Angel City FC can’t overcome 2-goal deficit in loss to Seattle

LOS ANGELES — Angel City Football Club met its enemy on Friday night and it was the video review monitor.

On two separate occasions in the second half, Angel City thought it had a goal, but both times referee Trevor Wiseman went to the video review monitor and disallowed both goals.

By the time the dust had settled and the fans stopped booing the referee’s decision, Angel City (6-10-3, 21 points) was handed a 3-2 defeat against the Seattle Reign in front of 16,023 at BMO Stadium.

“I’m proud of the group for fighting to the end,” captain and defender Sarah Gorden said. “We have to put the fate in our hands to put the game away.

“Typically, I feel like most of the refs, good or bad, have been open to talking to the captain on the field, but this one did not at all. It was not enjoyable to be on the field with him. He was not giving us the respect we deserve.”

The loss snapped Angel City’s two-game winning streak to restart NWSL play and left the club on 21 points, tied with eighth-place Bay FC. The top eight teams in the 14-team league will qualify for the playoffs.

In the 67th minute, Angel City thought it had cut the deficit on a goal by M.A. Vignola, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call. However, Angel City might have deserved at least a free kick as the referee signaled for the advantage to be played early in the play as Jasmyne Spencer was fouled.

Then in the 83rd minute, Madison Hammond scored, which should have made it a one-goal deficit, but again, the goal was taken away due to a foul in the build-up of the play.

In the 99th minute, Angel City finally had its second goal from Sydney Leroux to officially cut the deficit to 3-2, but that was as close as the club would get.

“We wanted to bring energy and wanted to push and get forward,” defender M.A. Vignola said. “When two (goals) went in, we assumed they would count.”

The night started so promising for Angel City on Alyssa Thompson’s goal in the eighth minute. The goal was her fourth in the last three games.

However, Angel City didn’t make it to halftime with that lead. Seattle scored the equalizer in the 32nd minute as Sofia Huerta converted a penalty kick. Moments earlier, Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haračić appeared to take down Jordyn Huitema, but the foul wasn’t confirmed until after referee Trevor Wiseman went to the video review.

The Reign eventually took a 2-1 lead into halftime on Ji So-Yun’s spectacular finish just inside the 18-yard box.

This was the first league match between the teams this season. They will meet again on Oct. 4 in Seattle.

“Coming back from two VAR calls is tough,” Angel City coach Becki Tweed said. “But I think it helps us grow. Another minute or two, we had them on the ropes. I said to the players, we have to put the first half behind us … the second half performance gives us a real chance.”

Angel City now has seven games remaining, with the next one on the road against Racing Louisville FC. Heading into the weekend, just four points separate seventh place from 11th.