Angel City FC found success under interim coach Tweed
Becki Tweed was promoted to Angel City Football Club's interim coach as the team sat in 11th place in the NWSL standings.
At the time, ACFC general manager Angela Hucles Mangano said she “felt that a change was needed at this time” in dismissing Freya Coombe halfway into the season.
Even with the change, not many could have expected the turnaround. In 14 games under Tweed, including Challenge Cup and league, Angel City posted an 8-1-5 record.
“When I look at the Portland game (Sunday's 5-1 playoff-clinching win), if we were to look at complete performances over the last 12 games, it might be the most complete performance that we've had,” Tweed said. “I think we've had results that have been gritty, but when I look at the Portland game, it was like everything we've worked for came together.”
The win and goal output moved Angel City from eighth place to fifth, securing the club's first NWSL playoff berth. Angel City, the fifth seed, will visit fourth-seeded OL Reign tonight in Seattle (7 p.m., Paramount+). The winner will face top-seeded San Diego Wave FC in the semifinals.
The club's performance under Tweed begs the question: Should an interim coach receive league Coach of the Year honors?
“Becki has done an amazing job,” ACFC defender M.A. Vignola said. “Just look at what she has done. She knows how we work and how to say things to us and each different player works.
“You can even tell at training that she's very in tune with everyone individually. That helps us as a collective because it helps us to be able to talk to each other in certain ways. We push each other and get through the nitty and gritty. That's what she does best that was missing.”
The other question is whether Tweed should have the interim tag removed.
“She's done a great job of holding us accountable, pushing us and just managing players,” defender Sarah Gorden said.
Through the run, players have credited the training environment as a reason for the in-season turnaround.
“Training has been very competitive, which is translating to the field on game days,” Vignola said. “Also, the most important thing too is that we're drilling into each other's heads. We are all together, everyone's important, everyone has a role, everyone's role is important. It doesn't matter if you're coming off the bench or you're playing 90 minutes, everyone's important, everyone's needed.
“We all built into that a ton. That's the lifestyle here and we're showing it on the field.”
The playoff journey certainly didn't look like it was achievable in the summer, but now here is the secondyear club with a chance to add another chapter to their short history.
“I know my title right now is interim head coach, but we have an incredible group of staff,” Tweed said. “We've won games in these moments that haven't just come down to the head coach or the players. There's a bigger squad than that. We say every day in the film room and at training, it's not about 11 players, it's about 26 people.
“We have players that grind every day and don't make the squad, but they keep going because they believe in the team. We have staff that are truly important to the vision that know we can be great. I can't speak highly enough of how the team has come together as a whole.”