Natalie Portman wanted to shift football culture. So she founded Angel City FC

The actor formed an ownership group that includes athletes and Hollywood stars to found a different type of team. The club has already sold 14,000 season tickets

There are few better places to hold a preseason training camp than at Malibu's Pepperdine University, whose football pitch seems to hover over the shimmering Pacific Ocean. It makes a memorable opening scene for Angel City FC.

A typical American expansion team's start is often rocky: Fighting for decent players, for fans, for attention, for a shred of dignity following lopsided defeats. But Angel City FC, who debut in the National Women's Soccer League this year, are far from typical. Although they don't play their first match until Saturday in the NWSL Challenge Cup, things already look quite different around here.