Leif Smerud, Angel City interim head coach is working to help Zambian forward Prisca Chilufya realize just how good she can be following her outstanding display in Monday’s 5-2 victory over Boston Legacy FC in the NWSL.
Chilufya scored twice as Angel City equalled its single-game scoring record, while the five goals also took the club’s season tally to a record 32 goals as they sit ninth from 21 matches.
The Zambian forward opened her account in the 14th minute, finding space outside the box and firing home following a corner kick to restore Angel City’s lead after Boston had equalized.
She completed her brace in the 58th minute after following up on a blocked attempt, winning the rebound between two Boston defenders before finding the net.
Smerud believes the forward has qualities that make her difficult for opponents to handle.
“I’m trying to convince [Chilufya] to understand how excellent she is and can be,” Smerud said after the match. “She is very difficult to play against. She has tremendous power. And she works so hard for the team. She has a big heart and she sacrificed a lot to be here and to be on this team. To see her succeed like this is really nice.”
The victory saw Angel City score three times in the opening 18 minutes before adding two more after the break, with Maiara Niehues also finding the target on her return to action.
Smerud said the result was a reflection of a dominant performance from his team.
“This was a big game for us,” Smerud said. “We wanted to build on what we have been doing well. We wanted to bounce back and we wanted to attack the backline. And, we knew we could hurt them with Sveindís and Prisca, and we managed to do that. Really happy and proud of the performance tonight. It was dominant.”
And Zambian forward, Chilufya, said the team successfully executed the plan they had worked on during the week.
“We spoke a lot about the game plan this week. I’m happy with how we showed that on the pitch; it’s what we trained this whole week,” Chilufya said. “That’s what we need moving forward.”
She also welcomed the return of Jónsdóttir and Niehues, describing both players as important additions to the squad.
“[Jónsdóttir and Niehues] are very brilliant players, and whenever we have them, it’s like a boost to our team because they have contributed a lot,” Chilufya said. “It’s good to have them back, and the team is excited because we know how important they are and what they bring to the team.”
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