Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Tigres Femenil are set to face off in ACFC’s first-ever international friendly match this Wednesday, August 10 at Banc of California Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles (7:00 p.m. PT kickoff). This historic partnership will promote the development of women’s soccer and raise the profile of the two clubs both in the United States and Mexico.

Below please find quotes from representatives of both clubs ahead of Wednesday’s match: 

ANGEL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB 

Head Coach Freya Coombe

“This partnership with Tigres is huge for us. Connecting with the soccer community both locally and globally is an important part of what Angel City is striving for. It’s a partnership like this one that starts off with two teams kicking a ball, but it is more about how we are able to learn from each other. How we are both looking to take the best points from each other’s clubs and implement those to grow the game in our communities.”

“We want to learn from one another and put our best practices together to move the game forward. I think it’s great to innovate in this way to make the game more global as opposed to individualized pockets as singular clubs or singular leagues.” 

“We are looking forward to hosting Tigres at the Banc and going to Mexico next year. The way Angel City has built our club, is to do things differently and make an impact and this is another way in which we are doing that.”

Midfielder Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel (and former Tigres Femenil team member) 

“I am so excited for this match. Having Tigres play in Los Angeles is an amazing opportunity to grow soccer even more in this city and community. The fans are going to get a completely different experience than they have had so far in our first season.

[On the differences between playing for ACFC and Tigres] “There is a really big difference both community and playing style wise. For communities in Mexico, soccer is the primary sport and the community’s support is 100% percent attentive to soccer. Compared to the US, there are other sports that steer the attention away from soccer, which is not considered the primary sport of choice. But you can see what is possible with Angel City and all of the soccer happening in LA.” 

Playing style is different as well. The NWSL is more physical compared to Liga which is more technical. It will be fun to see technique versus aggression come August 10th.” 

TIGRES FEMENIL

 Head Coach Carmelina Moscato 

“The women’s game is growing rapidly, globally and regionally, which has been happening in almost an accelerator for the past decade, gaining visibility and societal awareness during and after every major international tournament. It’s the years between those international events where club football does the heavy lifting, providing a daily training environment for players and the industry around football that the game needs.

“Regarding the professionalism and popularity of the women’s club game in CONCACAF, we see a few leagues investing and pushing boundaries, two of which are Mexico and the USA. This partnership between Angel City FC and Tigres is a celebration of that investment and growth and of the communities coming together to learn more about one another, as well as a fantastic sporting opportunity to see two very talented teams come together in a fixture otherwise not possible.” 

“This partnership will benefit Tigres in many ways, creating more football friendships with clubs worldwide. One with Angel City FC makes sense as there is an alignment around values and first movers in their respective countries. 

“There is also a strong link with the Latinx communities in LA. We would love to gain more supporters for our talented team celebrating Mexican heritage, talent, and success. This will also expose the players and staff to a high level of football that will teach us even more about ourselves at the highest levels.”

Winger/Fullback Anika Rodriguez

“As a Mexican American, this partnership is so important to me and the women’s game because it’s challenging the “boundaries” of this sport and crossing borders. Soccer/futbol is universal and knows no boundaries. This partnership is just one step closer to that ideal.”

“ For Tigres, this partnership is incredibly beneficial in broadening the viewer and fan base. our fans are the base of what makes Tigres so special; broadening that group to reach the Latinx community in Los Angeles is just incredible.” 

“Los Angeles, my hometown, let’s pack the stadium and show everyone that Tigres and Angel City have the best and most supportive fans in the world.”