Zepeda: Not disgusting, disappointing

Midfielder Savannah McCaskill made her first start since August 1, in the Wave's 2-0 loss against the last-place Houston Dash. (Photo Credit: San Diego Wave FC)

That was about as disappointing a loss as you can have.

With only  two regular season matches left, San Diego Wave FC lost 2-0 against the last-place Houston Dash. 

Interim Head Coach for San Diego Wave FC Landon Donovan shook his head and took a long pause after answering the first question of his post-match press conference.

“It feels disgusting to lose that game,” Donovan said. “It was kind of a classic when the conditions are a little tough to play on and one team really wants to play it kind of equalizes it, and (if) the other team doesn’t want to play, it makes it more favorable to them.”

Disgusting is fair to say, but I wouldn’t say that. Disgust should come with a bit of surprise, and I, nor many who have watched this team were surprised by that result, merely disappointment that it came against the last-place team in the NWSL.

All season the Wave have struggled to take advantage of their many chances in the final third, despite dominating in possession and shots attempted.

The Wave had 68% possession, 19 shots and 13 corner kicks, but still couldn’t find the back of the net. It was the first time that Jaedyn Shaw and Savannah McCaskill started an NWSL regular season match since July 5.

It wasn’t enough. 

The Wave had a golden opportunity on Sunday. There were two teams ahead in the standings that lost over the weekend, Bay FC and Racing Louisville. The task was simple: beat the worst team in the league at home.

The first Dash goal came in the 30th minute via a penalty after a rare error by Naomi Girma inside the box. Girma earned a yellow card for fouling Yuki Nagasato while she attempted to shoot the ball. 

Bárbara Olivieri took the penalty and shot the ball in the opposite direction of Kailen Sheridan to make it 1-0. 

The second goal came with an assist by the playing surface at Snapdragon Stadium. 

In the 72nd minute Kristen McNabb got pressure from Houston’s Olivieri and tried to stay on her feet and maintain possession of the ball, but she slipped and fell on the sandy surface in an attempt to recover the ball. 

Olivieri moved into the box with ease and drew the defense toward her before making a final pass to allow Ramona Bachmann to score with ease and make it 2-0. 

Technically, San Diego still has a chance to make the playoffs if they win out and the four teams ahead of them in the standings fall in line. 

I wouldn’t count on it.

The only true hope remains in the Concacaf W Champions Cup against Club América Femenil on Wednesday night. A win or draw would clinch the top spot in their group to send them to the semifinals of the tournament. The winner of the tournament will represent the Concacaf region in the first edition of the Women’s Club World Cup.

That won’t take place until 2026.