ACFC can’t overcome first-half deficit

LOS ANGELES >> Approaching the halfway point of year No. 2, the Angel City Football Club is still a work in progress.

It entered Monday’s game against the lastplace Chicago Red Stars with only one win in its last 10 games, including three Challenge Cup games.

Despite a late goal from Sydney Leroux in her 2023 season debut, Angel City (2-5-3, nine points) suffered another loss, falling 2-1 in front of 16,682 at BMO Stadium.

“We have to step up our competitiveness,” Angel City coach Freya Coombe said. “We have to be able to deal with moments right now.”

Angel City’s last win was May 7 against the Kansas City Current (32).

After three consecutive road games (North Carolina, OL Reign and Portland), the return home didn’t seem to help in the early stages. Chicago, which had scored just two goals in the month of May, took advantage of a pair of set pieces and equaled last month’s total as Ava Cook scored both for a 2-0 lead before the 30-minute mark.

Angel City, which had a starting forward trio of Scarlett Camberos, Katie

Johnson and Claire Emslie, managed only one shot on goal in the first half, and that came on Julie Ertz’s header that Chiago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was able to keep it out of the goal.

One positive for Angel City was the return of Leroux. Leroux, who was acquired last year in a trade with Orlando, underwent ankle surgery shortly after arriving and finally returned to action, coming on as a 76th-minute sub.

In the 88th minute, she got on the end of an Alyssa Thompson cross and scored to make it 2-1. The goal was the first for Leroux as a member of Angel City. She scored twice for the Orlando Pride before the trade last season.