Match Preview: Angel City FC vs. Seattle Reign FC

Date: Sunday, March 30, 2025

Time: 5:00 PM

Competition: National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Regular Season

Broadcast: CBS Sports Network

Special Event: Women's History Celebration at BMO Stadium Angel City

Current Form

The upcoming clash between Angel City FC and Seattle Reign FC pits two teams with contrasting starts to their 2025 campaigns. Angel City has begun their season with consecutive 1-1 draws against San Diego and Portland, leaving them in 8th place with 2 points. The Los Angeles-based side will be looking to avoid making club history with a third consecutive draw.

Seattle Reign enters the match in 5th position with 4 points, having gone unbeaten in their first two fixtures (1 win, 1 draw). This marks the sixth time in club history that the Reign have started a season without a loss in their opening matches. Their defensive solidity has been evident, conceding just two goals while scoring three.

Head-to-Head Record

The historical matchup heavily favors Seattle, who have dominated this fixture with an 8-1-2 record against Angel City. Angel City's most recent victory came last October when they secured a narrow 1-0 win. This victory was a rare bright spot for Angel City in this rivalry.

Key Players to Watch

Angel City FC:

• Gisele Thompson: The young defender provided the assist in Angel City's recent draw with Portland and is becoming an increasingly important creative outlet. The Thompson sisters have contributed four of Angel City's last six assists.
  

Seattle Reign FC:

• Jordyn Bugg: Her long-range strike in Seattle's 2-1 victory over the Courage registered an xG of just 0.028, the lowest on any goal scored in the NWSL this season and the third-lowest xG on a goal by an NWSL defender since the beginning of last season. This demonstrates her exceptional finishing ability from unlikely positions.

• Jess Fishlock: The veteran midfielder's availability is questionable after being substituted in her last match due to a shin issue. Her presence would be crucial for Seattle, given her extensive experience in this rivalry. If cleared to play, Fishlock's vision and leadership in midfield could be a determining factor in the match outcome.

Coaching Situation

This match features an interesting coaching dynamic as Angel City is currently led by Interim Head Coach Sam Laity, who will remain in charge until a permanent coach is hired around June 2025. This transitional period adds another layer of intrigue to the fixture.

What's at Stake

For Angel City, this match represents an opportunity to secure their first win of the season and potentially climb out of the bottom half of the table. Meanwhile, Seattle could move into the top three with a victory, continuing their solid start to the 2025 campaign.

Prediction

Given Seattle's historical dominance in this fixture and stronger start to the season, they enter as slight favorites. However, Angel City will be eager to build on their victory in the teams' last meeting and finally secure their first three points of the season.