In first game since its coach was fired, Angel City rallies to beat San Diego Wave
SAN DIEGO — Paige Nielsen and M.A. Vignola scored to rally Angel City to a 2-1 win over the host San Diego Wave in a National Women’s Soccer League match Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
The victory came in Angel City’s first match since Freya Coombe was fired as coach Thursday after a rocky start that put the team in 11th place at the midway point of the season. Assistant coach Becki Tweed took over and will serve as the interim head coach until a permanent replacement is selected.
Kristen McNabb opened the scoring for the Wave in the 57th minute, running onto a pass from Alex Morgan at the top of the box and blasting a shot past Ali Riley and into the right corner.
Angel City, an expansion franchise that failed to make the playoffs last season and sits at the bottom of NWSL standings, fired coach Freya Coombe.
It was San Diego’s fifth goal from outside the box, the most in the NWSL.
Nielsen tied the score in the 70th minute, bringing down a corner kick at the far post and squeezing her shot into the near-post corner.
In the 89th minute, Angel City (3-6-3) found its game-winning goal. Scarlett Camberos pounced on a poor touch from the Wave and passed to Vignola, who finished from close range. All three goals were scored by defenders.
Angel City became the first team this season to win a match when trailing in the 65th minute.
San Diego, which entered the weekend at the top of the league standings, fell to 6-4-2.
