Wave knocked out of Summer cup
San Diego Wave FC tie Southern California rivals Angel City 0-0 at CSU Fullerton’s Titan Stadium. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC were officially knocked out of the Summer Cup following a losing penalty shootout and scoreless draw against their Southern California rival Angel City FC.
“That was a top performance and at halftime I was fearful that we couldn’t maintain it, because normally when you have that much dominance it can switch,” Buckle said. “We looked like we were gonna win it, all but for a fabulous save from the keeper when young Mel comes on. We got creative at the corner which I loved. Given our changes, given how many players we have away at the Olympics, still to come here and get a draw is a top performance.”
The Wave employed a much higher press than normal that gave Angel City the possession advantage, but kept them from building great play.
The best offensive opportunities came in the second half with great shots by 16-year-old forward Melanie Barcenas. Barcenas came on in the 60th minute and played the 10 role instead of on the wings, which gave her more chances to facilitate positive offensive chances.
Though neither side managed to put one in the back of the net, sending the game into a penalty shootout because of the tournament style of the Summer Cup that assigns point totals to draws through penalty kicks.
Angel City went first in the shootout and made all five of their chances against Wave goalkeeper Morgan Messner. The players included Claire Emslie, Alyssa Thompson, Raquel Rodriguez, Kennedy Fuller and a returning Christen Press.
The Wave’s second shot-taker Amirah Ali shot was saved as she sent it weakly within reach of the goalkeeper DiDi Haracic. Three other Wave players made their shot including Savannah McCaskill, Makenzy Doniak and Melanie Barcenas.
The Wave will play their next match in the Concacaf W Champions Cup against Santa Fe FC in Panama City, Panama on August 20. Their next home match will be against Angel City FC on Saturday, August 24 in the return to the NWSL regular season.
Jill Ellis files defamation lawsuit against former employee
San Diego Wave FC president Jill Ellis filed a legal complaint alleging defamation against former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado on Monday, July 29, 2024.
The filing stems from claims made by Alvarado in social media posts to Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, on July 3, 2024. The posts alleged discrimination and abuse perpetrated by leadership in the club, and specifically called on the NWSL to remove Jill Ellis from Wave FC.
The filing opens with a preliminary statement that called Alvarado’s claims about Ellis “completely false and defamatory.”
“(Alvarado) voluntarily resigned, and then undertook a completely unexpected and malicious campaign to defame Ellis and destroy her hard-earned stellar reputation and livelihood, with highly damaging and scandalous allegations, falsely accusing Ellis… of ‘abusive leadership’ and ‘life-altering and devastating’ mistreatment and behaviors that have allegedly ‘compromised’ the lives and mental health of the club’s employees.”
The 23-page document goes on to allege that an email published by Alvarado was fabricated and that she “is responsible for, took a responsible part in, was actively involved with, and/or materially contributed to the generation, creation, publication, and/or illegality of the fake emails and text message or contributed to generation, and/or illegality of the fake emails and text message.”
The document goes on to describe Alvarado’s time as an employee of the club saying the Wave “had serious issues with Alavarado’s performance and conduct from the beginning of her employment with the team.”
The legal complaint gives examples of multiple alleged instances of Alvarado fraternizing with players which violated the club’s rule to maintain professional boundaries with players. It specifically described instances on October 15, 2023, when the team won the NWSL Shield, about Alvarado celebrating alongside players instead of capturing the moment on video.
The complaint said among the damages Ellis faces included “a long-time sponsor to cancel a previously scheduled speaking engagement with Ellis; another organization to cease negotiations for Ellis to present a keynote address at an event in September; and the postponement of an honorary degree from a prestigious university.”
Wave outclassed in 2-0 defeat against Club America
Wave goalkeeper Morgan Messner made her NWSL debut in the Wave’s 2-0 loss against Club America. Messner saved a free kick from a dangerous position on goal against Club America. (Photos courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC lost 2-0 against Liga MX side Club America in their second matchup of the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday night.
Club America Mexican style of soccer provided a wrinkle the Wave had never faced before. Club America was faster and more confident with the ball on the attack with a high press that the Wave struggled to counter.
The Wave are still without many international players due to the Olympics, and lost multiple starters like Kennedy Wesley, Mya Jones and Kyra Carusa to injury.
One of the bright spots on the Wave was their third-string goalkeeper Morgan Messner who made multiple key saves from tough shots on goal.
“(Messner) was amazing, absolutely amazing. To come in at any time as a third-choice keeper is hard, let alone the day before, and she was ready, she made great saves,” Buckle said. “ I was disappointed for her that we conceded like we did, because maybe if it had gone to penalties it might have been her night, but she can be very very proud of her performance.”
Messner replaced Hillary Beal who Buckle said after the match broke a bone in her foot after kicking the goal post following a penalty kick save last week.
Messner took advantage of the opportunity, but her goalkeeping only kept them alive for so long as America came through in the 78th minute. It came during a corner kick set piece that the Wave defended poorly as multiple defenders were alone in the box allowing Karen Luna to run and jump into the perfect position to head the ball in making it 1-0.
The Wave kept the pressure on after the goal which created many chances and earned set piece opportunities in the opposing final third, but their high press left them overly exposed on the defensive end.
The Aguilas goalkeeper sent a long ball far while the Wave were high up letting the opposition flick a header backwards for forward Kiana Palacios who took advantage of a one on one opportunity and sent it into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
The Wave finish their group stage of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil next week in an away match on Thursday, August 1, against Angel City FC at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan stadium.
Wave end nine match winless streak in 3-1 victory over Bay FC
María Sánchez celebrates after scoring in San Diego Wave FC’s 3-1 victory over Bay FC in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC ended their nine match winless streak on Saturday, July 20 with a 3-1 victory against Bay FC at Torero Stadium in the first match of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
“I wondered when (the win) was going to come. All night we were ambitious, wanted to take the ball off them as much as we could and create chances and we did that, and we converted,” Interim head coach Paul Buckle said. “I’m delighted with three goals and I'm delighted for Hillary (Beall) with the penalty save, it’s big at that point, and I think we were exciting and that’s what I’ve wanted.”
The first goal started thanks to an error by Bay FC’s rookie goalkeeper Emmie Allen. Allen couldn’t control a weak cross from outside the box forcing a corner kick. The set piece strategy worked to perfection as María Sánchez sent a perfect cross to Kennedy Wesley that Wesley headed in for the rookie’s first professional goal. Abby Dahlkemper worked the play to perfection as she drew a Bay FC defender away from Wesley giving her a clearer look on goal.
“We practiced set pieces a lot and it comes down to the timing and the execution. (Sanchez) played in a perfect ball just like we worked on in practice and(Dahlkemper) had a great run to draw a couple of defenders,” Wesley said. “It came right to my head and I was able to put it away. It took a lot of practice and I’m super glad we were able to execute it together.”
The second goal happened again with questionable goalkeeping by Bay FC in the 53rd minute. Sánchez took the ball down the field and sent a cross toward the far goal post, but the Bay goalkeeper was unable to punch the ball away making it 2-0.
“It’s not the way I pictured to score, but it obviously feels good to score,” Sánchez said. “I’ve been on the team for quite a few games now and not being able to score can bring you down sometimes, but I think having that in this tournament and finally getting one in the back of the net helps a lot moving forward.”
The Wave conceded a goal in the 62nd minute with a goalkeeper error of their own by Hillary Beall. Beall received a pass from one of her defenders, but cleared the ball poorly. A Bay FC forward rushed the sailing ball and easily moved forward before kicking the ball in easily to make it 2-1.
Beall redeemed herself later on in the final minutes of the match by saving a penalty kick in the dying minutes of the match which could prove important with tiebreakers in tournament play.
The Wave’s third goal came in the 80th minute with great team play in the final third that moved the ball to the opposite side of the pitch before sending it into the center of the box. Amirah Ali received the pass from Elyse Bennett and followed through on her initial shot to make it a final score of 3-1
The win marks the first win since May 8, 2024 and the latest time the Wave scored three goals in a match since May 20, 2023.
“Yeah, I think (the win) helps a lot moving forward. I think we’ve obviously struggled the last few games,” forward María Sánchez said. “The feeling of having fun and winning a game helps us so much, so I think a game like this can help the team moving forward be more confident and have more fun.”
The Wave continue on in the Summer Cup at home next week when they face Liga MX Femenil powerhouse Club America at Snapdragon Stadium.
Wave extend winless streak to nine
Alex Morgan takes a shot at the top of the box. Morgan has not scored a goal in the 2024 season.(Photo credit: San Diego Wave FC)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego Wave FC lost 1-0 against the fifth-place Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Friday, July 5.
The loss extends their winless streak to nine matches and their last three matches without a goal scored.
“I’m gutted, I’m absolutely gutted for the players, for the staff, our fans, because we’ve got nothing for our troubles in the last few games,” interim head coach Paul Buckle said. “We’ve put an awful lot of effort in both games, we’ve created chances and again tonight.”
The Wave out possessed the Thorns and played with a strong press, but left themselves open to many counter-attacking opportunities throughout the match that eventually forced a mistake by the Wave’s defense.
The best opportunity for the Wave came in the 38th minute following a set piece opportunity in the opposition's final third. Makenzy Doniak recovered a deflection from outside the box and sent a cross in the air in front of the goal. No Wave players could reach the ball in the air, but María Sánchez managed to tap the ball back into the middle where Alex Morgan stood to tap it into the back of the net.
However, the referee quickly called the play offsides. She waited for some time to determine the call was correct according to the VAR officials, and confirmed her decision.
“The goal, I didn’t think was offside,” Buckle said. “I’ve seen (that) moment a million times in football and straight away I thought Alex (Morgan) was behind the play, and I’ve had several texts to confirm that. If that goes in it’s a different game, and there’s is tight and they get it.”
Portland’s strong offense finally took advantage of defensive mistakes by the Wave in the 85th minute after multiple defenders were unable to fully clear the ball. Janine Becky, who had been putting forth a strong effort throughout the match, received a pass down the right side of the pitch and sent a perfect cross to Izzy D’Aquilla making a run inside the box. D’Aquila put it in through the legs of Kailen Sheridan to make it 1-0.
Just minutes earlier the Wave’s 16-year-old forward came on as a substitute and nearly made magic happen. She received a great long pass from Savannah McCaskill before taking a touch to control the ball, then sent a strong shot on goal directly to the goalkeeper who managed to punch it away for a corner kick.
The Wave will take a break from regular season NWSL action before playing in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Their first match will mark a return to the Wave’s first home, Torero Stadium, against Bay FC on July 20.
Wave lose another late heartbreaker
Emily Van Egmond defends in San Diego Wave’s 2-1 loss against Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. (Photo courtesy: San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC gave up their second consecutive stoppage time goal, this time against NJ/NY Gotham FC in a 2-1 loss at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
San Diego Wave FC gave up a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time on Saturday in a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit and repeated their mistake on Wednesday night against Gotham FC in the eight minute of stoppage time to lose 2-1.
“It’s devastating to lose to another late goal,” said head coach Casey Stoney about the loss.
The loss broke a record for the Wave’s longest winless streak in the NWSL regular season now at six matches. Their longest winless streak across all competitions occurred last season starting in June which lasted nine matches across all competitions.
Gotham dominated nearly the entire first half, but the Wave defense managed to hold on in the central position forcing their opposition to play wider, but eventually made a serious error in the third minute of stoppage time after they had just turned over the ball.
USWNT mainstay Rose Lavelle had the ball in a counter attacking opportunity and was given too much space to run the ball to the top of the box and send a screeching shot that curved past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
The Wave offense was highlighted by rookie Mya Jones on the right wing who applied a high press throughout the match to force the Gotham defense to make good plays to stop her.
Jones’ high press eventually worked to perfection to start the second half as she took advantage of a misplayed pass by Gotham goalkeeper Ann Berger. After Jones intercepted the pass she had a one-on-one opportunity against a defender who she quickly bypassed before sending the shot in to equalize at 1-1 in the 48th minute
“I don’t think there’s anything I can say at the end of the game. I think to feel like that twice in a matter of days, there’s nothing I can do to recover, it’s about what we do now to make things better,” Stoney said. “The message was that we have to collectively now look at how we can improve and it’s my responsibility to make the team better.”
Maycee Bell scored the game-winner with a perfect first touch in a very difficult play where she wrapped her leg around a Wave defender inside the box before smashing the goal in toward the far post to make it the final score of 2-1.
Prior to the goal there had been an extended waiting period to determine whether or not the play would be subject to a VAR review. Stoney said after the match that it “must have been an inexperienced person on VAR today.”
The Wave have one more match on the road on Saturday, June 22, against the Houston Dash. Their next home match won’t be until Friday, June 28 when they face the Chicago Red Stars.
Zepeda: Wave caught in a rip current; happy father’s day to Chucky Lozano
Wave celebrate Jaedyn Shaw goal against Washington Spirit in 1-1 draw. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
Many things happened in the world of San Diego soccer this week and I have a lot of stuff on mind. My name’s Abraham Zepeda and welcome to my new Sunday opinion column about the beautiful game in America’s Finest City.
San Diego Wave FC extended their winless streak to five matches with their draw last night against the Washington Spirit. The Wave led from the 20th minute thanks to the road roommate pairing of Maria Sanchez and Jaedyn Shaw, but conceded a goal at the death.
Now I’m exhausted from all the ocean puns used to talk about this club, but there is no other way to say it.
The Wave are caught in a rip current. Swimming with plenty of force, but stuck in the same exact place and being pulled further from shore at the same time.
They’ve already matched their five total draws from the 2023 season, and their only wins are against the bottom three teams in the NWSL. Every other match has been a loss or a draw featuring a lackluster offense that lacks an ability to score.
They are tied for second-to-last in goals scored this season, but tied for second in goals conceded, so no blame should go toward the defense.
Center back Naomi Girma put on a defensive show to stop the electricity that Trinity Rodman brings to an attack. Danielle Colaprico played great as a center defensive midfielder stopping Washington’s momentum and distributing the ball well up the pitch.
The lone goal by Washington started with an amazing long pass by Casey Krueger to the final third. Abby Dahlkeper tried to head the ball away but it deflected toward the NWSL rookie standout Croix Bethune. Bethune got a great first touch with her chest to control the ball before shooting it past Kailen Sheridan in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
How do you escape a rip current? You swim parallel to the beach.
Wave head coach Casey Stoney has said all season they need to create more chances and be better in the final third. That seems like a start.
“It just feels like we can’t catch a break, but you make your own luck.,” Stoney said after the match. “We’ll keep working, we'll keep trying to do the right things. Hopefully the tide will turn, because the players deserve more tonight. They gave absolutely everything and emptied the tank. I can’t ask anything more of them.”
I agree, but I don’t think the tide will turn. It’s time to swim out and catch up because the top teams in the NWSL are already busy shredding the gnar.
San Diego FC’s marquee signing Hirving “Chucky” Lozano greets fans at Rady’s Shell event Thursday night. (Photo by Ryan Young)
I hadn’t really bought in on the dream San Diego FC is selling.
Is this $500 million franchise actually going to change the San Diego sports landscape? Will they compete and consistently bring exciting players in, or sell all their developed academy players to elsewhere?
Are young fans going to fall for SDFC’s version of a young Adrián González just for him to leave in the prime of their career?
Maybe all that is too cynical.
I couldn’t help but buy in on the vision after watching an emotional Hirving “Chucky” Lozano cry at his introductory press conference on Thursday morning.
Lozano’s signing was officially announced on June 6. He signed a four-year contract through the 2028 MLS season and would be the first designated player in San Diego FC history.
I sat there at Snapdragon Stadium expecting another typical SDFC press event that would wax on about the potential of the Right to Dream academy and some brief words from Lozano about his belief in the project and excitement to join the club.
But what we got was perfect.
Lozano was being introduced via a video of SDFC Chairman and owner Mohamed Mansour. Lozano looked out at a full crowd of media with his family and friends in the front row, including his two children, and began to cry as the emotions of the moment came over him.
We need more raw emotions in sports, it’s a beautiful thing. Thank you Hirving “Chucky” Lozano.
So, what makes it a happy Father’s Day for the 28-year-old Mexican superstar?
One of Lozano’s first guests to walk out was former head coach of la Selección Mexicana and Liga MX’s Pachuca Enrique Meza.
TJ Sports’ Alejandro Guzman asked a great question about what it meant to have 76-year-old Enrique Meza, Lozano’s first professional coach at Pachuca, in attendance and what advice he had given Lozano when he made his debut against Liga MX powerhouse Club América.
Lozano began to answer the question, but his voice broke and tears ran down his face as he recalled what Meza meant to him. He called Meza his father figure in the game of soccer and said he has had beautiful conversations with him since he since he left Mexico to play in Europe.
“I have so much love for him,” Lozano said. “The truth is there aren’t words to describe (our relationship.) He has supported me from the beginning, and I have many beautiful memories about him.”
Lozano also recounted the advice from Meza in his professional debut at Estadio Azteca.
“‘Kid don’t worry. Play like you’ve been playing. Forget about everything happening in the stadium and play like you know how to play,’” Meza said.
Thank you to all the parents and parental figures in the game of fútbol.
Oh, and hosting the biggest MLS introduction for a player since Lionel Messi sold out Inter Miami’s stadium puts a nice feather in SDFC’s cap.
It looked a lot cooler too.
Photos by Ryan Young
Wave secure 1-1 draw against unbeaten Orlando Pride
San Diego Wave forward, Makenzy Doniak, celebrates her team-leading third goal to make it 1-1 against Orlando Pride.
San Diego Wave FC drew 1-1 against the unbeaten Orlando Pride on Friday night in front of 17,703 fans at Snapdragon Stadium thanks to a solid defense and resurgent offense in the second half.
The draw ended a historic 9-match winning streak for the Orlando Pride who had won all their matches dating back to March 29. The Wave for the first time this season had zero players on their injury report, and featured most of their best players in the starting XI, but some had more limits following international matches and travel that same week.
“I thought we played excellent,” Wave head coach Casey Stoney said after the match. “I think it’s the final third where we’re probably not executing where we need to be. We had good moments, we got into good spaces, but it was either a touch, decision or final action that let us down.”
The first goal for Orlando came in a transitional moment following a San Diego error on a set piece. María Sánchez took a corner kick from the left side, but sent in a weak ball that deflected toward the back of the penalty box. Kristen McNabb attempted to pass the ball to Colaprico at the top of the box but Orlando cleared the ball. The pride then sent a pass for their star striker Barbra Banda to run the ball down the field. Girma covered her to keep her on the wings, but as Banda arrived in the box she threaded a perfect cross to Julie Doyle who fell backwards to just manage and kick the ball with her right to make it 1-0.
The Wave held the possession advantage in both halves, but was much stronger in the second half. McNabb said that at halftime the team spoke about their need to take their time and be more patient with the ball.
The equalizing goal came in the 62nd minute with María Sánchez sending the ball into dangerous areas. Sánchez first took a shot from outside the box that was unexpected and deflected back to her. This time Sánchez took more time before sending in another ball toward the goal that the goalkeeper weakly punched away. Luckily for the Wave it landed right in front of Makenzy Doniak who was substituted on for Mya Jones at halftime. From just outside the 12-yard box Doniak paused and sent a low strike past the two Pride defenders and the goalkeeper to make it 1-1.
“Having Makenzy (Doniak) back tonight was huge. Her assists and goals in terms of stats have been really good this season. So having her as a goal threat and having her back was huge, and she came on and made a big impact for us,” Stoney said.
Immediately following the goal the Wave kept the pressure on with a few more big chances and shots, but few were on target. Stoney highlighted an important statistic following the match saying the Wave outshot the Pride 19 to 9, but the Pride had six on target while the Wave only had five.
“It’s about taking the shots quicker, making the right decisions, maybe moving the ball a little bit more, connecting a few more passes in the final third to get the right opportunities to shoot,” said Stoney.
San Diego will head out for a three-match away stretch starting with the Washington Spirit on June 15, and won’t return for a home match until June 28 when they take on the Chicago Red Stars.
Wave offense still stagnant in scoreless draw against Angel City
San Diego Wave Captain Abby Dahlkemper made her return to the starting lineup against Angel City FC after being out due to injury in a 0-0 draw.(Photo credit: San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC continued their winless away streak in a scoreless draw against their Southern California rivals, Angel City FC in front of an announced crowd of 19,103 fans.
Head coach Casey Stoney started her post-match press conference by encapsulating the feeling around the whole season for the club thus far saying, “It’s the story of our season, we can’t score goals.”
“(I’m) still bitterly disappointed to walk away with a point. I thought the first half we were very good, I thought we fell off a little bit in the beginning of the second half,” head coach Casey Stoney said after the match. “We needed to get a little bit of more control back, but I thought when we got in the box we were dangerous, we were creative, but we had 13 shots and our best chances didn't even hit the target.”
Of the 13 shots by the Wave only four were on target and nine were from inside the penalty area. The Wave had an 1.49 xG, according to Stats Perform led by forward María Sánchez who received many passes toward the back post that she was unable to finish.
Angel City and the Wave are now completely even across all competitions at 3-3-3 and nearly even on the National Women’s Soccer League table with 12 points and 11 points respectively following the draw.
On the defensive end the Wave started their ideal center back pairing of Naomi Girma and Abby Dahlkemper for the first time since April 19, who were both out with injuries. Stoney highlighted Dahlkemper’s ability to send a long range pass that was at times difficult to defend for Angel City.
The best chance for the Wave came in the ninth minute of stoppage time in a free kick opportunity. Jaedyn Shaw took the kick and sent a cross into a dangerous area of the box. Emily Van Egmond headed the pass well, but it hit the top of the crossbar. The Wave got the first chance on the deflection and Alex Morgan headed it, but ACFC goalkeeper DiDi Haracic made an excellent diving save to keep it scoreless. The ball was cleared for a Wave corner kick, but it resulted in nothing and a few seconds later the referee blew the final whistle.
San Diego and the rest of the NWSL have a week off for an international break. The Wave currently have nine players that have been called up for international friendlies during the week. The Wave play their next match at home against a dominant Orlando Pride who lead the standings and are currently undefeated through the 2024 season under their new head coach Seb Hines.
Wave waste first half performance in 2-1 loss against Bay FC
Wave defender Hanna Lundkvist (left) defends against Bay FC forward and Chula Vista native Scarlett Camberos (right) in 2-1 defeat. (Photo Credit: San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC played well for 55 minutes before continuing a winless away-match streak in 2024 with a 2-1 loss against Bay FC on Friday night in San Jose.
Multiple key players like Naomi Girma, Abby Dahlkemper, were available after being out with injury over the past few weeks, but the Wave offense still had some of their best players like Jaedyn Shaw, Alex Morgan and Makenzy Doniak out with injury.
The Wave dominated the first half with more possession,eight shots, and many offensive chances while holding the Bay Area team to only one shot and zero on target.
The first goal came as many have this season from the Wave off a corner kick set piece. It happened in the 23rd minute with Savannah McCaskill taking the corner. McCaskill sent a great ball into the center of the box bouncing off many players before the loose ball moved toward Wave midfielder Danielle Colaprico. Colaprico could have shot the ball, but had a defender right in front of her so she tried to pass the ball to her right. The ball deflected off a defender in the box right toward Kyra Carusa who gave a great full force shot on goal that the keeper couldn’t even dive for to make it 1-0.
The first goal came in the 55th minute and was also the first shot on goal all match by Bay FC thanks to some great movement by midfielder Kiki Pickett. Pickett got the ball near the middle of the pitch and juked Wave midfielder Emily Van Egmond leaving lots of space in front of her to move the ball forward. Pickett did just that, running the ball into the penalty area and ultimately drawing the Wave backline toward her on the right side leaving the left wide open. Pickett saw the space and passed the ball toward Scarlett Camberos on the left side. Wave defender Christen Westphal was close by, but fell and seemingly was injured on the play leaving plenty of room for Camberos to control the ball and send in a strong shot to equalize at 1-1.
Camberos is a Chula Vista native and Bonita Vista High alumna and the goal marks her first goal with Bay FC and second against her hometown club. The first came in a victory for Angel City in San Diego last season.
Head Coach Casey Stoney said after the match the team needs to change their mentality as the opposition scored one goal and her squad “went to pieces.”
“We can’t afford to do that. We’ve got to make good decisions when the play’s against us, we’ve got to be more compact and make good sensible choices so we can get rhythm (to) get back into our game, and I don’t think we did that,” Stoney said.
The sequence to the second goal began with a poor defensive clearance by Abby Dahlkemper, who was playing her first match in nearly a month coming off an injury. Bay FC easily recovered the ball and sent it to Pickett in the midfield. Pickett sent a great through ball past the Wave’s backline for Dorian Bailey which forced Sheridan out of the goal to stop a shot on goal. Bailey avoided Sheridan and sent a well placed pass to the center of the box. Lundkvist was there and may have been able to clear it, but Bay FC forward Rachael Kundananji applied pressure to her from behind which forced Hanna Lundkvist’s foot to strike the ball for the game-winning goal to make it 2-1 in the 87th minute.
“Honestly it’s not good enough. It’s not good enough. We’ve got to start scoring goals. You can’t have that many chances and can’t be in the final third that many times and not score, we have to be better in those areas,” said Stoney. “I don't want to put pressure on the players and start smashing at things, but we have to (because) it's not good enough. Both goals are preventable. I don’t think we defended the second very well either, like clear your lines, basics of defending, get the ball away from the goal.
“I think it’s a hard lesson for our players, but it’s my job. It’s my responsibility to get results and this loss is on me, and it’s making sure that I do enough now between now and Thursday to prepare the team so that we can get more goals and we can get three points on the table,” said Stoney.
The Wave play their next match on the road on Thursday, May 23, against their southern California rivals Angel City FC at BMO Stadium. Across all competitions the record between the two teams is identical at 3-3-2.
SDFC, Club Tijuana announce five-year partnership for annual friendlies
Like all great stories, it started at a card table in Las Vegas.
President and owner of Club Tijuana Jorgealberto Hank told the tale. He had just sat down at blackjack table in the Wynn casino when he got a call telling him to meet with the Tom Penn, CEO San Diego’s new MLS team San Diego FC.
Penn happened to be in the same building so Hank left the table to meet him. The two spoke about the potential partnership between their two clubs which would go on to be the groundwork for their five-year partnership that includes annual friendly matches at Snapdragon Stadium.
“We are honored to partner with our neighbors at Club Tijuana to co-create a series of exciting matches and a cultural celebration of the unique binational communities of San Diego and Tijuana,” said SDFC CEO Tom Penn. “We are excited to compete intensely on the pitch and work together off the pitch to develop unifying initiatives and experiences that will help grow the game and make a positive impact on both sides of the border.”
The announcement came at a press conference at SDFC’s headquarters in Little Italy with representatives from both clubs. In attendance for SDFC was, Tom Penn and Vice-Chairman and Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez. Representing Club Tijuana was president and owner Jorgealberto Hank.
“We believe that this alliance that we are making with the five games that we are going to have in the next five years is just the beginning of something very important that we can do between the two institutions,” said Hank. “We hope to learn from each other and help each other as much as we can and continue to grow."
When asked about the desired outcomes of the new relationship by SanDiego.futbol Penn listed “joint programs for the community, collaborations on player development and there could be crossborder commercial activity.”
“The fun part is we don’t know what (this partnership) is going to be. We’ll get our staffs together and figure this whole thing out,” Penn said.
The dates for the matches have not been announced. The matches themselves will be produced, promoted and presented by SDFC according to a press release from the club.
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.
Shaw stuns in 2-0 victory against Utah Royals
Jaedyn Shaw shooting her first professional penalty kick in San Diego Wave’s 2-0 victory against the Utah Royals (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC).
San Diego Wave won their first weekday match of the season on Wednesday, May 8, at home against the Utah Royals for their first ever meeting in a decisive 2-0 result with an especially strong match by the 19-year-old United States Women’s National Team star, Jaedyn Shaw.
It was Shaw’s best match of the season and her first start in two matches as she managed to score the first goal with her first ever professional penalty kick and assisted the second with a perfect through pass.
“I think we’re all tired of losing or tying. We want to win,” forward Jaedyn Shaw said. “It’s our standard to win, and that’s all it really was. We were extremely motivated to go out there and put in the work to win and get three points at home. It was a great response (to) last weekend.”
The first goal came in the 35th minute as 16-year-old Kimmi Ascanio took a shot from just inside the penalty area and hit a Utah player’s slightly outstretched arm. The referee initially ruled the play a corner kick for the Wave, but after a quick Video Assisted Review the referee reversed the call and awarded the Wave a penalty kick.Shaw took the kick and shot it to her right with plenty of force to take the 1-0 lead.
Shaw played what she has called her favorite position as a ‘10’ and received high praise from her head coach Casey Stoney who commended Shaw’s ability to hurt opposing teams when she faces their back four defenders.
“Shaw’s a creative player, so if we get her in the right areas we know we can hurt opponents, but we’ve also got to have people that are willing to run behind,” Stoney said. “I think we’ve lacked that in games previously, but tonight we certainly didn’t lack that.”
Wave player’s running behind stretched out the Royals’ defense throughout the match and eventually used one of those opportunities to put them ahead with another goal.
That goal came in the 77th minute that started with a great pass by Shaw to Makenzy Doniak who was just substituted on minutes earlier for María Sánchez. Doniak had fresh legs and much more speed than the opposition and ran behind their defensive line easily to track down the long pass and only needed one touch with her left foot to send it past the diving goalkeeper to make it the final score of 2-0.
The Wave face a quick turnaround and will play at home on May 12, at 4:30 PST against the reigning NWSL champions Gotham FC. The Wave previously beat Gotham 1-0 with a late goal by Alex Morgan in the NWSL Challenge Cup to begin their season
Wave “incredibly disappointing” in 2-1 defeat against Seattle Reign
Savannah McCaskill takes a corner kick in the Wave’s 2-1 defeat against Seattle Reign.(Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
The San Diego Wave coming off their best performances of the season last week reverted back to poor form in an away match against Seattle Reign where they lost 2-1 in the dying minutes despite holding a player advantage for more than 80 minutes.
“It doesn’t sit well with anybody. To have a game like this, to be on the road, the way it starts, the momentum you pick up in it, and the way we came off of last week, you want that contagious energy to continue,” said forward Kyra Carusa. “To see that is incredibly disappointing. I would say that, anyone would say that, and it makes these moments very difficult.”
The Wave started with a very different lineup as many of their star players were out with injuries including Alex Morgan, Sofia Jakobsson, Abby Dahlkemper, and Naomi Girma. Though the team came out fine and were able to take advantage of a disorganized moment early against the Reign who at the time were on a five-match losing streak and at the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League standings.
The first goal came with a bit of luck for the Wave as Hanna Lundkvist drew a foul in the opposing half while attempting to defend. Lundkvist was following Tziarra King with some light grabbing before King tried to push her off by flailing her arms. King's hand then hit Lundkvist in the face and after a VAR review the referee deemed the foul worthy of a red card.
Then followed a free kick from the foul spot taken by defender Kennedy Wesley. The Wave were well prepared for the set piece and took advantage of the Reign who were disorganized because of the card. Kyra Carusa who takes Alex Morgan’s role as a center forward found the ball and put a shot on target that just hit the top post. The Reign defense was not well situated inside the box allowing Carusa to find the deflection and hit it in easily to make it 1-0.
“When you have such a strong magnet like Elyse (Bennett) to bring a lot of players into her you’re kind of just trying to work off of her a lot of the times,” Carusa said. Ball falls pretty well to me and as a nine, you love that. You want to hunt that ball and find those moments, so I’m happy that I was able to find that ball and tuck it away and put us up early.”
Head coach Casey Stoney said the team didn't “handle being up a player well at all” as they allowed the Reign to press high and nullify the player disadvantage when they should have been playing wide to tire out their opposition.
The next goal came in the 34th minute and was a major error by Kailen Sheridan in what was usually a typical play that the Wave employ building their attack from the back of the pitch. Sheridan passed the ball to her center back who passed it back to Sheridan after some light pressure from a Reign forward. On the reception Sheridan had a bad first touch allowing Reign forward Bethany Balcer to rush the ball, steal it away from Sheridan’s feet and score easily to equalize at 1-1.
The rest of the match can be categorized as a start and stop affair as the referee Danielle Chesky gave an NWSL record 10 cards — eight yellows and two red— over the course of the match.
“I don’t necessarily think it was a 10 card game if I'm honest,” Stoney said.”I thought there were a few yellows flying around that didn’t need to be given, but that’s the referee’s decision and I respect that.”
The final goal came in the 89th minute during a Reign set piece. Ji So-yun took the free kick and passed it to the near post to Veronica Latsko. Ironically, Latsko scored the Reign’s last goal against San Diego that ended the Wave’s season in the 2023 NWSL semifinals. She sent a cross just inside the boundaries of the pitch meant as a pass, but the ball floated to the back post over Kailen Sheridan’s head in the 47th minute.
Then again on Friday night Latsko stood at the near post and headed the cross from Ji toward the back post over Sheridan’s head to make it 2-1.
The Wave still had a chance to equalize with nine minutes of stoppage time because of the many cards given by the referee, but were unsuccessful. They had a chance late with multiple set pieces opportunities in the opponent’s final third, but couldn’t convert any chances.
Instead during the final moment of the match the Wave earned a red card. It was a corner kick set piece for the Wave, and defender Kristen McNabb in an attempt to both jump for the ball and hold Jess Fishlock player down, seemingly punched Fishlock in the face. After a long VAR review the referee gave McNabb a red card, thus suspending her for the team’s next match shortly before blowing the final whistle for a final score of 2-1.
The Wave must have the “memory of a goldfish,” said Kyra Carusa as they have two more home matches in the next week against the expansion team, Utah Royals on Wednesday, May 8, and reigning 2023 NWSL champions Gotham FC on Sunday, May 12.
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.
Wave offense dismal in 1-0 loss to Orlando Pride
Australian midfielder Emily Van Egmond moves the ball forward during San Diego Wave’s away match in a 1-0 loss against unbeaten Orlando Pride. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC continued their road trip Friday, April 19, against Orlando Pride and lost 1-0 after a dreary performance in the first half and inability to create positive offensive chances.
The team began to look better near the end as they passed the ball efficiently and created chances until just before stoppage time when star United States forward Alex Morgan injured her ankle and the team ran out of substitutes. They played eight minutes of stoppage time with 10 players, and just managed to escape with only one goal scored against them.
The first goal of the night came in the 26th minute after very poor defensive play and what head coach Casey Stoney called a “comedy of errors.” The Wave players were unable to clear the ball despite multiple opportunities in the final third. The Pride kept their players high and eventually switched play to the left side. Fullback Kerry Abello received the ball and with lots of space in front of her put a shot on goal toward the near post. Kailen Sheridan deflected the ball sending it to the center of the box where Summer Yates kicked it in easily to make it 1-0.
The rest of the first half consisted of many similar errors with unforced giveaways and an inability to maintain possession for long periods of times. Stoney said in the halftime interview that it felt like the team couldn’t get into a rhythm or even get two passes together.
“I thought the second half we were brighter, but we didn’t really test the goalkeeper or create a huge amount,” said Stoney. “Lots for me to reflect on in terms of shape and team selection and where we go from here, but it’s not an easy place to come and we’ve only taken one point on the road out of six and that’s not good enough.”
The only positives that Stoney said she would take away was the ability of two of her newer players defender Kennedy Wesley and 16-year-old midfielder Kimmi Ascanio who were both making their second appearances coming on as substitutes.
“(Wesley’s) tenacious, she’s good on the ball and such a solid defender for us,” said fellow center back Abby Dahlkemper. “I’m just really proud for her and happy that she was able to get minutes and help our defense get a shutout in the second half.”
Dahlkemper after the match also made sure to say multiple times that there were no excuses for their poor performance and the team was poor both individually and collectively.
Sheridan ended the night with seven saves ultimately limiting the damage considering how poor the team had played with some especially good saves against newest Orlando signing Barbra Banda.
The Wave will return to San Diego and play their third home match of the season on Saturday, April 27, against the newly founded expansion team Bay FC for the first time. Bay FC is currently ahead of the Wave in the standings with two wins and two losses.
Wave scoreless in draw against Racing Louisville
Defender Kennedy Wesley made her professional debut for San Diego Wave FC in a 0-0 draw against Racing Louisville FC. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC.)
San Diego Wave FC went on the road for the first time in the 2024 NWSL regular season to take on Racing Louisville FC where they tied 0-0 thanks to strong defending and a lackluster offensive in the final third.
“I think we did okay, (but)I don’t think we were great tonight overall. Although we created chances that we should have taken, but they created chances too,” head coach Casey Stoney said. “We gotta do more with the chances we create, we’ve got to keep the ball better. I thought we could have punched between lines a lot more and be brave going forward. But it’s a point on the road in a very difficult place to come, and a slightly difficult pitch to play on.”
The starting lineup was standard for the team, but missing one of the Wave’s star players in Naomi Girma who suffered a thigh injury during the international break with the USWNT. Fellow Stanford graduate Kennedy Wesley took her spot in the center back position and played a strong game to keep the clean sheet.
"I obviously was super honored and excited for the opportunity and I don't think I could have done it without my teammates on the field,” Wesley said. “They made me feel confident, not afraid to make mistakes & gave me the encouragement to just go after it."
The first half was excellent for the Wave defensively and possession wise as they dominated with 59% possession and didn't allow a single shot on target, but looked like a much different team to start the second half, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
The Wave had very few good chances created and a seemingly tired team in the final third. The primary action in the game came in the last 20 minutes as Louisville seemed to take control of the match, first starting with a nearly wonderful goal by former Wave midfielder Taylor Flint.
Flint — formerly Kornieck— made a goal similar to many during her time in San Diego using her size ot outclass the defense and head the ball into the back of the net. However, one of her teammates was in an offside position on the goaline obstructing Kailen Sheridan from diving for the ball. The referee called the goal off and the scorer remained 0-0.
Later on in the 76th minute 16-year-old United States Youth National Team midfielder Kimmi Ascanio made her professional debut as she came on as a substitute for Danielle Colaprico.
“We needed to keep the ball more and I thought she could impact the game and I think she did that,” Stoney said about the decision to substitute Ascanio on. “I'm not going to test her too much, but I’m going to give her minutes and I’m going to play her because she’s good enough to play.”
The best moment of the match for the Wave came in the 87th minute as goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan made a great save on her line to stop a header from very close in the box.
The Wave will stay on the road for the next week and travel to Orlando where they will face the Pride on Friday, April 19. The match will start at 5 p.m. PST and be broadcasted nationally Prime Video.
Stoppage time stunner ends Seattle’s Reign over Wave
San Diego Wave FC midfielder Emily Van Egmond sends in the shot that would be the game-winning goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time to beat the Seattle Reign 1-0. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)
The Seattle Reign has historically been San Diego Wave’s kryptonite. Across nine matches in all competitions the past two years the Wave lost seven times and drew twice. The Reign even ended San Diego’s season last year in the National Women’s Soccer League semifinals.
The Wave finally turned their fortunes and ended the winless streak with a stoppage time game-winning goal to beat the Reign 1-0 in front of an announced crowd of 16,746 fans.
Head Coach Casey Stoney said after the match that she was very aware of her team’s record against Seattle and was glad they “beat them at last.”
“I take a huge amount of pride in the players, because I thought they were outstanding tonight. I thought we won draws all over the pitch, and I thought we defended our box really well,” said Stoney. “We attacked, created chances, we could’ve been up one or two in the first half.”
Part of their strong attack was a great performance by Sofia Jakobsson as a right winger who was constantly creating chances and pressing high to create issues for the Reign. This match she was joined by fellow Swedish national team player Hanna Lundkvist who played a great game in her natural right back position.
“I think it helps they can speak the same language,” Stoney said. “I thought (Lundkvist) was outstanding tonight. Her positioning and the way we found her from the back was good. First half we skipped lines a little too much, and she was getting pressed, and I thought in the second half we were better in terms of our adjustments of going into the midfield to go out.
“(Jakobsson) knew exactly what Hanna was doing and Hanna knew what (Jakobsson) was doing. (Jakobsson) was stretching lines for us, which helped and (Lundkvist) was able to get on the ball and create,” said Stoney. “I thought they had a very good connection, (it’s) something to build on.”
“We weren’t walking off that field without three points,” midfielder Danielle Colaprico said after the match. They continued to press high and be dangerous in the opposing half taking advantage of a gassed Seattle defense they had worn down after 90 minutes.
Just after regular time Kyra Carusa ran down the pitch to save a ball headed out of bounds to send a cross to the middle. The cross was perfect and forward Alex Morgan headed it in with ease, however as Carusa and Morgan began to celebrate and fans let out their colored smoke, the line referee called it out of bounds leaving the match scoreless.
The lone goal came in the eighth minute of 11 minutes of stoppage time when Danielle Colaprico got the ball at the edge of the penalty area and juked a defender perfectly, for an open opportunity to pass the ball to a dangerous position in front of the goal. Colaprico’s pass was originally intended for Emily Van Egmond, but it first deflected off Alex Morgan toward Savannah McCaskill who tried to maintain possession. Instead she slid and tapped it forward slightly toward Morgan. The ball bounced off Morgan right in front of Van Egmond who smashed it in with her right foot to make it what would be the final score of 1-0.
“I love playing with (Van Egmond), I feel like we read each other very well. We’re both soccer-minded midfielders and like to keep the ball and combine a bit, so it’s a relationship on the field that’s evolving each game,” said Colaprico. “You can feel that in the last play, as I cut the ball back I saw her pop at the top of the ‘six’ area and that’s kind of where I was crossing it to.”
The Wave now enter an international break with 10 players being called up for their national teams. The Wave won’t play again until April 13, when they play an away game against Racing Louisville broadcasted on Ion. Their next home game isn’t until April 27, when they take on the newly created expansion team, Bay FC.
KC Current rain on Wave home opener
San Diego Wave FC’s Alex Morgan goes for a shot in a 2-1 loss against KC Current (Photo courtesy of San Diego Wave FC).
San Diego Wave Fútbol Club opened their regular season at Snapdragon Stadium to the largest National Women’s Soccer League home opener crowd announced at 32,066 fans. Their opponent, Kansas City Current, did not care.
The Wave took on a tough defense that took advantage of crucial mistakes and a “lack of conviction” in the final third in a 2-1 defeat to start their regular season.
San Diego came out the gate strong to start the match on the front foot, dominating possession and creating dangerous chances that Kansas City had no counter offensively allowing the Wave to take a lead in the first 20 minutes.
The first goal was similar to their last match as forward Savannah McCaskill took the corner kick and sent it perfectly into the center of the box. Lundkvist jumps for it, but it goes over her to Alex Morgan. The ball bounced off Morgan’s shoulder and the Current goalkeeper made an excellent save to stop the goal, but the ball didn’t deflect far. It landed right in front of forward Sofia Jakobsson who kicked it in easily to make it 1-0 in the 17th minute.
“I saw that some of our players were battling in front of the goal and it just bounced down in front of me and all I was thinking (was) I have to push it over the line, so it was actually one of the easier goals I have scored,” said Jakobsson of the goal. “I am thankful for that and happy to score in the first game of the season.”
The Wave maintained their attack for the next few minutes, but Kansas City began to take back more possession and create better chances, especially with great play by forward Temwa Chawinga.
The Current eventually got on the board just before halftime in the 44th minute after great passes in the Wave’s final third brought up many of their players for support. Isabel Rodriguez shot the ball which deflected slightly off defender Christen Westphal over goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to equalize at 1-1.
The second half began generally even between the two sides with the Wave having more possession, but were weak in the final third.
The second goal for KC Current came in the 71st minute as forward Bia Zaneratto made a move into the box from the top left corner and was covered by Christen Westphal. Zaneratto tried to go forward, but defender Christen Westphal went for a tackle after the ball passed her in a clear foul. The referee didn’t call it initially and the ball was eventually cleared. After a short VAR check the referee ruled it a penalty.
Captain of the Current, Lo’eau LaBonta, took the penalty and shot it weakly to her right, and Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan jumped in the wrong direction leaving it at what would be the final score of 2-1.
From that point on the Current brought many of their players back for a five-player backline that the Wave head coach and players said after the match was very difficult to deal with.
“I thought we played well, there was a lot of fluidity to our play, I thought we possessed the ball well, it’s the final third,” said head coach Casey Stoney. “I think that final action, final cross, final ball, final finish (is where) we’ve got to improve.”
By the 80th minute it began to pour down rain symbolic for the time as Stoney went on to say that by the end of the match the team had been worn down by the defense and lost their fight and conviction, a sentiment echoed by others on the team.
“We had some fight, we kind of lost it, and I think keeping that for the full 90 will help us become more successful,” forward Amirah Ali said. “At the end they just put so many people at the back, but that’s when you really have to push even more and send more at them.”
The Wave play their next game on Friday, March 29, at home against the rebranded Seattle Reign — a team they’ve never beaten and knocked them out of the 2023 NWSL playoffs in San Diego.
Alex Morgan talks home opener against Kansas City Current and ownership change
Alex Morgan speaks with media ahead of March 23, home opener against Kansas City Current.
San Diego’s most successful sports team in recent years, San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, spent this past weekend adding to their trophy case after winning the National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup in New Jersey when they beat Gotham FC 1-0 with a late header by international star Alex Morgan.
Now they enter their first week of the regular season Saturday, March 23, to take on Kansas City Current at Snapdragon stadium in their home opener and are likely to set the NWSL attendance record for the season.
Coming off her game winning goal in the 88th minute, Alex Morgan spoke with reporters before training on Tuesday morning to speak about the challenge cup victory, thoughts on Kansas City Current and recent ownership change by the club.
“Having the challenge cup win helped us gain a little bit of momentum and really come together in a time period that we haven’t really been together a lot because of the internationals being away for a large chunk of preseason, so it’s really an exciting time,” Morgan said. “It's been what feels like a really long offseason and a long time since we’ve played in front of our fans with the Wave crest, so we’re just looking forward to having a good game this weekend.”
As the challenge cup match did not count toward the regular season, all other teams in the NWSL began their season over the weekend, including their opponents for the weekend, Kansas City Current.
The Current made headlines over the weekend when they sold-out their brand new riverfront stadium that is dedicated solely to professional women’s soccer. It is the first of its kind in the United States, and the match broadcasted nationally on ABC where it was the second most viewed regular season NWSL match ever and drew 614,000 viewers according to ESPN. The match itself also did not disappoint and became a goalscoring frenzy as the Current held on to beat the Portland Thorns 5-4 after leading 5-1 in the 68th minute.
“All of us on the Wave were tuning in to the Kansas City game, not only because we’re playing them this weekend, but just to see the crowd show up to that game in that stadium they just opened,” Morgan said. “The first stadium for a women's soccer team, specifically for a women's soccer team and it didn't disappoint obviously there were so many goals, but we saw a lot of what Kansas City can bring.
“Every single opponent is going to be challenging in the NWSL. It's the most competitive league in the world, so it’s gonna be a really good game. We see they have a lot of different players that they didn’t have last year, especially some young players, some teenagers, so it was really cool to see that game and to see them win in front of their home fans and now I think it’s our time to do that.”
Also in the news last weekend came before the challenge cup began when Sportico reported on Thursday that the Wave were being sold by principal owner Ron Burkle to Arthur Levine and Lauren Leichtman— founders of a private equity firm based in Los Angeles—for $120 million dollars by the end of the 2024 NWSL season. Morgan spoke to what ownership change means for the players and the growth in investment in the women’s game.
“Over the last couple of years, all we’ve asked from our owner to support us and to give us the best opportunity to be able to bring home championship’s and trophies, and we’ve had that support,” said Morgan. “And that’s all we continue to ask regardless of ownership changes or selling some of the club.
“I think for us as a team nothing changes, our expectations don’t change. I think people wanting to invest and wanting to support the NWSL and women’s soccer is a good thing, so I think we’re seeing it just trending upwards. Even just looking at the valuation over the last couple of years to now is really incredible, and that just goes to show the growth that women’s soccer always had the potential of, and now seeing it in real time is pretty incredible.”
The Wave have a 1W-2L-1D record against the Current across four matches over the past two seasons. The weather forecast in Mission Valley for Saturday is set to be 59 degrees fahrenheit and mostly cloudy when the match starts at 7 p.m. PST and will be broadcasted for free on Ion.