Angel City welcomes new talent with hope of

Ever since she visited Los Angeles with her national group three years in the past, Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir knew she needed to play in the National Women’s Soccer League at some point.

When the chance to play for Angel City offered itself, Jónsdóttir was keen to be part of the league and play for new Angel City coach Alexander Straus.

“When Angel City came up, I was just really excited about it,” she mentioned. “I know Alex. I played against him when he was at Bayern and so I knew he was a great coach.”

Three new gamers have joined Angel City (4-3-6) during the previous few months, delivering an infusion talent for a group that sits in eleventh place in the 14-team NWSL standings. The league’s prime eight groups advance to the playoffs.

Jónsdóttir, a ahead with Icelandic national group expertise, signed with Angel City on May 21. After ending her stint with Frauen-Bundesliga membership VfL Wolfsburg, Jónsdóttir joined her first Angel City observe on Tuesday afternoon.

Midfielder Evelyn Shores, who most just lately performed for the University of North Carolina, signed with Angel City on July 10. She has performed for the U-23 U.S. ladies’s national group.

Goalkeeper Hannah Seabert, who was Sporting Clube de Portugal’s captain earlier this 12 months, signed with Angel City on May 30 and has been coaching with the group for three weeks.

Seabert, a Riverside native and Pepperdine alum, spent most of her profession enjoying overseas and needed to return to the United States.

“As soon as Angel City opened up several years back, I just knew it was a team I wanted to be a part of,” she mentioned of the franchise that started play in 2023.

When Seabert’s contract with Sporting CP expired, she pursued her purpose of becoming a member of Angel City.

“When I came and visited here a couple weeks ago, it felt like a home away from home,” she mentioned. “The facilities are amazing and the girls were so welcoming. It just felt right when I came here.”

Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons mentioned the new gamers earned contracts because they aligned with the imaginative and prescient for the long run of the membership: profitable.

“Who are the players that we believe represent where we’re going and can play for Angel City when we’re fighting for trophies,” Parsons mentioned, referring to the query Angel City leaders requested before signing any new gamers.

While the new gamers current an infusion of contemporary talent, Angel City also is benefiting from the return of a acquainted face.

Forward Jun Endo, who tore her ACL in February 2024, performed for the first time in 18 months during a pleasant against Bay FC on Saturday. Endo was on the pitch for half-hour and scored the only purpose of the sport.

“If you’re missing a player like Jun Endo for as much time as Angel City has been missing her, of course it affects [the game] because you cannot replace a player like that,” mentioned Straus, the group’s coach.

Angel City’s Jun Endo dribbles the ball during a pleasant against Bay FC on July 19 at PayPal Park in San Jose.

(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Straus mentioned he expects Angel City to evolve and transfer nearer to reaching its long-term championship objectives with the new signees and Endo obtainable to play.

Angel City, which is in the midst of an worldwide break, performs a pleasant Saturday against Carolina Ascent FC and resumes NWSL competitors on Aug. 1 at Seattle Reign FC.

“Its not just about filling a roster,” Straus mentioned. “We need quality. We need people who can make a difference for us and so we hope they will do this for us.

“We will be good now, but we will be better in January.”