Hometown Heroes Ali Riley And Christen Press Celebrate Careers In Los Angeles

On a warm Sunday evening in Los Angeles, team captain Ali Riley and forward Christen Press were honored in a post game ceremony for Angel City FC as the two bring their professional soccer careers to a close.

As both players grew up in LA, the two hometown heroes were recognized for their contributions as key figures as Riley is the first-ever captain while Press was the first signing for the club in 2022.

Celebrating with the ACFC Community

For the Angel City FC fanbase, Riley and Press’ presence with the club goes beyond soccer as Riley also captained the New Zealand National Team and Press played a key role in championing for equity with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Despite their decorative careers as individuals, the two also have a unique history as they played college soccer together at Stanford University. The two were actually roommates in 2007 during preseason and it wasn’t until the 2025 season that they were reunited as roommates for the final time, which ultimately marked a full circle moment for them both.

Angel City FC played their final home game of the season in front of 19,000+ fans but despite the 2-0 loss to the Portland Thorns, all eyes were on Riley and Press for their retirement ceremonies.

CEO and club president Julie Uhrman opened the ceremony with remarks for each of them as they were also joined by family members and friends.

When Press took the stage to speak, she paced on the field with a microphone as she walked bare foot on the grass to speak to the fans gathered in the stadium.

“This community, this club really marks all of the work that my teammates and I did for over a decade to fight for equity and opportunity,” said Press. “I came back to something different and this club and this team, and all of you have made my comeback worth it and special. It’s been a really long journey to be standing up here but you all gave me something that I never even imagined that I wanted. Thank you for making me feel like the most loved player in the whole world.”

Although Press played about 10 games before she tore her ACL in 2023, she made a total of 37 appearances for the club and was able to conclude her career in her hometown.

“We did it..”

During the match, Press was substituted in the second half as Angel City was down 1-0. As the match progressed, the crowd began to chant “We want Ali Riley!”

Out of all names, the fans wanted to see their captain on the field once again. Eventually, the defender came on in the 82’ minute and after the match, Riley embraced her parents with a hug as she said, “We did it!”

When it was Riley’s turn to address the crowd in the post-game ceremony, she was surrounded by teammates, many of whom were in tears.

Earlier this year, Riley’s parents lost their home as it burned down in the Palisades Fire. A week after the fires, Riley also got married and during the mix of emotions, the ACFC community rallied around her in support.

“I think about the fire and we still had that hope that maybe the house didn’t burn down,” Riley told Forbes in a post-game interview. “I think that’s only human is to just have hope and that’s a way that I like to live. With my injury, I accepted that it was probably the end of my career, but my parents never stopped believing in me and they would ask me about training and it was hard but their unwavering belief helped me get there in the dark times. I couldn’t have kept hope and determination if it wasn’t for my family.”

Both Press and Riley have grown the game of soccer both internationally and within Los Angeles as true hometown heroes in the NWSL. Since their inaugural season, the two veterans have left the game better than they found it.

“I’m grateful and hopeful to know that there are young people in this stadium and on my team who only know a club like this, a career like this, and a beautiful life like this,” said Riley.