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How Angel City demolished Portland to make its first NWSL postseason in franchise history

‘We knew that we could hurt them’: Angel City started scoring early and never stopped, beating Portland 5-1 to prevent the Thorns from winning the Shield

Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

To say that Angel City FC’s turnaround in the second half of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season has been nothing less than magical is an understatement.

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When Becki Tweed was tapped to become the interim head coach in mid-June, Angel City was 11th in the 12-team standings with only nine points. Since Tweed took over, Angel City has eight wins, five draws and only one loss in the regular season.

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On Sunday, the second-year team from Los Angeles routed the then-first-place Portland Thorns, 5-1 to leap into fifth place, good enough to clinch the team’s first postseason berth.

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Last year, in Angel City’s inaugural season, the squad fell just short of the playoffs, ending the season in eighth place with 29 points.

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