Gisele Thompson forges her own path on Angel City and U.S. teams

Sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson have played soccer together their entire lives, teammates throughout their amateur and professional careers. Alyssa turned professional in 2023 at the age of 18 when she signed with Angel City FC, and Gisele followed.

Today, Alyssa continues her career in Europe with Chelsea FC, after being transferred in September for a $1.3 million deal, while Gisele is preparing for her third season with Angel City. At only 20 years old, Gisèle will face her first full season without her sister, on a professional – and personal – path far from conventional.

Instead of taking a break in January, as many young women her age do before entering college, Gisele was in training camp with the U.S. senior team and played in a 6-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday in a friendly match at Dignity Health Sports Park. Gisele, a defender known for her speed on the wings, will next join preseason training with Angel City; she signed a four-year contract extension in September.

Alyssa and Gisele played the last two NWSL seasons together and competed for the national team, becoming the third pair of sisters to play together for the United States. They faced constant public scrutiny, expectations to perform at a high level, pressure to produce better results for Angel City, and tough competition at the national team level.

They must now work independently.

Gisele Thompson, who controlled the ball for the United States against Ireland in a friendly last June, is an offensive-minded defender.

(David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

“They played together their whole lives and always supported each other emotionally,” said their mother, Karen Thompson.

As an older sister, Alyssa played an important role in supporting Gisele during her first season in the NWSL in 2024. With this support, Gisele has become one of the best offensive-minded defenders in the league.

“Gisele also got to see firsthand how Alyssa reacted in a professional environment, without having to be in that environment herself,” Karen said. “She was prepared in a way that maybe Alyssa wasn’t. I think that was very helpful for Gisele. I think it was a huge advantage.”

Both are very young and still defining their identities, not only as players but also as adults.

“We are two different people and we are both incredible players, but we each have a different path,” Gisèle said.

Off the field, Gisèle is known for her jokes, but also for her composure and professionalism.

“She’s very good at trying to control her feelings, and I think that’s one of her strengths, too,” her mother said.

Alyssa Thompson, left, and Gisele Thompson have been teammates their entire lives.

(Anne M. Peterson / Associated Press)

Alyssa is a bit more expressive and emotional, which is reflected in her goal celebrations.

During the American camp, Gisèle seeks to stay healthy and focus on her own path.

“This is a time for her to discover who she is, as a player, as a person, individually,” Karen said. “Gisele is a very impactful player and I feel like in general defenders don’t always get the same attention as others, and I just hope she takes this opportunity to show what she’s worth.”

Alyssa and Gisèle not only share their speed and aggressiveness when entering the opposing zone, but also the same work ethic. In May, they became the first sisters to combine for a goal in the NWSL: Gisele ran down the wing and crossed to Alyssa, who slotted home the shot against Washington. It was a goal celebrated by the entire Thompson family and a reward for all the hard work the sisters put in on the field.

“In my opinion, she is one of the most promising players in the world,” Angel City coach Alexander Straus said of Gisele.

When Gisele just wants to be 20, she focuses on her favorite hobbies, like cooking and hanging out with friends from her old school, Harvard-Westlake.

Angel City coach Alexander Straus says of Gisele Thompson, “We need to keep her in shape so she can stay on the court and play even more minutes than last year.”

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

“I have friends outside of football, so I love going to the beach. I have different hobbies, like cooking and baking. It separates my football mentality from my daily life and allows me to connect with my family,” Gisèle explained. “I think it is very important to maintain a balance between football and normal life.”

Straus said Angel City is working to help Gisele grow steadily. She played in 15 games in 2024 and 23 games last year.

“We have to keep her in shape so she can stay on the court and play even more minutes than last year,” said Straus, who took over as coach last season. “Developing all these physical parameters is also very important, but she is still very young, so we would never push her to do it.”

Gisele has also received support from retired New Zealand defender Ali Riley, who she considers part of her family, and Angel City hopes to foster a culture of player development that will eliminate the need for them to emigrate to European football, as Alyssa and others have done.

“Gisele can do what she wants. She has the potential to be what she wants, one of the best in the world. I think she is the best at her position, and of course I will always rate her very high, because she is my player,” Straus said. “I hope she stays in Los Angeles for a long time.”

For now, Gisele hopes to make more appearances with Team USA, seeking the consistency needed to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s great for her to come and be exposed to that level and that quality, but it’s also great for us that she brings that level to our environment,” Straus said.

Gisele, who played for Southern California teams such as Total Futbol Academy, Real So Cal and Santa Clarita Blue Heat, also issued a warning: keep an eye on her 14-year-old sister, Zoe.

“Honestly, I think she’s going to be better than us,” Gisele said of her sister, a midfielder who plays for the Tudela team and has already represented the United States in the younger divisions.

“It’s clear she looks up to both of us, and I hope she can be better than us and we can motivate her to be the best.”

In a highly competitive selection process, making the team for the World Cup or Olympics won’t be easy for Gisele and Alyssa, but as these sisters have demonstrated, there are no limits to achieving their dreams.

This article first published in Spanish via LA Times in Spanish.