The Mexican women’s national team defeated Angel City 2-0 to win the first edition of the Copa Angelina in Los Angeles, California.
El Tri lifted the cup after an own goal by Megan Reid and a second half strike from Scarlett Camberos propelled the national team to history. The victory comes after a turbulent time for Mexico, both on and off the field.
The team lost all three group stage matches during the World Cup qualifiers held in Monterrey in July, failing to secure a ticket to the tournament and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Consequently, head coach Monica Vergara was fired, and replaced by interim head coaches Miguel Camero and Cristian Flores.
Several other Mexican national team figures also departed their leadership positions, creating chaos for the organization.
But despite the mayhem, the women’s team triumphed in California to bring back a much needed trophy.
The annual cup will continue to be held by the NWSL expansion team, hosting teams at Banc of California Stadium for a one-match competition.
“We look forward to growing Copa Angelina year after year,” Angel City president Julie Uhrman said. “We hope to set an example of what is possible when two organizations come together, celebrating our commonalities and differences, as we gather our communities to enjoy the beautiful game.”
Angel City coach Freya Coombe added: “This is an investment in the game to help grow it. This is a celebration of the relationship between club and country in our community. I think Copa Angelina is another great example where Angel City is doing things differently. I think this is a great opportunity for us to embrace our community and for us again to be leading and doing things outside of the norm, but also help build these relationships.
“There is also a lot of work being done off the field to support this initiative. I am really proud to be a part of it and love to see how we are helping move the game forward on the global stage.”
Angel City will now shift focus to the remainder of the 2022 NWSL season, visiting the Houston Dash next on Sunday at PNC Stadium.
