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Angel City FC dispute NWSL sanctions, arguing childcare payments shouldn't count against salary cap

The NWSL says Angel City exceeded the cap by $50,000 during the 2024 season

ian casselberry
Contributing writer
·2 min read

Angel City FC released a statement on Monday responding to the sanctions enforced against the organization by the NWSL for violating multiple league rules, including exceeding the salary cap.

"While we respect the League's authority to enforce its rules, we have expressed our disappointment about the competitive sanctions, particularly the three-point deduction," the statement began.

"We disagreed with one aspect of the League's conclusions. Our understanding, based on the League's Salary Cap Rules, was that childcare payments do not count against the salary cap," the statement continued. "We believe that ACFC did not exceed the salary cap and formally requested a reconsideration of the three-point reduction."

In its findings, the NWSL alleged that Angel City went over the salary cap by $50,000 for four weeks during this season. The limit was apparently exceeded by compensation and benefits not disclosed to the league nor included in the NWSL's standard player agreement.

Whether or not those agreements and benefits were wholly devoted to childcare payments isn't clear. Yet that appears to be what Angel City FC's statement is contending.

As Angel City FC mentioned in its statement, the NWSL deducted three points from the team in the 2024 season table while also issuing a $200,000 fine. Additionally, club president and CEO Julie Uhrman and general manager Angela Hucles Mangano were also suspended for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year.

The penalties were enforced effective immediately.

Deducting three points from Angel City FC effectively eliminated the club from playoff contention. The club is now in 11th place with 22 points (7–12–5 record), five points behind the eighth spot currently held by Bay FC with 28 points.

Without the deduction, Angel City would be in ninth place, just two out of the final playoff spot with two matches —and the opportunity for six points — remaining.

Angel City FC's remaining regular season matches are at home vs. the Utah Royals FC (7–14–3) on Oct. 20 and on the road against the Portland Thorns FC (9–11–4) on Nov. 1.