NWSL players and fans are still waiting on the 2023 schedule
The NWSL season begins March 25.
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Since Angel City FC gathered for the start of preseason on Feb. 1, the NWSL expansion club has been putting a team together on the field and building a close-knit group off of it.
Just Women’s Sports got a behind-the-scenes look at that chemistry last Friday during Angel City’s media day. As the players rotated through stations, they stopped by the JWS setup to pose for photoshoots, fill out our survey (feat. personal questions and team superlatives) and share some laughs. Not every player on the roster was able to spend the day with us, but we did enjoy a surprise appearance from sporting director Eniola Aluko.
Before the club kicks off the NWSL Challenge Cup on Saturday against San Diego Wave FC, we present to you Angel City FC, Class of 2022:
Nicknames: Bope, Brezza
Favorite quote: “Stay hungry, stay humble”
Best Dressed: Allyson Swaby
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Simone Charley
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Just “Jun”
Nickname: Stefy
Favorite quote: Gambate Kudasai (“Do your best”)
Best Dressed: Lily Nabet
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Jun Endo
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro & MA Vignola
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: V
Favorite quote: “Hard work beats talent”
Best Dressed: Christen Press
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Savannah McCaskill
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Vanessa Gilles
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Hammy or Mads … never Maddie 🙂
Favorite quote: “Don’t stop until you’re proud”
Best Dressed: Sarah Gorden
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Savannah McCaskill
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Tyler Lussi
Nickname: Deeds
Favorite quote: “To believe is to be strong”
Best Dressed: Simone Charley
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Christen Press
Class Clown: Me
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Brit
Favorite quote: “It’s not the critic who counts”
Best Dressed: Lily Nabet
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Christen Press
Class Clown: Ali Riley
Best Trash Talker: Savannah McCaskill
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Ty
Favorite quote: “Fierce mindset” / “Whistle to whistle, give 100% every day”
Best Dressed: Sarah Gorden
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Tyler Lussi
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Vanessa Gilles
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Sav
Favorite quote: “If you ain’t first, you’re last”
Best Dressed: Sarah Gorden
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Christen Press
Class Clown: Didi Haračić
Best Trash Talker: Vanessa Gilles
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Lil
Best Dressed: Lily Nabet
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Lily Nabet
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Vanessa Gilles
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: P-Nasty
Best Dressed: Allyson Swaby
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Simone Charley
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Didi Haračić
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Cer
Favorite quote: “It won’t matter in five years”
Best Dressed: Allyson Swaby
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Christen Press
Class Clown: Myself (sorry)
Best Trash Talker: Lily Nabet
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Savannah McCaskill / Ali Riley
Nickname: Jas
Favorite quote: “Clear minds, full hearts, can’t lose”
Best Dressed: Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Jun Endo
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Vanessa Gilles
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Savannah McCaskill
Nickname: Ally or Swaby
Favorite quote: “If what you see is all you see, you don’t see all there is to be seen”
Best Dressed: Sarah Gorden
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Cari Roccaro
Class Clown: Vanessa Gilles
Best Trash Talker: Savannah McCaskill
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Dan, D-Dubs
Favorite quote: “Let’s have fun today”
Best Dressed: Allyson Swaby
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Vanessa Gilles
Class Clown: Cer (Cari Roccaro)
Best Trash Talker: Didi Haračić
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
Nickname: Eni, Eni Penny, Enigma
Favorite quote: “Never let success get to your head or failure to your heart”
Best Dressed: Christen Press
Most Likely to Win 1v1: Vanessa Gilles
Class Clown: Cari Roccaro
Best Trash Talker: Cari Roccaro
Most Likely to Give a Pump-Up Speech: Ali Riley
The NWSL season begins March 25.
Press has been rehabbing an ACL injury since June.
She could return for the team's April camp.
Vlatko Andonovski also provided updates on Christen Press and others.