Professional Women's Soccer in Los Angeles to Begin Play in 2022
It's official, Folks! Today, October 21, 2020 will go down as a landmark date in Los Angeles sports history as Angel City Football Club confirmed its name and officially joined the National Women's Soccer League. The newest member of Southern California's acclaimed professional sports franchises, Angel City is scheduled to take the pitch starting in Spring 2022. Just as LAFC's Inaugural debut in 2018 ignited the city and Major League Soccer, ACFC is expected to have the same effect on the NWSL.
Founder and President Julie Uhrman confirmed the team's formal name as Angel City Football Club (ACFC) as the franchise becomes the 11th NWSL expansion team: "We could not be more pleased to have reached this exciting milestone of officially joining the league and introducing the world to Angel City Football Club."
"I am also thrilled to announce some additional founding investors who have already been contributing meaningfully to the Angel City Family. This group, aligned in our passion and purpose, is committed to delivering for Los Angeles and our fans on and off the pitch."
The list of new investors includes sports and civil rights icon and International Tennis Hall of Famer, Billie Jean King, and her partner, former U.S. Open doubles champion and former CEO and Commissioner of World Team Tennis, Ilana Kloss. Reinforcing their credentials, both have been minority owners with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2018.
Other renowned athletes joining the ACFC's investment group are WNBA superstar Candace Parker and her daughter Lailaa, Olympic Gold Medalist and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, NHL All-Star P.K. Subban, L.A. Galaxy and U.S. National Soccer Team star Cobi Jones and former NFL All-Pro center Ryan Kalil, also a first-team All-American and two-time National Champion at USC. Entertainment and local notables include Latin pop superstar Becky G, actress and activist Sophia Bush, actor and Late Night host James Corden, MLS co-owner Ben Grossman, private investor Deirdre DeLany, and media executive Brian Sullivan.
Other media and entertainment investors include Rachael Blumberg, Courtney Carter, Glenne Christiaansen, Robyn Farmer, Jeremi Gorman, Sarah Harden, Karin Kildow, Amy Longhi, Hedy Nazarian, Rachael Neumann, Heidi Patel, Jenna Segal, Laela Sturdy, John Brennan, Juan David Borrero and Jasmine Tookes, Jack Brody and Nicole Gibbs, Doug Sanders, Kathrin Dellago and Doug Dossey, Mark Sheletsky, Jim Shepherd, and George Strompolos, Intersect VC, and Ben Winston.
The NWSL just wrapped up its Fall Series as the Portland Thorns FC were declared winners of the 2020 Verizon Community Shield. The Thorns finished with a 3-0-1 in the Fall Series. The Houston Dash secured second place and the Washington Spirit took third. "Congratulations to Portland, Houston and Washington on finishing this unprecedented year in fantastic fashion, and thanks to Verizon for making this fall series about something bigger than just wins and losses," by Commissioner Lisa Baird. "I'm really proud of the role that each of our clubs play in the city's where they live and play."
Angel City's relevance to the NWSL, founded in 2012, was reiterated by Baird: "The soccer community in Southern California is filled with passionate fans of the game and I can't wait to see them rally around their own team and help us continue to grow the NWSL." Without a doubt, Angel City Football Club's membership is paramount to the future success of the fledgling league given the City of Los Angeles' evolving stature as the Sports Capitol of the World.
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