LOS ANGELES — When Scarlett Camberos is asked about Angel City, her face lights up as she prepares to describe every aspect she loves. She recounts the joys of her kind former teammates, who helped her start her NWSL career.
Playing in the NWSL was a daunting task for Camberos. She joined the league at 22 years old after two seasons with Club América Femenil in Liga MX Femenil, but the NWSL was a step up. However, the league felt less intimidating once she began training with Angel City. Her teammates welcomed her, helping make the transition relatively seamless.
Camberos became a more frequent starter as the 2023 season progressed, becoming a fixture for Angel City in their run from 11th to fifth in the standings. She displayed remarkable skill as a winger, contributing spectacular goals and creating for her teammates.
Notably, Camberos scored Angel City’s second goal on Decision Day in a 5-1 thrashing of the Portland Thorns. The victory clinched Angel City a spot in the playoffs for the first time in club history.
However, Angel City traded Camberos to NWSL expansion side, Bay FC, after the 2023 season to add Expansion Draft protection. As Camberos says goodbye to her former team, she says she will miss the friendships she built. Whether it is Paige Nielsen’s jokes or Ali Riley, who is “so cool (and) the best captain ever,” she will miss it all.
“My teammates. They’re just amazing,” Camberos told The Sporting Tribune. “I’ve made amazing friends there (at Angel City). I don’t know, I wasn’t expecting, you go into a new team, and it’s kind of scary, and it’s the NWSL, which is scarier. But honestly, it was such a great group of women. I’m gonna miss them so much.”
Camberos is welcoming her next step at Bay FC, though. She is excited to play under head coach Albertin Montoya because of the style of play his teams employ. She is looking forward to playing possession-based soccer and growing as a player.
“It’s enjoying soccer,” Camberos said. “Keeping the ball, having possession, playing off your teammates, but being able to go one-on-one whenever you feel like it. That’s something I had in Mexico, which I really liked, and I miss. It just makes me enjoy playing soccer so much more. And I’m really excited to be under him and learn a lot from him.”
Camberos will also miss living in Los Angeles, But she is thrilled about some of the Bay Area’s distinctive traits. Camberos is a self-proclaimed “big wine girl” and is anticipating short trips to Napa Valley to taste wine. She also enjoys snowboarding, which she plans to do at Lake Tahoe, one of the top destinations for snow sports in the United States.
“It’s like a winter wonderland up there,” Camberos said. “And then snowboarding is so fun. And also Napa Valley because I’m a big wine girl. So I like just wine tasting up there and chilling.”
Bay FC is an unknown for Camberos like Angel City was, but she is excited about the move. Her season at Angel City was transformative, as it began her NWSL career. Next, she embraces the move to the team up north as the next step in her development.
“I knew that they [Bay FC] were very interested in me, and I thought it was gonna be a really good fit for me, for my development because I’m a young player. And the coach is really good. I knew the playing style was gonna fit me really well. So I’m excited to go there.”
