Angel City F Christen Press was the first signing in club history, with the club making her the best-paid player in NWSL history as wellGetty Images

Angel City FC makes it “long-awaited NWSL debut” on Friday at Banc of California Stadium after starting with an owner/investor group of “Hollywood celebrities, former athletes and venture capitalists, most of whom never had backed a soccer team before,” according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. TIMES. The “backbone of the group” may be former USWNT players Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, who “rallied to the cause.” Angel City, with the largest female-led ownership group in professional sports, “promised to be socially oriented” and to “level the playing field for women athletes.” Foudy said that the opportunity to invest in the game for a new generation “was a big draw for many of the women,” as was the “chance to make a difference in how Angel City was run.” The club offered actress and co-Owner Eva Longoria a “chance to do something positive for the community and for her portfolio at the same time.” Longoria: “Investing for a purpose. … Not just for monetary gain. It’s investing to make sure that women are represented in a field where even female sports are male-owned and male-run. We thought why not change that and be the example that we want to see?” With the “active involvement of savvy investors” like Kara Nortman and Reddit co-Founder Alexi Ohanian, Angel City “looked to be a wise financial opportunity as well.” The fanbase has grown to include “15,300 season-ticket holders, which is more than the Galaxy” (L.A. TIMES, 4/27).