""This season was about putting in all the foundations and all the pieces where we get to go compete for championships from '26 and beyond," Parsons said. "And I could not be happier with the success we've been able to do. That helps us win in the future. "Of course we'd have all loved to win a couple more games," he added. "But the priorities were try and win, but build for the future.""
""In fact, the team won just one of its last eight games; missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons; saw attendance plummet; lost Alyssa Thompson, its best and most exciting player, on a million-dollar transfer; and watched its two most-decorated players - Ali Riley and Christen Press - retire after a season in which they combined for two starts.""
""The die for the season, for bad or worse, was cast in the embers of the deadly Palisades fire last January. That first night, as Riley's family home burned to the ground and other players were forced to relocate, Parsons could see the flames from the gated Brentwood estate of Bob Iger and Willow Bay, Angel City's controlling owners. He was there interviewing for the job he would get nine days later.""
Angel City FC experienced a difficult season marked by poor results, falling attendance, roster disruption and retirements. The team won one of its last eight matches and missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Alyssa Thompson departed in a million-dollar transfer, and Ali Riley and Christen Press retired after minimal playing time. Sporting director Mark Parsons described the year as foundational, focusing on assembling pieces to compete for championships from 2026 onward. The season was further unsettled by the Palisades fire, which displaced players and coincided with Parsons' arrival and candid assessment of the club's work ahead.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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