The Asian Reporter - Sports Section

INSIDE:

NEWS/STORIES/ARTICLES
Book Reviews
Columns/Opinion/Cartoon
Films
International
National
NW/Local
Recipes
Special A.C.E. Stories
Sports
Online Paper (PDF)

CLASSIFIED SECTION
Bids & Public Notices
NW Job Market

NW RESOURCE GUIDE
Consulates
Organizations
Scholarships
Special Sections

Asian Reporter Info

About Us

Advertising Info.

Twitter

ASIA LINKS
Currency Exchange
Time Zones
More Asian Links

Where EAST meets the Northwest

TALENTED THOMPSON. Alyssa Thompson, left, was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft in January by Angel City FC, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league. The 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles scored her first NWSL in Angel City’s season-opening match against NJ/NY Gotham in late March. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

From The Asian Reporter, V33, #4 (April 3, 2023), page 12.

High school student Thompson scores first NWSL goal

By Anne M. Peterson

The Associated Press

Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft in January by Angel City FC (ACFC), becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft in early January. She initially committed to Stanford.

"It’s a crazy feeling," said Thompson, who watched the draft from her home in Los Angeles. "And I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by my friends and family. I’m just really excited. My heart’s beating really fast."

Thompson, who has Filipino and Peruvian heritage, scored her first NWSL in Angel City’s season-opening match, in which her team lost 1-2 to NJ/NY Gotham.

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior national team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister, Giselle, also became the first high school players to sign a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike last year.

"Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player. She’s a player who can make an immediate impact, but she’s also young and can develop and look to be a player that we’re building a future off of, too," Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC’s general manager, said earlier this year. The team traded for the top pick in order to land Thompson.

Angel City FC defeated the Orlando Pride, 2-1, over the weekend. After the first two weeks of play, Angel City FC is in a four-way tie for fifth place. Sitting atop the standings are the Portland Thorns and the San Diego Wave. Angel City’s next match is scheduled for April 15 at 7:00pm against Racing Louisville FC.

Read the current issue of The Asian Reporter in its entirety!
Go to <www.asianreporter.com/completepaper.htm>!