LOS ANGELES — Snapping a three-game scoreless stretch, Angel City FC won for the first time since early May, defeating Racing Louisville FC, 3-2, on Wednesday night for the club’s second victory at BMO Stadium this season.
At the midway point of the 2024 NWSL schedule, Angel City entered the night one spot behind Louisville, which visited L.A. occupying the eighth and final playoff position in the 14-team league.
Due to a better goal differential, Louisville (3-4-6) departs Southern California in the same position but tied at 15 points with ACFC, which had been winless in five consecutive matches.
Heading into the contest with the third-fewest goals in NWSL, ACFC (4-6-3) needed someone other than their leading scorer Claire Emslie to contribute since the forward began the midweek match on the bench.
Seventeen-year-old midfielder Kennedy Fuller, who opted to skip playing for the University of North Carolina when she signed with ACFC in March, became the third-youngest player in NWSL history to score a goal when she broke through for Angel City in the 17th minute.
Fuller, who wears No. 17, received a pass from defender Madison Curry before redirecting it near the penalty spot past Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund.
In the 32nd minute, Angel City extended its advantage thanks to Rocky Rodriguez, who netted her first goal after being acquired from Portland in the offseason by tucking away a skipping free kick into the box with her left foot.
Louisville got one back before the break when referee Lorenzo Hernandez went to the monitor for a video review after a foul by Megan Reid in the box against Elexa Bahr. Hernandez ruled that Reid, whom he showed a yellow card, stepped on Bahr’s ankle.
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Forward Taylor Flint converted the penalty in the 41st minute, sending ACFC goalkeeper DiDi Haračić the wrong way.
The visitors leveled the match after the hour mark, when defender Carson Pickett had space in the box and hit a shot that deflected beyond Haračić’s reach.
Moments after Fuller was taken off in the 84th minute, another one of her teen teammates, 19-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson, set up the game winner by veteran Sydney Leroux, who split Louisville defenders as she ran onto a perfect pass and knocked it in at the far post.
Struggling to score this year, the assist marked Thompson’s fifth of the season.
For Leroux, 34, it was her 45th regular-season goal in NWSL competition.
More to come on this story.