It might sound like the proverbial broken record, but playoff positioning is the name of the game on Sunday in Southern California once again.
Angel City, having squandered a pair of opportunities to jump above the playoff line, is still on the outside of the NWSL playoff picture looking in. A win could muddy the waters in the race for the top six, dragging Chicago into the mess unfolding below them.
On the other side, the Red Stars are just five points off the top of the league with a match in hand on each of the three sides above them. These two sides will meet again on the final matchday of the season, and this weekend’s result could directly impact its stakes.
Kickoff
5:00 p.m. PT at Banc of California in Los Angeles, Calif.
How to watch
The match will air live throughout the U.S. on CBS Sports Network.
How to listen
Tune into the NWSL station on iHeartRadio for live coverage of the game and for other NWSL coverage.
Records
Angel City: 5W-5L-3D (18 points, seventh in NWSL); Chicago Red Stars: 6W-3L-5D (23 points, fourth in NWSL)
Last time out
In NWSL play Angel City conceded later than the 89th minute for the second straight match, settling for a 2-2 draw in Orlando after a late own goal, but then beat Tigres Femenil 1-0 on Wednesday, getting a late Savannah McCaskill to best the Mexican The Red Stars ended a three-match winless run with a decisive 2-0 victory over Gotham FC in Chicago.
PROJECTED LINEUPS:
Angel City (4-4-2, right to left): Dijana Haračić, Tyler Lussi, Megan Reid, Paige Nielsen, Ali Riley, Claire Emslie, Dani Weatherholt, Cari Rocarro, Jun Endo, Savannah McCaskill, Simone Charley
Chicago Red Stars (3-4-3, right to left): Alyssa Naeher, Arin Wright, Zoe Morse, Tatumn Milazzo, Bianca St. Georges, Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico, Rachel Hill, Lūki Nagasato, Ava Cook, Mallory Pugh
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Angel City: Jun Endo, midfielder – It seems like every next game at the Banc is the ‘biggest of the season,’ and Sunday night is no exception to the rule. In Angel City’s two biggest home wins of the season, she’s been simply unavoidable amidst the star power and fanfare.
When this team is clicking, Endo is the Energizer bunny behind it all, making late-arriving runs, putting out fires in transition and driving the Angel City attack forward with the ball at her feet.
If Chicago and Pugh can hit on the break, it will be a long night in the City of Angels. If Endo can control the middle of the park, Angel City can create on the counter like they do best, and they won’t have to survive long spells in their defensive third to boot.
Chicago Red Stars: Mallory Pugh, forward – No need to overthink this one. Pugh is one of the brightest young stars in the sport, and she’ll play in front of the best crowd in the country Sunday night.
Pugh’s six goals are fourth-most in the league this season, and while she’s yet to score since the international break, she assisted on Chicago’s second goal in last weekend’s win over Gotham FC.
If you have a ticket to the Banc, you’ll likely look back at Sunday night as ‘that time I saw Mallory Pugh.’ She’s one of the true game-breakers in the league right now, and with how flimsy Angel City’s defense has appeared of late, Pugh can turn this match on a dime at any moment.
Key matchup: Mallory Pugh’s Pace vs. The Final Whistle
If you’ve ever played FIFA, you know how impossible it is to contain Pugh on the break. While pace disproportionately rules the day on the virtual pitch, it’s impossible to ignore how difficult life will be for Angel City’s backline this weekend.
Angel City has struggled to put away matches of late, surrendering second-half leads in their last two contests as the players have spoken openly of tiring deep into those games.
If Pugh is in the first eleven, she’ll get to slowly wear down this defense over the course of the evening. If she plays the role of super-sub, Pugh’s fresh legs will feast in the waning minutes of Sunday’s contest.
FOR THE WIN:
As desperate as their last two results might suggest Sunday night should be, a draw is still a more than acceptable result for this Angel City side. The only problem is, they can’t go out and play for it.
Angel City have proven unable to defend their way to results, even on nights when they enjoy overwhelming success on the counterattack. The strings must be pulled from midfield, rather than born of desperate defending in front of goal.
This Red Star attack will punish a defensive setup even more than Orlando and the Reign have done before them. Escape with a point if you must, but if this expansion project is to see mid-October, you can not cede control of this weekend’s contest.