of
the supporters' section.
It reads, "A new
dawn," in Spanish,
and Angel City FC
has been adamant
that they're not just bringing
a soccer team to Los Angeles,
they're bringing a
sense of community,
and that's what tonight
is really all about.
♪ Dragonfly out in the sun,
you know what I mean... ♪
Angel City in black,
North Carolina in white.
I'm seeing nerves on
some of those faces.
Would you have
nerves, do you think?
Absolutely.
And then you run it
out in the first five.
That's right.
Now you know you're in L.A.
All right, off we go! Kickoff.
We're in Banc of
California Stadium.
Two years in the making
to get Angel City FC from
a dream to a reality.
And now the actual
soccer begins.
Similar ball, a
little higher, though,
from McCaskill.
Headed back across.
Jun Endo, one move to get free.
Left footed serve... And, ohh!
What a start for Angel City!
Yes!
Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!
Yeah! Called it!
f*ck' called it!
Let's go!
Yes! Yes!
Whoo! Whoo!
Endo, just a quick
little touch there
bypasses the pressure
of O'Sullivan.
Now she's got time
to pick out a target.
And there are three players
in the box, wide open.
And Gilles makes no mistake
with this conversion.
The home opener against
North Carolina at the Banc...
Top three of my
sporting moments ever.
It was just electric.
Come on, get it out
now. Keep it going!
McCaskill, big
switch. It's there.
Endo tracks it down.
Endo in the box, in the corner!
The lead now doubled,
as Endo, in the books.
Yeah!
Well, it is an incredibly
electric start for Angel City.
McCaskill does so well
just to change it.
You can see the narrow
shape of North Carolina.
You get out that weak side,
now there's green to run into,
and Endo just gobbles
up that space.
And now she's still
got work to do
because that's a
difficult angle,
but she slides this
one on the ground,
right past Rowland.
Jun Endo, her first NWSL
regular season goal.
Angel City FC, starting
off with a bang
in every way you could
imagine here tonight.
♪ Hey, hey ♪
Done a f*cking great job of
putting pressure on them.
The next five
minutes of the half,
they are gonna come out
with a lot of pressure.
So we need to think about
just absorbing that pressure
by being really
organized, really compact,
making it hard to play.
This is a brilliant,
brilliant start.
It's a start. Let's
finish the game.
Emily Gray, first
NWSL start tonight.
Left footer, ball
in the box, header!
Hello, North Carolina!
Debinha scores.
If someone had told you at
the beginning of this match,
"Okay, Angel City gets
a 2-2 draw out of this
against North Carolina,"
you'd probably say...
- You'd take it.
- Yeah, it's pretty good.
But at this point, to have
held on for this long,
you think, oh, you
want those full...
You need those
full three points.
Honestly, I wanted to puke.
Like, I was so nervous.
It's way worse watching
than being on the field.
But then, like,
Jun was going off.
And I was like, oh,
crap, we could be good.
We're going this way.
- Jen, do you wanna go?
- I need a cowbell!
Yes!
Crowd sensing the
moment is near.
And it is here!
Angel City, spread your wings!
You've got a win in your first
NWSL regular season game.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God.
Genuinely one of the
best days of my life.
We did it!
So good!
I was lucky enough to have a lot
of my friends and
family in the stands.
They've seen my journey and
how difficult it was at times.
My mom, who's passed away,
and what it would've
meant for her to see me,
and she would've been proud.
So, it was unreal to
have that achievement.
Sorry.
We're a club for the community.
We're representing you guys.
We want you to
feel a part of it,
and we want our win on the field
to feel like your win.
There was just, like,
so much excitement
that there was no way
we weren't gonna win,
at least in our mindset.
I know what it's like to
play in a packed stadium,
but the Angel City
gameday experience
is just very unique.
It is wild and joyous.
It's about so much
more than football,
and you feel that on the field.
AC!
FC!
AC! FC!
It was... it was just...
You can't write it.
You can't write it.
This... it's a Hollywood
ending that nobody believes.
What's up, Katelyn?
- How's it going?
- Good.
Is it just us from the
office that are on the call?
- Yeah.
- No one else is here?
Each week, we'll
do a gameday recap.
Like, what went well,
what went poorly,
what could be better.
Should we be thinking about ways
of getting more people
there more easily...
How to help outside of
what we're already doing?
And then, you know, the
pregame experience, right,
like, again, trying to
hype up what they can do
in addition to the game?
- Like, what is
our plan for, like,
that hit in, like,
the dead of summer,
like, through September.
And let's assume that the
team is not in contention.
- Yeah.
- Right, so, like,
let's just, like,
prepare for battle.
Okay.
All right.
Look, we want sellout crowds.
Like, we don't want
it to be a one-off.
Like, it's incredible that
we did it for a home opener,
but now the bogey is, I
wanna sell out another game.
Right, and then I'm gonna
wanna sell out another game.
It's, how do we create the
experience for the fans?
How do we win on the pitch
that drives them to wanna come?
We have to keep raising the bar.
Today, they invited
us to watch practice,
and I think that's
really special.
I'd say a supporter
supports is...
It's the ultimate fan,
the ultra fan, really.
We have friends that...
Sometimes we say fans,
not to be, you know,
demean them or anything...
But, you know, showing
up right at kickoff
going to the game,
and then going home.
For us, it's an all-day thing.
It's an all-day event.
It's an all-week event.
Yeah, keep doing it. Keep
making all that noise,
'cause we intimidate the...
Out of other teams.
And that's what we wanna have,
so, it's really appreciated
and honestly, it's
the best atmosphere
that I've ever
experienced on game day
and that the players have
ever experienced, as well.
- Boom, boom.
- FC.
AC, boom, boom. AC.
- Como están?
- Bien!
- Thank you. Cheers.
- Thank you so much.
- Appreciate it.
- Hey, Coach.
So this is the actual flag
that we used to wave
at the MLS games
to get first ever...
Bringing the first...
I love it! The OG flag.
It's work. I mean,
we wake up early,
and get ready for games,
tailgates, I mean,
where they're not
gonna play till 7:00,
but we're getting
ready at 8:00 a.m.
to set up our tailgate,
set up what we need to do.
And, you know, he's
grilling tacos for hours.
And, like,
it's worth us supporting.
Like, we signed up
to be supporters,
but I didn't think
it'd be at this level,
like, where they appreciate it
and they show us that
they really appreciate it.
So it feels good.
The work is not for nothing.
People care, and they wanna
know what you stand for,
and they wanna know how
you spend your afternoon,
and they want you to
show up as a full human.
I love that.
They're my fans, like,
from my hometown,
and, like, I immediately
felt, like, honestly,
some ownership over
them, and, like,
that they had ownership over me.
You know, and I
just felt that bond
that was, like, wow,
like, I have said, like,
this is where I want to
play for these people,
and these people actually, like,
campaigned for me to come here.
So much of what we do,
we, like, give to the fans
and then, like, in return,
I got, like, the best gift
of my life, to come
home because of them.
And I really do feel
like me being here
is because of the fans.
- As part of the strategy
for us building a new team,
having an international
team of players
that would reflect the community
I think was really
key to what the vision
in what we're building.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- May I wear it?
- Of course.
- Thank you.
- Jun Endo being
our first Japanese player
is gonna be massive for
the Japanese community,
who are gonna come
and pay tickets
to come and watch us play.
That conversation and strategy
is beyond Jun Endo
on the field, right?
So, I have to think about a
much wider lens for the club.
Okay.
Yeah, there we go.
Let's go, Angel City! Whoo!
7,900 so far.
Wow.
We're expecting, what, 19,000?
We sold 19,000,
there's always...
- Oh, sold 19,000.
- Well, we sold 19,000
first thing this morning,
but there's always walkup,
and that could be...
We could be 300, 600,
800 more from walk-up.
And then you don't know how
many people actually show.
I mean, this is already
more than Washington had.
- 30 minutes from kickoff...
- I said today...
I said to someone today, "We
start counting at 15,000."
They were like, "We would
love 15,000 just once a year."
- We're almost at 16,000.
- Julie, it's amazing.
- I know.
- It really is.
- Hi! How are you?
- How are you?
I'm obsessed with
Jasmyne Spencer.
- Right?
- I think she's, like...
- I love Jasmyne.
- She's, like, MVP to me.
Like, I feel like
she's just, like,
always where she needs to be.
Her progression
over... She's amazing.
Insane.
And my son's, like,
all about Endo.
- Everyone is.
- He's just like...
I mean, she's a star.
And then my husband's like...
She moves it like...
He's like, "She moves
like a dancer."
I love it.
Press gets in behind guard.
Christen Press scores!
It's her first
regular season goal
in an Angel City uniform.
Christen scored
a brilliant goal,
and she's gonna keep
scoring for us, I know it.
But I told her,
even if she doesn't
we all still love her.
I went in with two minutes left.
But I got in, and I
made it, and we won.
When I stepped on that field,
I was like, this is
why I love it so much.
Everyone has each other's backs,
and it's bigger than soccer.
- It's over the wall and
kept out from Haracic.
DiDi, f*cking brilliant save.
Really good work.
Slightly gets away,
good recovery from Ball.
Press back to her
feet, centering it,
and it's an own goal!
Just a hopeful ball
from Christen Press,
last touched by Taylor Leach.
I got a raspberry.
- That's to remember it for.
- Yeah, there you go.
- That was me for a minute.
- Well done.
Wasn't pretty, but we did it.
- Yeah.
- Good game.
Just hold there.
Just hold there.
Hold in that space.
Yes!
One of our greatest strengths
is who we are as a collective
and how hard we are willing
to work for each other.
And I know that there's
lots of stories about
the resilience of this group,
and it is what
makes us who we are.
- Come on!
- Go on, here,
go on, go on, go on, love it.
I was born in Bosnia.
April 6th, '92, there was a w*r.
Six days later, I was born.
We came to the U.S. in '94.
Both my parents
worked multiple jobs
just to get food on the table.
f*ck!
It's okay.
I don't think people
realize the grind.
My fault.
It took me four years to
get a contract in the NWSL.
And a lot of people
would've stopped.
I had something to prove.
May dates. May, may, may.
Welcome to my home.
She has good fashion.
Yeah. I'm pretty sure
this is her shirt.
We share all of
our clothes, but...
The benefits of
marrying a woman.
The day after a game,
your body feels like
it got hit by a truck.
You run 13K, which
is like 8 miles.
There's boots, and
there's also hip things.
There's, like, full space boots.
Now that I'm 28 years old,
recovery takes a lot
longer as you get older,
and it's even more important.
- A lot of us go
surfing on our off days.
We're in L.A.,
so when in L.A...
I wouldn't say we go surfing.
We go in the water
with our boards.
I'm out.
There's gotta be a
dolphin out there.
Where there's fish,
there's dolphins.
A little gameday surf.
That's a nice ritual.
Also, the feeling of
when you catch a wave
and the adrenaline
part is really nice.
There's an adrenaline part
which you get from
football, as well,
and I think that part fuels me.
It's like the
adrenaline of games
and the competition
and wanting to win.
I thought one of the
really important points
was talking about
we can be satisfied
in our life in Christ,
but yet it's not...
That doesn't mean we're
gonna have all the riches
and fame and glory
and perfect life.
Yeah.
We all love playing soccer,
and so many people do.
An op... like, the chance to be
a pro soccer player
is literally nobody.
And so the fact of,
like, we get to do this
and, like, God knows how
much we love playing soccer
and he, like, lets
us get to know him
through something
that we love...
How cool is that? Like,
that... that's really cool.
Soccer was a way
for me to run away
from, like, pain
at home, you know.
And I feel like I
identified with it so hard.
And that's why I think
still, to this day,
I struggle with it
'cause it's like,
I found my identity in
myself as a soccer player.
It doesn't fill you up forever.
Yeah, it's just like, with
my knee and everything,
I feel like, for me, it's been
a little frustrating y'all,
but I appreciate, like...
I was gonna ask you
guys to pray for me,
'cause it's been... plot's
been getting real thick, y'all.
- Yeah.
- It's been getting real thick.
Yeah.
From Portland, Oregon,
it is the Thorns
and Angel City.
The in-swinger, the
header is on, and it's in!
Splendid service!
An even better header.
And Portland takes
the lead at home.
Sugita, Sinclair,
she went right through there!
Christine Sinclair, back
to her goal-scoring ways.
Portland doubles its advantage
just minutes after the first.
They're running rampant
at Providence Park.
Rolls it in, and Sinclair,
and she just missed it.
Becky sends it back.
Sinclair, she won't miss twice.
And it's a brace for
Christine Sinclair.
The fight is there from us.
That's there, but
we just have to
make smart decisions
on the ball now.
It's up to us now
to raise that level
and then we go again, okay?
Let's go.
You realize this is
the highest crowd
they've had in a game.
- Everybody plays up for us.
- Yeah.
The fans come in,
the players play.
It's great for the league,
not great for our record.
It's great for the league,
not great for the record.
Right. It's great for
the league, but yeah.
Hi, Jules. It's Natalie.
- Hey, how are you?
- I'm pretty good.
Game day minus one.
I know, I'm very
excited for tomorrow.
We've got nearly 19,000
tickets sold for Saturday.
- That's so amazing.
- Like, that's amazing,
but I've now challenged the team
to try to stay above
20,000 for every game
- because you just get no-shows.
- Right.
And I think if we can
stay above 20,000,
then if the no-show
rate falls to 18,000
or, you know, 18,500,
it still feels like
a really full stadium.
What was it like in Washington?
I was... on TV, it looked
quite empty, but...
There was very
clearly a sunny side
and a shady side.
The camera faces the sunny side.
- Oh, bummer.
- Yeah. So I was sitting
on the shady side,
and it felt like
the entire stands behind
me were really packed,
and the sunny side
was really light.
Aw. See, that's a
really annoying thing
like, where you don't
have enough cameras
covering the game,
and it makes it look
much less popular than it is.
- That's so...
- Yep.
That feels like such
an important detail.
Is there way we
can be supportive
of other teams, too?
Like, can we push on
our socials, like,
when it's game day
for other teams
and, like ticket sales for
other teams with our group?
You know, because we need, like,
everyone to be selling out.
Like, we need everyone to be
having the same kind of vibes.
Anyone who has
worked in this space,
you're essentially doing
two jobs at any given time.
You're doing the job
that you are actually
being paid to do, which
is cover the sport.
Then you are also
doing a second job
of trying to justify
your existence.
Men's, we get these...
The full narratives,
we get both sides, we
get endless quotes,
we get all of the
pomp and circumstance
that you should see
around a sporting event.
And that's where it still needs
to come into women's sports
and where we're maybe finally
starting to make progress.
Let's say this is a
four-camera sh**t.
Normally, we've
got half a dozen.
This would normally just
be a handheld camera.
And we would have a
large studio camera.
But this is a streaming show,
so, obviously, the
budgets aren't as big.
We have to compete with the 4K,
beautiful depth of
field NFL camera
that looks like a video game.
That is what a modern
American sports consumer
expects out of a
tier one product.
That is who we compete with.
The quality of the
women's broadcast
is not the same as
the men's broadcast.
We have fewer cameras, which
means we have fewer angles,
and it's a real challenge.
We need the league to succeed
for all of us to succeed.
The biggest revenue
streams by far,
for all of us at the team level
should come from
the broadcast deal
that this league deserves.
I don't know if that's an
obstacle or an opportunity,
but I'm never satisfied
with status quo.
- I'm gonna get the DJ to
play, like, Pride music.
- Just go tell her.
- All right.
You guys all ready for game day?
Yes!
Unfortunately, we
live in a world
where it's still important
to make a statement
and show that this is
okay, and it's unfortunate
that we have to do it
during one month a year.
It should be every
single month of the year,
it should be every single day
where you feel comfortable
and confident in your own skin,
but until we get there, I think
days like this are important.
And showing up as loud
and as proud as we can,
which we are, as
an organization,
as the president/co-founder,
I think is really important
for the community to see.
- Hi. How are you?
- Hi.
Look at Cha Cha,
he's k*lling me.
- Look at his hair.
- Oh, my God, amazing.
What's that?
We intentionally are building
a diverse and
inclusive community.
We have a diverse staff.
We have a diverse front office.
We have a diverse team.
Legs and hips
and the body. Uh.
Give it up for Lilly Singh!
What's up, Angel City fans?
Are you ready? This is
our first ever Pride night
Make some noise for that.
Now, everybody, here we go.
One, two, three.
- Let's go ACFC!
- Whoo!
Okay, so tonight
is all about pride
and it's about being
our true selves.
We don't forget who we
are, we move the ball well,
we play quickly, and
we excite the crowd.
Tonight is about joy,
tonight is about fun.
Let's make sure we're
having it on the field.
Otherwise, what the
f*ck are we doing?
All right?
AC! All: FC!
♪ Running with the angels ♪
Ow!
All right, standby
three with CG2.
And take three with CG2.
Angel City welcomes The
Dash for the first time.
Houston looking for a sixth
consecutive unbeaten game.
Two teams part of
a very compact area
between second place and just
beneath the playoff line.
One win could make
all the difference.
Falls, Schmidt, a laser!
Denied by Haracic.
Welcome to the Save
of the Week reel.
Still alive, Le Bihan, Endo!
There's a save, there's Press...
Oh, again, from Campbell!
It's unbelievable!
And The Dash clear their lines.
The day before our Pride event,
a player... Katie Cousins...
Reposted a post from a
Tampa Bay baseball player
that wasn't comfortable
wearing a Pride shirt
because it was against
his own religious beliefs
and worked very hard to say,
"I'm not making a comment
about the lifestyle,
but it doesn't align with
my religious values."
The problem is he is making
a lifestyle statement.
- One of the players from Tampa
made a statement saying,
because of religious beliefs,
we just... we chose
not to wear this.
I think it was a
patch and a hat.
But it's not to say that
we don't love these people
and care for them and want
them to feel welcome here.
And so I reposted it.
Pretty bad timing,
looking back on it now.
And maybe if I'd known,
like, the reaction,
maybe not at all.
'Cause I've never really
been in the public eye
like this before.
I don't know. I never had...
I wasn't on the roster
for the game, so...
I don't know. I
was debating it,
and ended up not being
on the roster, so...
When Katie posted,
people were angry,
and people were hurt,
and it sent, you know,
these ripples out.
We did post a statement
about our commitment
to LGBTQ+ inclusion
and that our approach
to these kinds of issue
and conflict was going to be
to call in and not call out.
And I had somebody
who I've never met
find my account and
direct message me,
telling me I was a
h*m* and an as*h*le.
We will not please everyone.
But it is important
that we share broadly
what we're doing and
how we're doing it
and what it means.
We do stand for something,
and it's a lens with
which we make decisions
and it's how we build
our organization.
So, there has to be a
level of excitement for it.
Otherwise, why
are you here, too?
Like, it's so much
about what we do.
If it's so at odds with
your own personal beliefs
or how you wanna live your life,
then why would you wanna
be here when this is our...
These are our beliefs,
and these are our values,
and we live them every day
and every decision we make
is inclusive of these.
How'd you find this place?
We were walking
around the promenade,
and we're like, dude, like,
we really want tattoos.
Literally, to our right
was a tattoo shop.
- And then we walked in...
- Oh, God.
- And met the guys.
- Oh, God.
Wow, you don't even flinch.
I think initially, when
that post came out,
people were shocked.
I think that's always
the initial reaction,
especially because
she is a great teammate
and super positive,
and a lot of people are
very close with her.
It just... it's put me in a
very uncomfortable position
'cause I know who I am.
And I have no hatred towards
Katie, and I know she
I don't think has
hatred towards me.
But we just don't
see eye-to-eye.
And I just have a
hard time right now
accepting that I'm
told I'm loved,
but I'm not accepted
for who I love.
And that's a hard pill for
me to swallow right now.
Yeah, I think the goal
for me is to love Katie,
but to hope that she will
wanna learn about it.
I asked so many questions,
and I have not received
any questions back.
The word "dominate" has,
like, a lot of meaning for me
'cause my brother
gave me some advice
when I was... Like,
four years ago,
when I was having a tough
time after my mom passed.
It's like a warrior
mentality of, like,
dominating your opponent,
dominating your diet,
lifestyle habits, sleep.
And I write it for every game,
and it really, like, it
lifts a spirit in my fire,
in my motivation for that day.
Yeah.
Equal pay is now a reality
for the best female soccer
players in this country.
In an historic
announcement today,
the U.S. Soccer Federation
said it has agreed
with its men's and
women's national teams
to pay them the same
amounts for all games
and competitions.
- Press with a header.
It's a brilliant cross.
And Christen Press heads
the United States in front.
We knew in 2019 that, like,
we were playing for equal pay.
In the stands, as we played,
they were chanting,
"equal pay."
Like, it was so much
bigger than the sport.
The United States of America.
And then, you know,
we won the World Cup,
but we didn't win the
lawsuit at that point.
So, then we had to go
back and keep fighting.
Without the Women's
National Team fighting
so hard for equal
pay on their level,
we don't see the
continued success
and growth of our
domestic league.
I think a lot of their success
has shown up in
the form of our CBA
for the league for this year.
We are about to sign
the collective
bargaining agreement...
The historic moment
for this league,
their first contract that so
many people worked so hard.
- I was part of the
CBA negotiations.
One of the biggest strides
that we made was free agency.
A lot of players
don't have a choice
as to where they go, and
they can't leave situations
that aren't good for them.
Before the CBA, there
was no free agency.
Even now, the free
agency has come about,
you have to play in the
league for seven years.
It's-it's too restrictive.
The best players are
always, always going to
consider Europe, as
long as they don't have
enough autonomy
over their careers.
Free agency is huge.
The rest of the world has free
agency, and it's the norm.
When only one party has
the decision, it's toxic.
We have stories of
players being traded
to, like, cover up misconduct.
It kinda puts us in really
unhealthy environments at times
because we don't have any power.
It's either, you
play for this club,
or you're not playing
in the league.
Coaches are in control,
and that's where
things get messy.
The fight for equal pay,
helping the players union,
and then negotiating the CBA,
I feel like so much has changed.
I look forward to the day
when female athletes can
just be female athletes.
And I know that
that's not my role,
and that's not the role that
I play in the story right now.
My role is to be a trailblazer
and fight for equality and
fight for all the things,
and I'm trying to do
my best in that role,
but looking forward to that day
when you can just play soccer.
Hey. How are you?
- Good. How are you?
- Good.
Today, the team is
meeting up at the office
to get the bus to go
to the charter plane
that we got for them
to fly to Louisville.
It's very difficult
from the West Coast
to get to Louisville
in a straight shot.
Look, at the end of the day,
I wanna position these players
in the best possible way
so they can give their
best on the pitch
and get those three points.
This is obviously a huge expense
and one that we didn't budget.
Certainly one that I will
budget moving forward.
But it's the right thing
to do for the players,
especially given the fact
that this is the third game
in what'll be eight days.
Ain't no way.
♪ Smooth operator ♪
- ♪ Smooth ♪
- ♪ Smooth op... ♪
♪ Smooth operator ♪
♪ Smooth ♪
♪ Operator ♪
♪ Smooth operator ♪
♪ Smooth ♪
♪ Operator ♪
♪ Coast to coast ♪
- ♪ L.A. to Chicago ♪
- Ah! Ahh!
- ♪ Western male ♪
♪ Across the north and south ♪
- ♪ To Key Largo ♪
- Go, ACFC!
Let's go! Let's go!
Whoo! Let's go! Let's go!
- High five!
- Yay!
You gonna see
Christen? All right.
Let's go, Angel City!
We're huge fans
of Katie Cousins.
- Yep.
- Yeah, we're cheering her on.
ACFC!
I grew up in a home where
it was very religious
and very conservative,
and I was in the
closet for 27 years.
So, I know that she
made some mistakes,
but I think that as a community
full of love and
diversity and inclusion,
we need to forgive Katie,
we need to love one another,
and let that message spread.
Share it with everybody.
Go, women. Go, gays.
Go, Angel City, ACFC.
Let's go, Angel City!
Let's go!
Well, Angel City's head
coach, Freya Coombe
said that there's
a lot of chemistry
with Press and with Endo,
and she wants 'em to
play closer together.
And so it looks like
they're going to shift
their formation a little
bit to do just that.
Racing Louisville, up one.
Press, racing towards it.
Press scores!
The equalizer from
Christen Press.
47 career goals.
Christen Press is
the exact person
to get Angel City
back on track tonight.
- Way to go, Angel City!
- Press, one of the most
prolific goal scorers
in NWSL history.
Yeah, Christen!
That's your girl!
Let's go, Angel City!
Let's go, Simone!
Inside, Simone!
Cuts back, left-footed shot!
- Ohh!
- The finish from McCaskill
against her former club.
- Let's go!
- Let's go.
- So quiet. So quiet!
- Great job! Let's go!
I love the buildup.
Ekic does a great job.
Gets it right back.
Fox to DeMelo.
Hit.
Now there's a player
down for Angel City.
Appears to be Press.
Oof. There it is.
Ugh.
It was really sad.
Like, you never wanna see a
player go down on the field,
and you especially don't
wanna see someone go down
holding their knee.
I was watching
from the sidelines,
and I didn't have a
good feeling about it.
I put her on my back and
walked her to the locker room.
We were both like, you
know, it could be anything.
But in the back of my head,
I thought it was
her ACL, for sure.
Le Bihan to Charley,
who's gonna get there.
What a ball!
But there's... it's dead quiet!
What's happening?
Press goes down, and now
you got a PK to deal with.
Come on, Savy!
- McCaskill, got it!
- Ohh.
A brace for Savannah McCaskill
and the potential knockout
punch for Angel City.
It was a pretty emotional
game with Christen going down,
and it's the first
game we came back from.
They fought for that goal,
and they deserved it.
You know, they've
been fighting so hard.
- They needed that.
- AC!
FC!
Whoo!
Christen is a great
advocate for players.
Her leadership and
the voice that she has
and the weight that
her voice carries...
That's definitely challenging,
missing her both on the
field and off the field.
When Christen went
down, you just knew.
Like, you knew it was bad.
And, I mean, she's so critical
to the offense of our team.
She is the community favorite,
and shows up for Angel
City on and off the pitch.
She led the team in shots,
she led the team in goals.
She is the marquee star.
She is the person
they built around.
She is the L.A. native
coming home to conquer all.
So when Christen
Press went down,
they lose their scoring punch,
they lose their whole offense,
they lose the focus
of their attack
and they lose their
marquee player.
How do you replace all that?
♪ Feels like defeat ♪
♪ I hit the ground hard ♪
♪ They're counting me out ♪
♪ But I made it this far ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm a
fighter, a survivor ♪
♪ When I fall, I'm a riser ♪
♪ This time I'll tell ya ♪
♪ This girl, don't you
know she's a lifer ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Let me catch my breath ♪
♪ I'm gonna get up,
get up, get up ♪
♪ I'm gonna get up,
get up, get up ♪
♪ I'm gonna get up,
get up, get up ♪
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01x02 - Running with the Angels
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American documentary miniseries that follows the inaugural season of Angel City FC, Los Angeles' first professional women's soccer team since the closure of the Los Angeles Sol in 2010.
American documentary miniseries that follows the inaugural season of Angel City FC, Los Angeles' first professional women's soccer team since the closure of the Los Angeles Sol in 2010.