THE ANGEL –
The future of US women’s soccer met the present of the sport at a late afternoon matinee at BMO Stadium on Sunday. And Alex Morgan, the sport’s current leading lady, showed she’s not ready to step down just yet, helping the San Diego Wave to a 2-0 win over Angel City and teenage Alyssa Thompson, their possible heir to the throne.
The two goals, both second-half substitutes, came five minutes apart late in the second half, the first when Sofia Jakobsson converted a pass from Christen Westphal into a goal at the end of a counterattack, and the second when Makenzy Doniak saved a long-range shot against Angel City defender Sarah Gorden.
Morgan got the assist for the second goal and closed the door on Angel City’s first home loss to their Southern California rival. But the day wasn’t a complete loss for Angel City as it marked the NWSL return of two-time world champion Julie Ertz after a two-year hiatus during which she gave birth to her first child.
The game, played to a sold-out crowd of 22,000, was the first between Morgan, an 11-year NWSL veteran, and Thompson, who was just starting out in the Third Division, although Thompson hardly needed an introduction. The two played side-by-side on the national team earlier this month, and beneath the decor in the nursery Thompson shared with sister Gisele was a 2015 US national team poster, meaning she’s greeted by Morgan’s smiling face every morning was awakened.
That face has become the face of US soccer, but Morgan is now 33 and a mother. She’s still playing some of the best soccer games of her career, but this summer’s World Cup could be her last. And while Thompson, 18, is too young to become Morgan’s direct successor, she’s too good to be kept out of the conversation for long.
Carli Lloyd, a two-time World Player of the Year and now an NWSL analyst, says such talks are not only premature but potentially damaging.
“Often the media and US soccer tries to pick a player or two to be the ‘face’ of the team, but sometimes that can hurt a player if they don’t live up to the hype,” she said. “Alyssa definitely has the qualities to make it to the WNT, but it could be in the best interest of Alyssa and the football world to let Alyssa be an 18-year-old professional player and enjoy her journey.”
Speaking of travel, Ertz, 31, completed her comeback with a solid 72-minute performance less than a week after joining Angel City on a free-agent deal.
“I’m so grateful to be here,” said Ertz, who only trained twice with her teammates before Sunday. “I have so much fun playing with them. Of course today is not the result we want so it sounds weird but I had so much fun tonight.”
For captain Ali Riley, the addition of a defensive midfielder like Ertz will change the way the side play on both sides of the ball.
“It’s a piece of the puzzle that will be so important for us to move forward,” she said. “I really think this is a game changer for us.”
Sunday’s game was the first of four scheduled clashes between Angel City (1-2-1) and The Wave (3-1-0), second-year clubs whose rivalry has already become one of the best in the league. And both sides have endured a frustrating opening hour. Morgan’s best chance came in the 36th minute when the ball found her on the edge of the box, but she stumbled and sent a right foot shot well over the bar.
Three minutes later, the at times electrifying Thompson played a lovely cross from left wing to wide-open Katie Johnson in the center of the box, but Johnson failed to control the ball and failed to get a shot out. Thompson also set up Ertz early in the second half with a skillful chip at the near post that Ertz couldn’t reach and then a shot from almost the same spot was pinned at the post by Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan.
That save proved great as minutes later Jakobsson, a Sweden international, put the wave ahead to stay with their first goal of the season. And while San Diego coach Casey Stoney welcomed her team’s three points and second shutout in as many games, the return of Ertz, Morgan’s continued brilliance and the emergence of Thompson dominated the post-game press conference.
“The future of American football,” she said, “is very, very bright.”
Baxter writes for the Los Angeles Times.
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