“One of the things I’ve just missed so much is the energy of being around people,” said Christen Press last year when she finally returned to training. After two long years of tending to her ACL injury, the NWSL veteran was once again back in her element. But more than a year after her return to training, Press is still getting hardly any play time for the Angel City FC. Quite obviously, the fans are reaching their wits’ end.

Even as the 2025 season began, interim coach Sam Laity showed caution by keeping the 36-year-old on the bench for most of the time. The fans weren’t happy. “A fireable offense,” wailed an Angel City loyalist, calling the club’s top brass to find a solution regarding Christen Press. But with the appointment of Alexander Straus as the new head coach in June this year, the situation didn’t change. The community is losing it.

“Houston, we have a dub,” wrote the official ACFC social media handle on X on October 12. Just moments before that, the Angels subdued the Houston Dash 2-0 at the BMO Stadium. Kennedy Fuller and Maiara’s double attack in the second half of the game sealed the game, but that still doesn’t seem likely that Angel City will be able to make it to the NWSL playoffs.

The team sits in 10th place in the table, and with just a couple of more games remaining in the regular season, it seems unlikely that Christen Press will be able to showcase her skills in the postseason. As an NWSL veteran, we are already in the endgame of seeing the two-time World Cup champ in her natural habitat. With the forward not playing in the match against the Dash, the win was somewhat less celebratory for the fans.

Next Sunday, Angel City will be taking on the Portland Thorns in the Fan Appreciation match, which is slated to be the final home game of the season. With Press averaging 19 minutes of playtime all season, fans aren’t very hopeful that even next weekend she will be lacing up to start the game. Naturally, the “fan appreciation” aspect of the promotion for the next match struck a chord with the community, who felt like ACFC was trying to bank on the fans’ sentiments to urge the fans to rally behind the team.

Didn’t take long before they came looking for blood.

Fans fume over Christen Press being passed over

“Your organization doesn’t deserve Christen Press. And you betting not be putting her on GMA for last home game promo just to not play her,” one fan could hardly contain their agitation. “We pay A LOT of money and travel across country to see Christen Press play. Fix it. You’re ruining the end of her career and your reputation,” they reminded further.

While Press’s podcast with partner Tobin Heath is incredibly popular among the fans, watching her dominate the soccer pitch is still what entertains the fans more. Her absence, hence, is justifiably causing a ripple. In light of that annoyance, one fan threatened to take drastic measures if things don’t change soon. “If yall do this next week im canceling my season tickets,” one ACFC didn’t care about their loyalty. Citing how the management is acting foolishly by keeping her away from the pitch even in the final home games, the fan seemed to be determined to draw the line somewhere.

With Press going under the knife several times in 2023 to recover from her knee injury, fans were definitely hoping to see a lot of her in action in 2025. After the uproar in the initial games this season, Coach Laity accepted the wrongdoing. But the situation still not changing for the better has pushed the fans to the edge. “Cp23 should have started and played at least the full 2nd half. Yea I know acfc won this game without her but the last few games just riding the bench? I am tired,” another ACFC fan didn’t have the energy to even be frustrated anymore.

“ME TOO!!!!…IM DONE WITH THIS TEAM!!!!!” Another fan agreed. What about you? Are you feeling the frustration building up just as intensely? Share your thoughts with us!