NWSL:Seattle Reign FC Tops Angel City FC 1-0 in Coachella Valley Invitational Finale
- Jonathan Turner
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
INDIO, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2026) — Angel City FC controlled much of the second half but fell 1-0 to Seattle Reign FC on Saturday in its final match of the Coachella Valley Invitational.
Seattle forward Nérelia Mondésir scored the lone goal in the 54th minute, collecting a deflection at the top of the penalty area and driving a shot into the lower left corner.
Angel City nearly equalized in the 88th minute after being awarded an indirect free kick inside the box when Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey handled a back pass. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller’s attempt was blocked by the Reign defense.
“We didn't get the result that we wanted, but we did have a lot of chances on goal,” Angel City defender Gisele Thompson said. “It's still preseason, so we're going to bring as much as we can into the season, learn from our mistakes and be better than we were today.”
Midfielder Hina Sugita helped dictate the tempo for Angel City over the first 80 minutes, creating several opportunities on corner kicks and free kicks.
In the 53rd minute, Sugita delivered a long free kick toward the right post, where Evelyn Shores and Nealy Martin made runs but could not redirect the service on frame.
“When we broke the press of Seattle and got out, we had some really good moments,” Angel City coach Alexander Straus said. “And defensively, we want to press, and we did that well.”
Both teams had chances in a scoreless first half.
Angel City threatened in the 31st minute when Sugita’s corner was mishandled by Dickey. Forward Riley Tiernan got a touch on the loose ball, but defender Sofia Huerta cleared it off the goal line. Midfielder Ary Borges followed with a header, and Dickey secured the save.
Seattle’s best first-half opportunity came a minute later when forward Maddie Mercado struck the crossbar. The Reign earned five first-half corners but generated few shots on target against the Angel City defense.
Thompson tested Seattle in the ninth minute, firing from the top of the box after receiving a cross-field pass from Tiernan. The shot was deflected out for a corner.
Angel City’s first scoring chance came in the fifth minute when Tiernan back-heeled a pass to midfielder Maiara Niehues, whose low shot was saved by Dickey.
“It felt great to finally put into a game what we’ve been practicing for the last couple of weeks,” defender Emily Sams said. “I just feel super excited about the potential that we have, and I think we look really good even though we didn’t get the results.”
Defender Savy King made her second consecutive preseason start, playing the first half as she continues her return from a cardiac incident last May.
Goalkeeper Hannah Seabert started and kept a clean sheet in the opening half.
Angel City opens the regular season at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, against the Chicago Stars at BMO Stadium. The match will stream on Victory+.
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