Angel City FC faces Portland in third Challenge Cup game UP NEXT

Angel City Football Club reaches the halfway point of the six-game Challenge Cup schedule with a visit to the Portland Thorns tonight.

Angel City dropped its first Cup game, 2-0, against OL Reign on April 19. The teams met again on May 3 and played to a scoreless draw.

Tonight, ACFC returns to Cup play coming off of Saturday’s 4-1 drubbing at the hands of OL Reign in Seattle. The game against the Thorns will air on Paramount+ (7:30 p.m.). Angel City is currently in third place (one point) in the West Division in the Challenge Cup standings

“I’m thrilled that we have a game on Wednesday,” Angel City FC defender Ali Riley said. “It’s a chance for us to show what our identity really is and what we stand for.

“I don’t care if it’s a Challenge Cup, league or friendly match, I want this chance now to go out and show what we represent as Angel City away. We take the pride of representing Los Angeles on the road.”

Angel City’s first meeting against Portland came in league play and ended in a 3-3 draw. Julie Ertz gave Angel City a 3-2 lead, but the Thorns salvaged the draw with goalkeeper Bella Bixby’s late stoppage time goal off a corner kick.

It’s been that type of season for Angel City, which is in 10th place in the regular-season standings of the 12-team league, winless in its last three matches and

Today: Angel City FC at Portland, NWSL Challenge Cup, 7:30p.m., Paramount+

four of its last five.

Ertz has missed the last two games with a thigh injury.

Angel City’s chances Saturday took a hit with defenders Paige Nielsen and M.A. Vignola missing due to COVID protocols and versatile Jun Endo leaving the game in the second half with a leg injury.

The club also hasn’t done a good enough job of getting Alyssa Thompson into scoring chances. Angel City has scored only one goal in the last three games. Thompson, who has three goals on the season, has only one shot on goal in the last three games.

Angel City is closer to getting Sydney Leroux back in the lineup, which should boost the attack. Leroux was upgraded to questionable ahead of Saturday’s game and was on the roster, but was never in Coombe’s plans to enter the game, especially on artificial turf.

“She’s making incredible progress, which is the piece I want to focus on,” Coombe said. “Having her back around the team is lifting us. Her mentality is what we need to inject into performances like today. We are really pleased to have her back and look forward to her appearance in the next few games.”

Angel City’s next home game is Monday against the Chicago Red Stars.