LOS ANGELES — For the first time since 2009, Los Angeles fans watched a women’s professional soccer team play a regular-season match, as Angel City FC defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-1 on Friday night. ACFC announced its NWSL entrance in July 2020, but as the team took the field in front of a sellout crowd of 22,000 at Banc of California Stadium for its home opener, after the anticipation and the build-up of the past year, it all started to feel real.

Thousands of fans arrived as much as four hours before kickoff to revel in the historic moment together, playing games, dancing to a live DJ and chanting “Dalé, Dalé, ACFC” with drumming accompaniment. The on-field pregame festivities included pyrotechnics and a live musical performance replete with a 40-piece marching band.

ACFC defender Vanessa Gilles kept the good times rolling, sending the crowd into a frenzy in the third minute when she headed in a precise centering pass from Jun Endo on the right flank for the first goal in regular-season franchise history. As the fans cheered their team’s 1-0 lead, Gilles’ teammates wrapped her in a swaying group embrace before the Canadian jogged back to midfield, raising her arms triumphantly.

No better way to start this game off! @weareangelcity | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/q7MgSl2H91

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 30, 2022

Arturo Gutierrez, his wife and two sons (ages 9 and 11), decked out in matching ACFC scarves and kits, were four of the 22,000 who lost their minds on the Gilles goal. The family from nearby Lynwood has season tickets in the supporters’ section, where Arturo’s son, 11-year-old Arturo Jr., plays the drums.

“We’re super excited,” Arturo Sr. said. “It’s nice being able to see him happy. It makes me happy.”

Arturo Sr. said he and his wife speak to their sons “all the time” about the importance of supporting women.

“I’m a real soccer fan,” he said, “and it’s important to support the women. They need that from us. Not having a women’s team is not right. We finally got one, and we’re here to make history, bro.”

Ten minutes after Gilles made history with the franchise’s first goal, ACFC struck again. Receiving a pass from Savannah McCaskill, Endo met the ball with her left foot and directed it across her body and into the bottom right corner of the goal.

No End(o) in sight for Jun 🙅‍♀️@weareangelcity | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/SAjXeqF59g

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 30, 2022

In Endo’s first 13-plus minutes of NWSL regular-season play, the 21-year-old — who before tonight had never played for a team outside of Japan — factored in both goals to give ACFC a 2-0 advantage. Meanwhile, in the stands behind the opposite goal, an ACFC supporter waved Endo’s native flag of Japan.

Twelve-year-old Farrah Pulido of El Monte soaked in every moment of the match with her mom, Ivette, who received two tickets from her boss, a season-ticket holder who could not attend Friday’s match.

“We’re both big soccer fans,” Ivette said. “I grew up watching it, and now so does Farrah, and it’s always been all about the men. Finally, we have a women’s team.”

Farrah, who is a goalkeeper for the SC Blues club soccer team based in Irvine, naturally loves watching fellow goalies.

In the 38th minute, she witnessed ACFC goalkeeper DiDi Haracic dive to her left and deflect a dangerous shot out of play.

Holy Haračić 🤯🤯🤯@weareangelcity | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/1h3uyFM8h0

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 30, 2022

“DiDi’s save was absolutely world-class,” ACFC head coach Freya Coombe said after the match. “I’d like to say that we’ve never seen that before, but I think that we all had in the Portland Challenge Cup final where she did exactly the same thing. DiDi’s proven herself in those big moments.”

Haracic saved three of the four shots on goal she faced Friday night.

The Courage dominated possession in the second half but only capitalized on one opportunity. Brazilian national team star Debinha’s score in the 51st minute marked her fifth straight game with a goal.

In the final 10 minutes of the match, the stadium rocked with “Let’s go, City” chants until ACFC officially secured its first regular-season victory, persevering through several Courage rushes, especially during the six minutes of stoppage play.

“The crowd was unreal tonight,” Coombe said. “It was the best environment I’ve ever coached in.” The ACFC manager said she noticed “something special” about the fan support when the players came out for warm-ups.

“The support from the fans has been unwavering,” said Coombe, “It’s definitely having an impact on the players on the field. They’re living off that energy …We’re really grateful to have the number of fans we do, but also the passion and intensity of the fans.”

“I’ve never played in front of a crowd this big. Not on my side,” ACFC midfielder Dani Weatherholt said. “It was an unreal feeling to have all those people backing us … This community loves soccer. It’s very evident.”

Chris Weyant-Forbes and her partner, Al Weyant-Forbes, were among the ACFC backers in the stadium, wearing matching shirts that read, “#EQUALITY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS” on the front, and “WE DESERVE TO BE HERE” on the back. Al works at Riverside City College, where the women’s basketball team has had trouble getting access to the weight room and other college facilities. The women were regularly getting bumped in favor of the men’s teams, which led players on the team and the coach to speak out and later sue the college.

“The coach had these shirts made up, and we are wearing them,” Chris said, “because that’s bulls—t!”

Chris and Al discovered ACFC through a Los Angeles Times article, prompting them to attend their first game last Sunday, a Challenge Cup match in Fullerton. They had such a good time that they decided to come to opening night all the way from their Riverside home, a nearly two-hour drive from the stadium without traffic.

“I think it’s really cool that the team is predominantly women-owned and -operated,” Al said. “I love that they’re doing programs for girls to get into sports, and I’ve read that they do programming for women who retire from professional sports and give them career development so they can still work in sports. I just think it’s rad what Angel City Football Club is doing.”

ACFC captain and L.A. native Ali Riley feels just as strongly about the team’s mission as the fans.

“I saw a lot of families,” Riley said. “I saw a lot of men, women. The point is that women’s soccer belongs, and it belongs in this city. And I think for this club to do it is perfect, because it’s not just about inspiring young girls. It’s also about impacting the community and helping underserved communities. That’s really a big part of what motivates this team. For us to get that win tonight, with 22,000 people, I hope we really sent a message.”

Message received.

Joshua Fischman is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering Angel City FC and the Los Angeles Sparks. He has covered basketball for Vantage Sports and Hoops Rumors and served as co-host of “On the NBA Beat” podcast. Joshua received his master’s in Sports Media from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Follow him on Twitter @JJTheJuggernaut.

World No. 18 Colombia secured their spot in the 2025 Copa América final on Monday night, when Las Cafeteras bested No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout to take the first of the continental tournament's two semifinals.

Despite dominating in both possession and attacking opportunities, Colombia failed to break through in regulation time, ending the Copa semifinal in a 0-0 stalemate.

However, the 2022 runners-up showed confidence from the spot, securing the victory with a narrow 5-4 penalty differential after six shootout rounds.

"We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective," said Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia after the win. "We are prepared for the Final."

With Colombia hunting a first-ever Copa title in their fourth trip to the tournament's finale, they will either face underdog No. 63 Uruguay or reigning champions No. 4 Brazil in Saturday's 2025 title match.

Should Brazil soccer legend Marta and the rest of her team continue their run to a fifth straight — and ninth overall — Conmebol trophy, Colombia would find themselves facing As Canarinhas for a competition record-tying fourth time in the Copa América final.

On the other hand, a Uruguay semifinal victory over Brazil would set up the first-ever Copa América finale to not feature the continental powerhouse.

How to watch Brazil vs. Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal

Defending champ Brazil will take on Uruguay in the second Copa América semifinal at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, as each team aims for a spot against Colombia in Saturday's 5 PM ET tournament final.

Tuesday's semifinal will air live on FS1.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) crowned its inaugural champion on Sunday, with the No. 1-seed Talons lifting the first-ever AUSL trophy after sweeping the No. 2-seed Bandits in the weekend's 2025 Championship Series.

Battling inclement weather all weekend, the Talons finished out Saturday's rain-delayed Game 1 to a 3-1 win early Sunday morning, before avoiding a winner-take-all Game 3 by claiming the AUSL title in a narrow 1-0 second victory on Sunday afternoon.

AUSL Pitcher of the Year Georgina Corrick and former Alabama ace Montana Fouts held the powerful Bandits offense at bay throughout the two wins, while infielder Sydney Romero — a former two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma — secured the Talons' title with a Game 2 sixth-inning home run.

"I wouldn't have wanted to do this anywhere else, with anybody else," Fouts said after the championship win. "I feel like we really are family. That's what makes this so special. Obviously, winning is awesome, but I just feel like whenever you step on the field with people like this, you've already won." 

In addition to the Talons' 2025 championship trophy, AUSL at-large garnered plenty of success throughout its debut season, selling out 14 of the first 29 games while averaging 117,000 viewers per game on ESPN2 — a 65% increase over the 2024 Athletes Unlimited format.

That boost saw the broadcaster upgrade the final series from ESPN2 to ESPN.

"It's really been, in some ways, eye-opening," AUSL commissioner Kim Ng told Sports Business Journal earlier this month. "I don't think that any of us thought that we would get this type of reception. But everyone here is so incredibly excited."

The No. 11 Dallas Wings put on a show on Monday, handing the No. 2 New York Liberty their second straight loss behind a combined 40 points from star guards Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

Rocketing to a season-best 63-36 first-half lead, Dallas held off the reigning WNBA champions' fourth-quarter surge to secure the 92-82 upset win — the Wings' eighth victory of the year.

Ogunbowale tallied 14 assists in the win, becoming to first WNBA player to ever record 20+ points and 14+ assists in a single game while committing less than two turnovers.

While the WNBA standings remained relatively stable, Dallas's upswing brought further frustration for the Liberty, as they continue to struggle to keep all five starters healthy at the same time.

While previously injured center Jonquel Jones is back in the mix, New York missed 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart on Monday, with the star forward sidelined after suffering a blow to the leg during Saturday play.

"Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people, we have to come out with a little more purpose," guard Sabrina Ionescu told reporters after Monday's loss.

How to watch the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty this week

New York's next trek is significantly steeper, as the Liberty take on the league-leading Minnesota Lynx at 8 PM ET on Wednesday. A rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the clash will air live on ESPN.

Dallas will be in action at the exact same time, when the Wings will hunt a ninth season win against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, airing live on ESPN3.

Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.

Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.

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The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.

"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."

Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:

• No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.

• No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-ridden Sky.

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.