Angel City arrives to the 2026 NWSL playoffs on a tear. In their last 10 matches, they’ve won eight and lost none. However, this form, which has earned them a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2023, could’ve been hardly predicted just a few months ago.
After a difficult first part of the year that led to a coaching change, they seem to have finally found consistency, and with it a renewed sense of confidence. They improved in defensive performances and in versatility in the attack, added to young players who have helped the roster to be more balanced.
The question they face now is whether all that will be enough to beat the Kansas City Current and advance to the semifinals.
Midseason struggles, reset under Smerud
Angel City began their season with a three-game win streak, but that promising start quickly gave way to a difficult stretch. Under Alexander Straus, they had collected just 13 points from 11 matches.
Those results led the club to part ways with him and appoint Leif Smerud as interim coach on June 17. That change, combined with the league’s one-month midseason break, provided an opportunity for Angel City to regroup.
“We really needed the break,” said striker Sveindís Jónsdóttir on the Full Time podcast. According to the Icelander, they used that time to train extensively, address their problems and come together around reaching the playoffs.
Under Smerud, the team earned 39 points in 19 games, suffering only two defeats. Moreover, its attacking output increased from 1.45 to two goals per match, while its defense conceded fewer goals and recorded eight clean sheets.
When explaining what changed under Smerud, rookie midfielder Carina Lageyre said recently on the Expected Own Goals podcast, “We’ve had clear game plans.” She also highlighted psychological preparation during team meetings, which helped the group endure the midseason coaching change. The group remained united and embraced Smerud’s approach.
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Defensive improvements
Perhaps the most significant improvement came defensively. Angel City finished the season with ten clean sheets, more than doubling its previous club record of four.
Maybe one of the reasons behind that improvement was the arrival of Emily Sams. The 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year certainly strengthened the back line, along with Sarah Gorden and Evelyn Shores. Savy King’s return also added another important option.
The improvement also involved the midfield. Lageyre explained how Gorden and Sams helped her recognize when to press and when to hold her position, highlighting the communication and group understanding behind the team’s defensive performance.
That development helped the team to turn close matches into wins. They did so at the end of September when they played the Washington Spirit on the road and got a 1-0 win, proving they could protect a narrow lead.
Attacking contributors and midfield understanding
King’s return meant an adjustment was needed in the right back position. With King playing as a right-back, Gisele Thompson was pushed into a more advanced role on the right flank, allowing her to contribute to the attack with fewer defensive responsibilities.
This gave Angel City another attacking threat while maintaining the team’s defensive structure. The move demonstrates how they could improve not just through new signings, but also by finding different ways to use the available roster.
The adjustment worked, helping the team to finish their regular season with an impressive 54 goals in favor, tied with Kansas City for most in the league this year. Jónsdóttir and Maiara Niehues grew into important attacking threats, with Ally Sentnor flourishing once she was signed in the summer.
Young players also contributed to Angel City’s attacking improvement. One of them was rookie Taylor Suarez, whose two goals and two assists in October and November earned her the NWSL Rookie of the Month award.
In the midfield, Lageyre developed a good understanding with Ary Borges, balancing their attacking and defensive responsibilities.
The underlying numbers also reflect this progress.
These results didn’t happen overnight; it took them some time to adjust and adapt. But after September, the team’s underlying performances became increasingly encouraging. Angel City consistently created more non-penalty expected goals (blue line) than it conceded (red line). This suggests its unbeaten run was backed not just by results but by stronger performances.
The challenge ahead
Angel City didn’t just start winning games. It developed the collective understanding and balance that was missing in previous seasons.
Their improved defensive organization will be put to the test when they visit CPKC on Saturday for the quarterfinals, where the Current have gone unbeaten in the regular season since July 6, 2024.
The challenge for Angel City will be in finding a way to maintain an attacking approach without leaving too much space behind, since Kansas City has the ability to convert turnovers into dangerous opportunities with ease. They proved that throughout the season, scoring just as many goals as Angel City — more than all other teams in the league.
Angel City might have finished with the impressive number of 10 clean sheets and proven goalscoring prowess, but all the hard work that paid off in the regular season means nothing going into the postseason.
“That doesn’t mean anything in the playoffs now,” said Jónsdóttir when referring to the team’s 10-match unbeaten streak.
It took months of hard work for Angel City to earn their place among the playoff contenders. It’s now or never to translate that into postseason success.
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