CARSON — Angel City Football Club’s Gisele Thompson is headed into her third year as a professional. Along with her club duties, she has graduated to the senior U.S. Women’s National team, making four appearances last season. Now, heading into a busy 2026 with an even more important 2027, whic h includes a World Cup, Thompson is looking to take an even bigger step. “I think just being consistent in my abilities. I know the coaches told me that I need durability, especially since there’s so many games in such a short period of time,” Thompson said Tuesday at a USWNT training session at Dignity Health Sports Park. “So, being able to stay on the field. I know last year, I went down a lot (in games) and the early times in the game, so being able to stay on the field and being consistent and confident in myself.” Staying on the field, means a lot of work off of it. “Weight room, nutrition. There’s a lot that goes into it,” she said. “I’m working close with a lot of people, and I have such an amazing support team to help me through it. “I think when you go pro, you don’t, especially at such a young age, you don’t really know how to kind of go through that. But I think as the years have gone through, especially this being my third year, I’ve learned a lot and learned from different players and different stuff. So, it is definitely going to help me through the season.” The USWNT begins its 2026 slate with an exhibition match against Paraguay on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Carson and then heads to Santa Barbara to face Chile next Tuesday (Jan. 27). Thompson, who followed her sister Alyssa in bypassing college to turn pro, appeared in 18 games as an NWSL rookie and 23 last season. Last season, she signed a contract extension with Angel City that runs through the 2029 season. This camp is entirely players from the NWSL. The next camp will lead into the SheBelieves Cup in March, when the U.S. faces Argentina, Colombia and Canada. “Everyone’s wanting their spot, so it’s super competitive,” Thompson said of the camps. “It’s always competitive, no matter where you are, whether at Angel City and the NWSL, all the teams are competitive.” CHRISTEN PRESS RETIREMENT CELEBRATION U.S. Soccer will hold a pregame retirement celebration for Christen Press before Saturday’s game. Press, from Palos Verdes Estates, retired last October from professional soccer. She spent the last three seasons of her career playing for Angel City FC. She made 155 appearances for the national team, scored 64 goals and added 43 assists. She was a member of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup championship teams and part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Related Articles LAFC parts ways with Yaw Yeboah Angel City FC will open 2026 NWSL season at home against Chicago Angel City FC signs Riley Tiernan to 2-year extension Trump travel ban leaves Senegal, Ivory Coast fans in limbo for World Cup Angel City FC acquires Emily Sams from Orlando ...read more read less