Going into Saturday’s match, only one point separated Angel City and the North Carolina Courage. With the final spot waiting to be claimed, the match could have been the big chance for the visitors. However, the Courage held their ground firmly at the WakeMed Soccer Park to bag a decisive 2-1 victory over Christen Press & Co. Naturally, fans are on the edge of their patience.

ACFC’s 5-match unbeaten streak finally came to an end last Sunday when Gotham FC trampled over the former in a 3-1 loss. And today, the Courage started things off with two early strikes to extend Alexander Straus’ team’s woes. On the other hand, it was the first victory for the hosts (6-7-7, 25 points) of today’s match since June 21 as Angel City faces the threat of failing to secure its spot in the playoffs. Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Press got to be part of the action for only a handful of minutes, and fans are of the opinion that Straus should have known better.

The official ACFC social media handle took to X on September 13 to share Saturday’s result unceremoniously. Manaka Matsukubo and Brianna Pinto scored in the match against the Courage in the 6th and 19th minute, respectively: a hole from which Angel City couldn’t claw its way out. This season’s first East Coast vs West Coast battle saw North Carolina emerging as the victors, and today, it was no different either. Christen Press went on to the pitch as a substitute in the 79th minute, and in the 88th minute, ACFC secured a sublime team goal, which, unfortunately, was unable to change the final outcome.

Now, ACFC (6-9-5, 23 points) stands in the 11th spot of the NWSL, and could potentially be eliminated from playoff contention if they don’t sort out their house ASAP. While the lone goal by new signee Sveindis Jonsdottir would stop things from looking entirely bleak, today’s result was definitely another reminder that Straus will need to go back to the drawing board for better results.

Angel City goalie Angelina Anderson made five saves to ensure the visitors’ misery wasn’t compounded further by the Courage. However, considering that the 2020 Olympic medalist Christen Press was only brought on in the final minutes of the match, despite the team trailing by 2 goals for almost an hour, the fans were right to posit that an earlier introduction of the 36-year-old into the game could have changed the outcome of the match.

Press’ absence hit even harder because ACFC has undergone some serious personnel changes in recent weeks. Forward Julie Dufour, midfielder Katie Zelem, defender Alanna Kennedy, and Alyssa Thompson have all left the club for other camps, and Straus’ team seems to be coping with the roster overhaul still. Under such dire circumstances, you’d hope to see Christen, given her storied career, being favored by the seasoned coach to help her teammates navigate through the turmoil. But that didn’t happen, and the fans are now left fuming.

Fans question the Christen Press decision unanimously

ACFC’s top brass firmly believes that the team has what it takes to win under pressure. Despite finishing last season in 12th place and reaching the playoffs only once in the last three years, Angel City’s director believes things could drastically change over the next few years. “No doubt we have the ability to be winning trophies within the next three years,” Parsons told ESPN only recently. But today’s match wasn’t in line with his bold statement, which fans believe could have been altered only if Press got to spend more time on the pitch.

“Christen Press playing more than 10mins a game would solve this problem ffs,” one fan seemed almost at their wits’ end. Others held similar thoughts in their heads as well. “Christen Press had a great long ball and was 5/5 on her passes! idk maybe if we played her more than 11 mins she could help this team win,” another ACFC loyalist confidently awarded Christen full marks for her performance despite the team falling flat on its face against the Courage.

In July this year, Press has spilled the beans on how Strauss’ coaching methods are unconventional, and how he resorts to unorthodox methods to help the team understand how it needs to work hand-in-hand to win matches. “I love this,” admitted the forward in a podcast episode, co-hosted by Tobin Heath. But today’s loss didn’t reflect Alexander’s eccentric training. “You know you might win the game if you put in your superstar earlier than f—— 10 minutes left in the game,” one fan fumed at the decision that could well prove to be the final nail in Angel City’s playoff hopes.

“Christen Press deserves better than this BS,” another fan also wasn’t on board with Strauss. Moreover, after the match, the coach lauded Nealy Martin, who was introduced into the match at the beginning of the second half. Obviously, that only irked the fans even further. “Why does he refuse to give Christen Press credit? She had the most impact when coming on,” one fan reminded the others.

What about you? Do you also think that having Press for a longer time could have made all the difference? Weigh in on the debate with a comment!