At 36, Christen Press isn’t getting any younger, faster, or stronger. Instead, the USWNT veteran’s biggest strength is her experience and game IQ, something Angel City F.C. holds at great value and high regard. However, Press doesn’t like the label. “They call me a senior player. It’s horrible,” the Angel City FC player confessed on the RE-CAP Show back in March. Then again, it’s a role she’s growing into, and a 20-year-old has become her perfect partner.

Yes, that young star is none other than talented Alyssa Thompson, who is only starting to realize her potential. Recapping her growth at 20, Press explained she never shared such a close relationship with any of her seniors, like the way the youngsters at Angel City share with her. So while Press may not have signed up for this role, the veteran goalscorer enjoyed the “presence” she has in the squad, and Thompson has only helped.

Despite being the so-called senior, Christen Press isn’t the ACFC captain on the field. “The thing that I’m good at is scoring goals. It is an art, and I love it,” the 36-year-old said as per the Los Angeles Times. Naturally, the veteran USWNT goalkeeper has developed into the guide for the team’s young forwards. Among them, Alyssa Thompson stands out the most.

So the FIFA World Cup winner is showing Thompson what helped her win two of those coveted trophies. “I’m now kind of showing Alyssa how I trained to become a goalscorer,” Press told the Los Angeles Times. However, this is a lot more than just refining Thompson’s striking, as Angel F.C. already has a coaching team for that. It’s about listing the young goalscorer with the IQ that Press has developed over the years.

“How you can think about goal-scoring in a very nuanced and methodical way. It’s just kind of a spirit of collaboration, I see as a win-win for everybody,” explained the senior player. The pair don’t take their sessions lightly. Teammate Madison Hammond joked that Thompson attends the ‘Christen Press school of finishing’ as per Olympics.com. Jokes apart, the improvements are starting to show.

Alyssa Thompson is grateful for Christen Press’ guidance

Those extended practice sessions with her Angel City F.C. mentor are certainly starting to bear fruit. The 20-year-old is already proving to be a star in the making, and you don’t have to look too beyond her 2025 season to see the improvements. Last year, Thompson made 26 matches (24 starts) for the team and, after spending 2150 minutes on the field, had 5 goals and 7 assists.

While those are respectable stats, they pale in comparison to what she’s achieved so far this year. After just nine matches and a mere 795 minutes on the field, Christen Press’s protégé has already scored 5 goals and notched 2 assists. And the young USWNT player couldn’t be more thankful to her mentor for all the help. “She’s definitely my mentor,” Thompson said as per the L.A. Times.

While the NWSL veteran may be growing into her role, Thompson believes Press is the perfect teammate for youngsters like her. “She’s entering a new era of her career, and she still wants to continue to play and stuff like that. But when she’s not playing, she’s able to [offer] her guidance and support,” added the Angel City F.C. forward. And this isn’t the first time Thompson has praised Press.

“I’ve always looked up to her,” the 20-year-old said during her interview with Just Women’s Sports. As the older sister of fellow ACFC player Gisele Thompson, Alyssa Thompson has always been the role model, so it feels good to have someone she can look up to. “I feel like I’ve always done everything first for my sisters. It’s just been really nice getting to know her as a person. And I feel like I’ve just learned so much from her,” she said about Christen Press. We guess it would be safe to say that this mentor-mentee duo has only just begun.