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Finally, after one of the rainiest winters in Southern California, the BMO stadium was filled with a cool breeze paired with rays of sun warming the field and stadium seats. From the press box, a long awaited panoramic view of the entire field gave way to the most beautiful skyline. Wow, what a great day for our home Angels to rewrite the start of the season in the beautiful Bank of Montreal, BMO Stadium, building on home field advantage. Not quite a sold out stadium, the fans were still hyped to see their Angels command the field. The food was great and the orange chicken and rice was the best ever from my eleven year old point of view. Albeit, it set the mood on a perfect day as they celebrated Katie Johnson's 100th game. Equally noteworthy, McCaskill will be facing her former club.
In the first half Racing Louisville was a dominating offensive force against Angel City FC. First an early foul against AC was directing the game's fate. FC in the box in the second minute, spurred by Vignola as she tried to curb DeMelo's efforts towards the goal. Arghh, the second minute of the game and already ACFC's errors. "PIIIIIIIIII!" The referee blew the whistle for the penalty and Louisville's #7 Savannah DeMelo didn't disappoint as she aimed the most perfect rocket completely out of reach as the ball squeezed through the top center edge of the goal. The shot was unblockable! The seemed to embolden Racing Louisville while having the reverse effect on ACFC's possession over the ball and Louisville owned those multiple chances to score. It finally paid off. In the 31st minute RLFC #22 Kirsten Davis scores an absolute banger of a goal and now it is 0 - 2 Louisville, in what appears to be an irreversible lead. ACFC fans were starting to lose hope in their team but the team apparently fed off the crowd's despair and regained a controlling possession of the match to slow the Luoisville's advances through the first half. The Angels took more and more chances of scoring, led by the forwards' efforts but the Angels could not get the ball into the back of the net, ending the first half without any effort to goal conversions.
Back from halftime Angel City was hungry for goals. It was starting to become a completely different ballgame in the second half. Given the repeated efforts taken by the Angels, they were getting more and more chances to score as Racing Louisville started to lose possession of the ball. Finally, in the 67th minute of the game, ACFC was granted a high scoring chance with a free kick. Delivered by McCaskill, #9, the kick sent the ball in the middle of a sea of Racing's defenders, where out of nowhere the Angel's Katie Johnson, #27 slid through the crack and knees the ball into the goal " Golazoooo!" If you blinked you would have missed it. 1 - 2, ACFC is finally in the game, giving the Angels a glimmer of hope. Can they tie or win the game? Another twenty minutes of trading possessions, and almost all chances disappearing, when Alyssa Thompson has the ball–it's the 86th minute–and crosses it to McCaskill. McCaskill does a 360 and boots the ball into the goal "Gooooooooooal!" The game is tied. Possession goes back and forth as both teams make an effort to break 2 - 2, but neither side would be a victor tonight. The game is over and Savannah McCaskill's final play saves the day. The Angels, earning their respect tonight, maintain the draw. The whole stadium relieved another loss was avoided and they triumphed over surviving a hard fought match-up. What a fight by the entire teams of Angel City Football Club and Racing Louisville. Regardless of who you were rooting for, fans witnessed two rivals who never gave up on the game. However, the Angels proved they belonged, turning what should have been a deflating 0 - 2 in their BMO home stadium into a 2 - 2 standoff. Until the next time, this "time-out" in a "showdown" will have to do before a victor can be crowned.
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