Minute 65 — The entire Angel City crowd at BMO Stadium rose to their feet to welcome veteran Christen Press onto the field against the Utah Royals. A stark reminder to everyone that this was her fifth appearance off the bench in just eight games. She was still hunting for her first goal of the season—until, quite literally, the next minute. Just 23 seconds after entering the pitch, Press found the back of the net.

No buildup. No warning. The USWNT veteran simply switched to high gear and capitalized on her opponent’s mistake. It started when Utah attempted to build from the back, but Heather Stainbrook failed to control a teammate’s pass. Katie Zelem quickly pounced, intercepting the ball and feeding it to Alanna Kennedy, who took a few touches before threading a pass into the right side of the penalty box for Press to make a run.

Christen, with a sharp slice-and-dice move, shrugged off a defender and then calmly lobbed a stunning finish just outside the six-yard box, leaving no chance whatsoever for the goalie to save it. The BMO erupted as the 36-year-old ran wild in celebration—her joy matching the crowd’s, as if she’d just scored a match-winner.

But beyond the impressiveness of scoring rather a banger and a crucial goal for Angel City, for Press, this is a moment of proving a point—a proper we-told-you-so moment if you will. Given how she was barely getting any game time despite being fully fit, scoring a goal felt like the most natural way for Christen Press to silence her doubters and naysayers.

Her strike not only lifted the spirits of the fans, but also boosted the entire team’s confidence—so much so that Alyssa Thompson doubled the score in the dying moments. The final whistle blew on what began as a goalless affair, but thanks to Press, it turned into a memorable win for Angel City FC.

In the aftermath, the 2x World Cup winner shared her thoughts to Paramount over her first goal. “This was the perfect picture you dream of… I can’t describe how it feels… wanting to help your team,” she insisted, calling it a perfect game as an attacking player and a finisher.

Meanwhile, part of the extra praise goes to her well-wishers, who had pressured views over her lack of chances. Like Christen’s manager Dana White took a jab at Sam Laity by saying, “You have a Ferrari in the garage but not willing to take it out.”

Sure, Laity did give a response over Press’ lack of minutes after the 3-2 defeat to Orlando Pride. “My reflection was probably made a mistake not getting her on the field, especially where the game was going,” he said. Yet, it didn’t seem like he had a realization as the previous game vs Washington Spirit saw the former Manchester United star enter the pitch for just 22 minutes.

Today, as she was once again given around half an hour on the pitch, boy did she turn things around for the team. While it’s great that Press was finally able to prove her point, that doesn’t mean it was a perfect day at the office for her. Sadly, a tragic moment involving her teammate ended up stealing the spotlight from her performance.

Christen Press’ teammate gives a scare to the NWSL community

Angel City’s 2-0 win over the Utah Royals came at a cost, as the match took a frightening turn when 20-year-old defender Savy King collapsed just after the hour mark. The situation quickly escalated, with over nine paramedics rushing to her aid. An AED was brought in, and CPR was administered on the field—scenes that left players and fans visibly shaken. Due to its criticality, the incident was not broadcasted.

After nearly a tense break of 10 minutes, King was stretchered off to applause and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Later, the club released a statement saying, “Savy was transported by EMS to the hospital following a medical event on the field. She is responsive and undergoing further evaluation. We thank everyone for their concern and support.”

Likewise, another positive update came from acting coach Eleri Earnshaw, reassuring fans that King was in stable condition and receiving proper care, while also adding, “She’s in good hands.”

Even Christen Press shared her thoughts on the events stating, “This game had been very emotional, very tough,” she said, insisting on how the event has affected everyone in the team. Further hoping to see her friend and fellow locker room partner get well quickly, the 36-year-old added, “She is in our hearts.”

“Honestly, there are no words,” said Press, who acknowledged to have never witnessed such a moment. “But I believe in collective energy. Every single person that is here today is praying, hoping and sending vibes and love to Savy and her family because this is really tough.” 

While we continue to hope for Savy King’s full recovery, the silver lining of the day was seeing Christen Press back to doing what she does best.