Thompson Sisters achieve NWSL history with goal connection in Angel City win

Angel City FC defender Gisele Thompson scored her first career NWSL goal, assisted by her sister, forward Alyssa Thompson, in their team’s 4-3 victory over the Washington Spirit.

The Angel City pair made NWSL history in the 22nd minute by scoring the league’s first sister-to-sister goal. Alyssa Thompson created space on the left side of the attack and crossed the ball to her younger sister, who netted her first career goal with an audacious aerial effort.

Red-hot Angel City forward Riley Tiernan recorded a brace, including the decisive goal in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time in the Los Angeles team’s impressive road victory in Washington on Friday night.

A connection 19 years in the making 🥹

Alyssa Thompson assists her sister Gisele Thompson on her first pro goal, AND they become the first sisters in NWSL history to combine for a goal! pic.twitter.com/bsFjL9zR8L

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 3, 2025

Tiernan has five goals over the past five matches for Angel City (3-2-2, 11 points). Katie Zelem scored the other goal for Angel City, assisted by Gisele Thompson.

Esme Morgan scored her first two NWSL goals for the Spirit (4-3-0, 12 points). Her second tally tied the score in the 89th minute. Gift Monday also had a goal for Washington.

The Spirit never led and rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. However, Angel City got the most important score as Claire Emslie took a corner kick and Christen Press’ glancing header sent the ball to Tiernan, who was just feet from the goal and slammed a right-footed shot into the net.

Adding to the Thompson sisters’ accomplishments this year, Friday’s goal came after another milestone in February, when they became only the second pair of sisters ever to feature in the starting eleven for a U.S. women’s national team fixture. In 2021, Sam and Kristie Mewis were the first pair of sisters to start in a USWNT match.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.