When Angel City joined the NWSL, the goal was to make the franchise more than just a soccer club. Its sprawling, deep-pocketed and ambitious celebrity-led ownership group wanted the team to win on the field, but it also wanted to alleviate hunger, support education and promote equality.
It was an innovative approach; one that, if it succeeded, would provide a new template for how teams interacted with the fans and communities they served.
Yet three years later, Angel City has made good on only half that agenda.
Even before drawing the Utah Royals on Sunday in the home finale, the team was eliminated from playoff contention for the second time.