By Sanai Greenaway
KidScoop Media Correspondent,
age10
On October 15th, I attended the Angel City FC vs Portland Thorns soccer game at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. I was excited to be attending as a KidScoopMedia reporter. I watched the game from the Press Box amid the 22,000 fans. It was a high stakes game. ACFC was angling to secure a spot in the playoffs. After the game, I interviewed defender Sarah Gordon (#11) and the Interim Head Coach, Becki Tweed.
By the time the pink smoke rose up into the air, and the red fireworks cracked in the sky, my heart was pounding, hoping ACFC would not only end their season strong, but also secure a spot in the playoffs. Ranked 8th going into the game, they needed to hop two rankings to secure a spot. As soon as ACFC kicked off, it was an intense game. Both teams were pressuring the ball, and both teams had some chances.
The first goal of the game was scored by ACFC’s Vignola (#5) at the 36 minute mark. She made a low shot to the far corner. It was a hard shot to make, since she was about fifteen feet to the left of the left goal post. The crowd went wild.
Just two minutes later, the second goal was scored by ACFC’s Camberos (#15), assisted by Emslie (#10). Emslie positioned herself on the left side of the penalty box, got the ball, and sent it across the middle, which is the ‘Danger Zone’ for the other team. Right then, Camberos (#15) scored a header near the right post. The crowd was astonished, considering ACFC might beat the number-one team. Then, just a few minutes later, Hammond (#99) got a yellow card for tripping and accidentally kicking a player a minute before halftime, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.
ACFC came out of halftime and played even better; McCaskill (#9) immediately scored a goal within just two minutes. ACFC was dominating, making beautiful passes, crosses, and shots on goal, and scored again, this time a bicycle kick by Leroux (#2). The game then slowed down until Portland’s Sugita (#8) scored a goal at the 79 minute mark. But then, just a minute later, ACFC’s Endo (#18) responded with a goal. This wrapped up the game with a final score of 5 to 1.
After the game, I had the chance to interview defender Sarah Gordon (#11). I asked her, “How does it feel to win and move on to the playoffs in front of 22,000 fans?” Gordon replied, “It feels really amazing.”