Last Saturday was about debuts and returns for the Angel City Football Club.
First, Alex Straus made his debut as coach, taking over June 1 after completing his time with Bayern Munich. The game ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to M.A. Vignola’s late goal.
Also, highlighting the evening was the return of Savy King to BMO Stadium. The Angel City FC defender collapsed May 9 and days later underwent heart surgery. She drew a loud ovation from the crowd when she was shown on the videoboard watching the game from a stadium luxury box.
Saturday was also the first game since the 2023 season that midfielder Jun Endo was available after recovering from her ACL injury suffered during last preseason.
Forward Christen Press talked Thursday about King’s and Endo’s returns.
“We had the opportunity to see Savy, she visited us at training a couple days before the match,” Press said. “Her and the medical staff orchestrated quite the surprise and we did not know she was going to be there. We were all in a meeting, turned around and she strolled up with her moms. It was truly a beautiful moment and something that I will never forget.
“This has been an experience with Savy that I never could have imagined in a lot of ways. She will be our inspiration, our unifier, and our perspective through this season. If you know Savy, she’s such a light. The very first time I met her, I said she has the best smile of any person I’ve ever seen. She’s so sweet and joyful, and to have that type of energy after what she’s been through is not required or expected of her during this time. She brings that energy because that is who she is.”
Endo was on the gameday roster last week, but didn’t make an appearance. She suffered her injury during preseason training last year and was placed on the season-ending injury list.
“Jun has got to be one of the most beloved players on Angel City because of the joy and the style that she brings to the game. She has done that since game one at Angel City. Having a personal experience with an ACL, I know how hard and complicated it is. Each of our journeys are unique, and for Jun, what I see in her is just the most pure level of fun and joy being back on the pitch.
“We’ve had the privilege of watching Jun juggling a tennis ball thousands of times, every training session on the sideline as she’s gone through this recovery journey. She takes the players through different technical games to work on their first touch and that type of meticulous training really shows when she comes back into training.
“She looks like she’s one of the best players among us, and she also deserves the grace to come back on her own time and at her own pace. From a technical and tactical perspective, she looks like she didn’t miss a beat. I’m excited for her to get back on the pitch in the game. We’re super grateful for her to be in training and fighting to be back in the squad.”
Summer friendlies announced
Angel City has two summer friendlies lined up for July, facing Carolina Ascent FC of the USL Super League, July 26 at BMO Stadium. With the league on break in July, teams have the opportunity to play friendlies.
The week prior, Angel City will face Northern California rival Bay FC in a doubleheader at PayPal Park, as part of Bay FC’s Summer Series.
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE at ANGEL CITY FC
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: BMO Stadium
How to watch: ION
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