You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 5 hours ago • loading... • Updated 3 hours ago
Angel City FC Fires Coach Alex Straus
Angel City turned to interim coach Leif Gunnar Smerud after winning only 1 of its last 8 matches and sitting 12th in the NWSL.
On Wednesday, Angel City fired head coach Alexander Straus after a little more than a year on the job, while trading 19-year-old midfielder Kennedy Fuller to Bay FC for $520,000 in intra-league transfer fees.
Angel City currently sits 12th in the 16-team NWSL with a 4-6-1 record, having won only once in their final eight matches before the league's monthlong break.
Sporting director Mark Parsons praised Straus's tenure, saying, "We are deeply grateful for Alex's leadership," while noting Straus previously led Bayern Munich to three consecutive Frauen-Bundesliga titles in Germany.
Senior assistant coach Leif Gunnar Smerud will lead the club in the interim while Angel City conducts a search for a permanent head coach, with the team returning to action July 3 against Orlando Pride.
The NWSL is currently on a summer break for the Men's World Cup, and Angel City has only reached the playoffs once in its four years of existence.
Alex Straus will not coach Angel City again this season, the club announced in a statement, saying that the club and the coach no longer have a relationship.