Wave offense returns in 2-1 victory over Bay FC
Star San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal to beat Bay FC 2-1 on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego Wave FC played their first home match in April on Saturday night against the new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team Bay FC and won 2-1 with a new starting lineup and quintessential team goal.
The Wave have been away due to an international break and two road matches where they were winless. The team was without two of their starting forwards, Alex Morgan and Sofia Jakobsson; bench forward Melanie Barcenas; and their starting centerback Abby Dahlkemper.
The Injuries forced head coach Casey Stoney to get creative with her attack as she started Ireland Women’s National Team player Kyra Carusa as her striker Makenzy Doniak as a left wing and on the right wing, NWSL rookie who was drafted this season by the Wave, Mya Jones.
“Mya (Jones) for a debut, was excellent. She’s got that raw potential, she got us up the pitch, she got one v ones, she was really positive and I thought she excited the crowd,” Stoney said
Jones had not played any minutes this season, but was good at applying pressure from the wings and creating opportunities for the Wave in the final third but veteran player Makenzy Doniak made a great finish to get the scoring started.
Carusa won a duel in the midfield and passed the ball quickly to the 16-year-old midfielder Kimmi Ascanio, who was also making her first professional start. Ascanio passed the ball ahead to Doniak who ran forward to her left with the ball forcing two defenders to follow her before she cut into the box. While the defenders were away Doniak put a strong strike with her right foot into the back of the net on the near side to make it 1-0.
Bay FC eventually found their footing and played much better around the 20th minute making it a fairly even match with similar shots and possession between the two sides.
Asisat Oshoala was crucial in the attack for Bay FC and went on to score the game-tying goal in the 48th minute. The away squad was in a dangerous position in the final third making crosses around the box before a cross by Deyna Castellanos went toward the back post for Kayla Sharples who headed the ball in well, but hit the crossbar. The ball bounced back into play directly toward Oshoala who kicked it in easily to make it 1-1.
The second goal by the Wave came in the 78th minute in a perfectly executed fast buildup play that began with Jaedyn Shaw. Shaw got a pass from Naomi Girma near the midfield, quickly passed it to Emily Van Egmond who passed it back to Shaw making a run ahead. Shaw moved it to Savannah McCasskill toward the middle of the pitch before McCaskill passed into the final third on the outside wing to Elysse Bennett who was making a run behind the fullback. Bennett immediately passed the ball to the center of the box for a sprinting Jaedyn Shaw who tapped it in easily to make it 2-1.
“The second goal was probably the best football I’ve ever seen us play that has resulted in a goal. Quality, speed, (and) arrival in the box, I as a coach enjoyed that immensely,” said Casey Stoney.
San Diego’s next match will be on Friday, May 3, on the road to take on Seattle Reign FC. The Reign have historically been one of the Wave’s toughest opponents and San Diego has never won in Seattle across their many meetings. The Wave only beat them for the first time this season 1-0 after a long-fought battle before the Wave scored in the dying minutes of stoppage time. They will return home for a midweek match on May 8 against the Utah Royals.
