Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir scores her first NWSL goal in Angel City loss
Highlights from Angel City’s 2-1 loss to North Carolina on Saturday.
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Manaka Matsukubo scored her sixth goal of the season and the Courage went on to defeat Angel City 2-1 on Saturday at First Horizon Stadium in Cary, N.C.
The 21-year-old Japanese international attacker opened the scoring in the sixth minute. First, Matsukubo shrugged off a defender, then carried the ball into the box and swept it into the corner with a clean strike.
When a ball across the box wasn’t properly cleared, Brianna Pinto made it 2-0 with a powerful strike from the center of the box in the 19th minute.
It’s clear Angel City didn’t want to upset fans by letting Alyssa Thompson transfer to Chelsea, but the move was a massive win for both player and team.
Nealy Martin, who signed with Angel City on Tuesday, made her debut when she came on as a substitute for Macey Hodge in the 46th minute.
Angel City struggled to create significant chances for much of the second half, but did find a way through the Courage defense in the 88th minute. Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir scored her first NWSL goal with a simple finish from close range after good wing play by Miyabi Moriya.
The win was first for the Courage (6-7-7) since firing coach Sean Nahas in August, snapping a six-game winless streak.
Angel City (6-9-5) has lost two consecutive road games since losing Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea for a transfer worth more than $1 million.
