In a move that many are calling “poetic justice” and what Paige Nielsen called one of “the best moments of her career,” Nielsen scored the game-winning goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time for Houston Dash against her former team, the Angel City Football Club (ACFC) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Her fans in Los Angeles cheered, despite losing the game, calling it “well-deserved,” “front office karma, and “sweet revenge.”
The goal came after the move that shocked Los Angeles and NWSL fans. ACFC announced on April 20 that it would trade defender and fan favorite Paige Nielsen to the Houston Dash for $50,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in transfer funds.
News of the trade spread throughout the Los Angeles fan base, filling ACFC’s Instagram page with sad and angry comments from fans who were left confused by the trade, given Nielsen’s popularity on and off the field and her strength as a starting defender, part of a dynamic defense in Nielsen and Sarah Gorden.
“These moves are a key component of our strategy to continue to build for the immediate and future. While decisions like these are never easy, these movements do enable us to make impactful additions to our roster in the coming months,” said ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles…
