Hanna Lundkvist scores first NWSL goal in 1-1 draw against Gotham FC
San Diego Wave and Sweden Women’s National Team defender Hanna Lundkvist celebrates after scoring her first NWSL goal in 1-1 draw against Gotham FC. (Photo Credit: San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC ended their two match home stretch with a draw against the reigning NWSL champions New York/ New Jersey Gotham FC 1-1 on Sunday, May 12, at Snapdragon stadium.
The result continues San Diego’s undefeated streak against the Bats after they won all five of their last meetings including a 1-0 victory to start the season in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.
The majority of the first half was controlled by the visitors who applied pressure and won challenges easily keeping the Wave from their usual style of play.
“In the first half we were a little timid. We didn’t play with the pace and speed we wanted to play with. I think the pockets were there for us in the first half, we just didn’t have the ball speed in order to exploit them,” midfielder Savannah McCaskill said.
The scoring started in the 25th minute with Gotham as they controlled the ball in the Wave’s half where Ella Stevens disguised a pass from the interior part of the field toward the outside for forward Lynn Williams. Williams, with a lot of space in front of her, brought the ball into the penalty area before crossing it to the center. The pass deflected off a Wave player, but was recovered by Gotham near the middle of the box. They then passed the ball away to the corner of the area to Jenna Nighswonger who immediately sent it back to the middle for Stevens who was completely unmarked despite being surrounded by four defenders. Stevens controlled the pass then sent a strong shot past Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to make it 1-0.
Following the goal the Wave were slow to recover, but during a stoppage in play McCaskill said the team responded well to a pep talk from their head coach Casey Stoney putting forth a better effort to end the first half to build momentum for the rest of the match.
Gotham nearly made it 2-0 after second half substitutes like Rose Lavelle brought energy back to their midfield, but Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan kept them in the match.
In the 53rd minute reigning world cup winner, Esther González got a great through ball from Emily Sonnett for a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. González sent a great shot over Sheridan, but Sheridan managed to deflect it toward the crossbar to leave the score at 1-0.
Not too long after in the 60th minute the Wave had their best opportunity of the night as María Sánchez took a direct free kick from outside the penalty area. Sánchez sent a great curving ball just over the wall of players in front of her, but the Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger dove to her left and managed to punch the shot away.
Then in the 64th minute the Wave equalized with a set-piece. It was a corner kick taken by Savannah McCaskill who sent it into the box in an area full of players. Fullback Hanna Lundkvist was in the area and scored her first NWSL goal headed the ball in while facing away from the goal to make it 1-1.
Lundkvist after the match said it “wasn’t the prettiest goal,” and wasn’t 100% sure she was the one who scored the goal or where in the head the ball hit her.
“The start here has been amazing. I love the city and I love the team. It's just we haven’t won all the matches that we have wanted, so we know we can do better and hopefully (in the) future be even better,” Lundkvist said.
The Wave play their next two matches away from home, but both in California. The first on Friday, May 17, in San Jose against Bay FC, and the second on the following Thursday against Angel City FC.
