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.
Wave beat Gotham FC 1-0; win NWSL Challenge Cup
San Diego Wave players celebrate winning 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey with 1-0 victory over Gotham FC. (Credit San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave Fútbol Club head coach Casey Stoney said their game looked like a “first match of the season.” Still, the team put forth a strong defensive effort and beat the reigning National Women’s Soccer League Champions, Gotham FC, 1-0 thanks to a late header by Alex Morgan to win the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.
“I’m really proud of this squad. I’m so pleased they had this moment, they had this stage, they had the medal, they had the cup and I think that's what they deserved,”Stoney said.
The starting XI for the Wave missed some usually key pieces in Alex Morgan and Danielle Colaprico who were mainstays for the team last season, but Stoney said after the match the decision to keep Morgan off was for her protection as she was a crucial player to the USWNT in the Women’s Gold Cup tournament less than a week ago.
Though part of the starters was the debuting rookie, Hanna Lundkvist, a Swedish international player signed in the offseason. In this match she played in an outside back position on the left side of the pitch. As the game started Gotham took advantage of her side of the pitch, pressing constantly and committing great players like Esther Gonzalez to that side.
“Really pleased for (Lundkvist), I think she had to settle into the game and pace in the NWSL, I think it took her a little bit by surprise in the first half,” Stoney said. “She was excellent, really composed at times, technical, and defended well in moments especially when she was kind of backed up by a wide player or a midfielder. I always say if you give people an opportunity it’s up to them to take it and I thought she did excellent tonight.”
Gotham led in shots and had great moments, especially in the first half, but were stopped by Wave’s defensive line headlined by star United States center back Naomi Girma.
“We stayed compact, stayed together, when they had the ball they were moving it around. I think we tried to keep the ball in front of us,” defender Girma said. “If it did get into our shape just really double down and make sure we were winning the ball or getting a toe in or just stopping their attacks. I think that was a full team effort, and I’m glad we kept a clean sheet today.”
The lone goal of the match came at minute 88 when the team earned only their third corner kick of the match. New signing Savannah McCaskill took the kick and sent the perfect cross to the center of the box. Alex Morgan was wide upon after lightly pushing off two defenders in front of her to head it in easily and make it 1-0.
The Wave are now 5-0 against Gotham across all competitions, and Morgan leads the league in goals scored against the Bats with 11 since the club’s inaugural season in 2022.
This match was a one-off and does not count toward the regular season standings. Their official NWSL season starts next Saturday, March 23, at home in Snapdragon Stadium where they will face Kansas City Current.
Ron Burkle to sell San Diego Wave
Principal San Diego Wave FC owner Ron Burkle is set to sell his majority share in the club by the end of the 2024 season according to a report by Sportico.
According to Sportico the deal is worth $113 million dollars and will be the biggest in NWSL history. The Levine Leichtman family will take a 35% minority stake now before buying the rest of the 65% at the end of 2024 season.
Arthur E. Levine and Lauren B. Leichtman, founded their private equity firm in 1984 and currently has $9.3 billion dollars in assets under their management according to their website.
Burkle bought the rights to an NWSL franchise originally meant for Northern California with his MLS team in Sacramento, but he later backed out of that deal. He retained rights to the NWSL team and paid a $2 million expansion fee in 2022 after deciding to move the team to San Diego.
Burkle did make headlines in the offseason in The Athletic, when his name came up in court documents in a lawsuit involving Jeffrey Epstein. Burkle was not under investigation or being charged for any crimes, but the document said that he and others had “knowledge of (Epstein’s former girlfriend) Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual trafficking conduct.”
Still the Wave have been one of the most successful franchises in NWSL with strong play on the field winning the NWSL Shield thanks to star players such as Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma. The club has also set the standard for attendance in the NWSL averaging the best attendance in the league and hosting multiple record-breaking events at their rented home of Snapdragon Stadium.
Team President Jill Ellis who consulted Burkle through the club’s inception will likely remain in the same position as the owners were UCLA boosters while she was the head coach of the women’s soccer team.
“(The Levine Leichtman family) have been great supporters of mine for many years, and I have no doubt they will fit right in with the San Diego Wave community, and it is my pleasure to welcome them to the organization,” Ellis said in a news release.
The Wave will play Friday, in a one-off competition against reigning NWSL Champion’s Gotham FC in the NWSL Challenge Cup before officially starting their regular season on March 23 against Kansas City Current at home.
McCaskill recaps Wave preseason and previews first match against Gotham FC
San Diego Wave FC free agent signing Savannah McCaskill speaks with Sandiego.futbol about preseason and upcoming NWSL Challenge Cup match against NWSL Champions, Gotham FC. (Abraham Zepeda)
The National Women’s Soccer League season has officially begun as teams play their regular season matches this upcoming weekend. It all starts Friday with the newest iteration of the NWSL Challenge Cup where the NWSL Shield winners, San Diego Wave FC, face off against the NWSL Champions, New Jersey/New York Gotham FC in New Jersey, at Red Bull Arena.
New Wave midfielder Savannah McCaskill spoke with Sandiego.futbol before training Tuesday morning about her first preseason with the Wave and the upcoming match against Gotham.
“(Preseason’s) been good, we basically got straight into work. Casey (Stoney) really has a good structure that she’s laid out for us and how we want to play, our principles and how we’re going to go about the season,” McCaskill said. “I think the goals are pretty clear, we want to win (the) regular season again and finally get our hands on the trophy.”
McCaskill has played for four different teams— Sky Blue FC, Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville and Angel City FC — in the NWSL before signing a three-year contract with the Wave over the offseason when she became a free agent for the first time in her career.
“I’ve always said that every team that I’ve played on has been a stepping stone for me and I’ve taken certain things from each team that I’ve played for,” McCaskill said. “Being here and a part of San Diego now, I think that it’s obvious that we really want to be a football first club and we want to set the standard of women's soccer both on and off the field.
“Casey (Stoney) really does a good job of outlining how she wants to play, how she wants us to play, how she wants us to carry ourselves. That kind of expectation that’s set from the top really helps us as players know exactly how to show up every single day and how we demand standards from each other and ourselves. I think it's just setting us up for success on the field going forward this season.”
Gotham won the NWSL Championship in San Diego last season with a hard-fought victory over OL Reign, and added to their championship roster in the offseason including three United States Women’s National Team mainstays in Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett and Rose Lavelle.
The Wave have faced and beaten Gotham in all four of their previous meetings and outscored them by 10 goals to Gotham’s one.
“It’ll be exciting. They've had a lot of new signings over the offseason, I think What better way to test yourself going into (the) regular season than against the team that won it all last year,” McCaskill said. “It’ll be a good way for us to measure where we’re at, but also we want to win, and it will be a great way to kick off the season.”
The challenge cup will not count toward the regular season standings, but does come with a cash prize for all players involved. $3,500 per player on the winning team, $2,200 per player on the losing team and a $2,000 bonus to the match MVP according to Jeff Kassouf of Equalizer Soccer.
“We want to win anything that we possibly can and trophies are always fun to win, so I think it adds a little bit extra motivation,” McCaskill said. “The fact that it’s the first game that’s for real, it’s not a preseason game. I think everyone will be pretty stoked for it, but obviously anytime you can win a trophy it’s exciting and we’re going to do our best to get our hands on it.”
The match will take place on Friday, at 5:00 p.m. PST and be broadcasted on Amazon Prime Video as part of the league’s newest broadcast deal. The rest of the teams in the NWSL begin their regular season matches on Saturday and Sunday across various times and platforms.
San Diego stars as USWNT win first W Gold Cup
USWNT players celebrate winning the first Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup following hard fought 1-0 victory over Brazil.(Photo Credit: Enfoque Deportivo)
The pitch was pristine and sun was out for a beautiful evening of soccer as the United States Women’s National Team earned a hard fought 1-0 victory over Brazil at Snapdragon Stadium in front of announced 31,528 fans to win the first Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup.
“I love San Diego. The fans were awesome tonight you could feel the atmosphere, you could feel the stadium getting louder and cheering us on. They’re the best fans in the league, so it was definitely fun to win at the Snap,” San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma said after the win.
The first half saw Brazil controlling the tempo of the match with a high press featuring many great individual players that could shoot from distance and it seemed only a matter of time before one of their shots found the back of the net.
However, interim head coach Twila Kilgore said after the match they expected Brazil to commit such numbers to the top and trusted the team to weather the storm as the U.S. could eventually formulate a good counter.
That counter came at just the right time before the first half ended as Trinity Rodman received a long ball down the pitch and she stopped it just before going out of bounds. She took a moment with two defenders in front of her allowing her team to bring more numbers to their attack. Then right back Emily Fox came in wide open for a pass that Fox sent into the box as a perfect cross toward the far post of the goal. Alex Morgan was already in position, but marked by a Brazilian defender. This allowed Lindsey Horan to come in from behind and head the ball in easily to make it 1-0 in the final minute of the first half.
Lindsey Horan said after the match that she gave a “second assist” to Alex Morgan for the goal because as she ran in for the header knowing she had a better angle she shouted to Morgan to leave it. Morgan did so and moved forward so as to draw in the other defender on the far side and block the defender marking her from clearing the ball in any way.
The second half looked much better for the U.S. as Brazil began to grow tired making its high press less effective allowing the United States to move the ball more easily in the midfield instead of being consistently on the back foot.
Substitutions eventually did come for both sides, and most notably interim head coach Twila Kilgore decided to put Jaedyn Shaw on for the Americans after she had been great in her last four starts with the team.
Shaw was a threat to score and even made some good plays defensively to ensure Brazil couldn’t get a clean shot on goal.
“It was really fun. I think this was a very entertaining game, and it was very back and forth and I think that the team held up really well,” Shaw said.
Her play did earn her the golden ball, awarded to the best player of the tournament. The accolade was the first of its kind in her international career and also marked the first time she has won a tournament with the United States.
Other awards won by the U.S. included the fair play award and the goalkeeper of the tournament for Linsdsey Horan for four clean sheets in six matches and a strong performance in penalty shootout against Canada aon wednesday.
Still Brazil persisted with a continued press and multiple players to face the back line, but they couldn't manage to equalize. Their best opportunity came in the final minutes of the match, but was cleared on the goal line by Casey Krueger who had just come on as a substitute.
The USWNT play again on April 6, in the semifinal of the SheBelieves Cup on the east coast, but in the meantime players will return to their club teams, and for many will begin the season in less than a week for the NWSL. Then in less than two weeks San Diego Wave will return to Snapdragon Stadium to begin their third season on March 23, to face Kansas City Current.
What to expect: USWNT vs. Brazil in W Gold Cup Final
Brazil’s Rafaelle defending potential player of the tournament Jacqueline Ovalle in Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Mexico on Wed., in W Gold Cup semifinal. (Photo credit concacaf.com)
San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium will play host to its second major tournament final ever on Sunday, March 10, for the first Women’s Gold Cup Final. The match will take place at 5:15 p.m. PST between the United States Women’s National Team and Brazil Seleção and broadcasted live on Paramount+ in English and ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
Brazil's road to the final started after going unbeaten in their group at Snapdragon Stadium against Colombia, Puerto Rico and Panama. Then in their quarterfinal against Argentina they won 5-1 with their only goal against them coming late in the match when it had already been won. Their semifinal against Mexico went very well as they dominated Mexico 3-0 after scoring early then going up a player in the 29th minute.
Brazil’s style of soccer is characterized by its instinctiveness on both the men’s and women’s side. Tactics and strategies are of course involved like most soccer teams, but the Seleção has an inherent beauty to the way the ball is handled almost as if it was an extension of their body.
That type of play was seen when forward Yasmim sent in a possible goal of the tournament with a backheel touch to a perfect cross in minute 48 against Mexico on Wednesday. She said to the media on Saturday, that her head coach Arthur Elias has told her and her teammates they must play with their instinctiveness as it has been a part of their game since they were children.
The U.S. road to the final began in Los Angeles at Dignity Health Sports Park where they ended second in their group after beating Dominican Republic and Argentina before losing 2-0 to their southern rivals Mexico. The loss sparked a visible change in the squad who came back with a strong 3-0 victory over Colombia in the quarter final.
Then they faced an even tougher mental challenge with mother nature as rain took over Bashor field creating a waterlogged pitch where the ball barely moved. The U.S. managed to advance, winning a penalty shootout 3-1 after a 2-2 draw with goals by Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith.
Shaw has been one of the stories of the tournament and will likely lead the U.S. attack as one of their best attackers despite limited time with the national team. Though, she has already made history after scoring in all four of her starts with the national team, three of those happening at Snapdragon Stadium.
The pressure will be on her as she looks to continue the streak, but she said that she has “always loved a bit of pressure,” and is excited for what will be her first tournament final in her professional career for either club or country.
A domestic trophy would be an important step in the right direction for the usually dominant United States team that is in a period of transition after a lackluster performance in the Women’s World Cup and new head coach, Emma Hayes, joining the team in June.
The tournament itself has been a success with players and coaches from many teams commending it for bringing together Conmebol and Concacaf competition as an opportunity to prepare for the Olympics with a similarly scheduled tournament as well as showcase players from the two regions.
Paramount + announced the USWNT against Canada was their most streamed women’s soccer match ever and Concacaf announced they have sold nearly 30,000 tickets as of Saturday night.
Prediction: USA 2, Brazil 1
The U.S. lead the all-time record between the two sides with 31 wins, five draws and three losses, and I believe they will make it 32 on Sunday night. Brazil’s competition has not been as tough, and while it is tough to measure the USWNT performance against Canada, they have faced tougher competition more recently and been strong on the defensive end.
The “Jogo Bonito” is real and Brazilian soccer has been a treat to watch this tournament, but there is a reason the USWNT have only lost once since the year 2000 on U.S. soil.
USWNT splash into Gold Cup finals over Canada through penalty shootout
San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw takes advantage of puddle to score first goal for USWNT against club teammate Kailen Sheridan. (Photo courtesy of Concacaf.com)
Anytime it rains in San Diego you’re told to avoid two places in the city: Imperial Beach, because of sewage water in the oceans, and Mission Valley because of the San Diego river that floods.
The river wasn’t the issue this time around in Mission Valley. Snapdragon Stadium was flooded and hosted a dangerous Women’s Gold Cup semifinal match that the United States Women’s National Team managed to come out on top after a penalty shootout.
An announced crowd of 15,245 fans watched as the waterlogged pitch caused players to fall and slide down the field continuously, and slow the ball to a halt in puddles.
Every player and coach said after the match the game probably shouldn’t have been played, but had no choice as the decision was out of their hands at that point. A Concacaf spokesperson said, “It is solely at the discretion of the referee as to whether the field is safe and playable.” However the referee was seen demonstrating that the ball could not roll down the pitch due to various puddles around the field, but was seemingly given a signal to continue playing by a matchday official.
San Diego Wave’s Jaedyn Shaw got the first goal of the match after a poor decision by the Canada defender as she tried to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper. Was there no rain it would have been the right decision, but a puddle slowed the ball down to a halt. Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan tried to get in front of the ball, but Shaw ran past the defender easily and chipped the ball over her to make it 1-0.
Star Wave defender Naomi Girma said after the match the U.S. defenders decided they would not pass the ball back after seeing the way the ball moved, instead opting to clear it out to the front for their attacking players to put pressure on the opposite side.
“That’s not how we like to play, but it’s what we needed to do to win,” Girma said. “I think it was one of those games where the gameplan kind of went out the window and (just) find a way to win.”
The rain subsided slightly during halftime allowing the grounds crew to push as much water off the field as they could, but it was still a messy match at that point.
The ball would slowly move up on the pitch, but passes were inaccurate and few shots were made on either side that posed any threat to the goalkeeper.
It wasn’t until minute 82 when Jordyn Huitema, who came on as a substitute, scored an equalizer after strong play by Canada to move the ball slowly into the final third with ease. Adriana Leon, the leading goal-scorer in the tournament, sent a ball to the top right corner of the penalty area for Ashley Lawerence. Lawerence had plenty of time to send a cross toward the far post where Huitema used her height to get over a USA defender and head the ball in to make it 1-1 and send it to extra time.
The offense on both sides remained stagnant again for the start of extra time and seemed destined for a penalty shootout until Emily Sonnett began sending the ball in the air up in Canada’s half. The ball went back and forth between the two teams until Sonnett sent a high cross that found Rose Lavelle who flicked it forward perfectly for Sophia Smith inside the center of the penalty area. Sheridan was at the center of the goal, but had no chance at stopping the shot by Smith that went to her left making it 2-1.
In the second half of Extra time the referee awarded one minute of stoppage time giving Canada one last chance to equalize. They sent a long ball up in the air into the penalty box, where only Canada forward Vanessa Gilles had a chance to touch it, but U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher came out off the line and punched Gilles in the face. The referee did not call a foul, but after a VAR check awarded a penalty and yellow card to Naeher.
Leon took the kick and made it easily to her right, sending the match to penalty kicks.
The United States were in a penalty shootout against Sweden to end their 2023 Women’s World Cup run last season, and redeemed themselves this time around with goals by Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith and Alyssa Naeher.
On the other side only Quinn for Canada made a good shot with a bullet into the top right corner of the goal. The rest of the team sent weak shots to Naeher’s right side that were stopped easily allowing the United States to advance to the Women’s Gold Cup Championship match versus Brazil on Sunday, at 5:15 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium where luckily there is no rain in the forecast.
Women’s Gold Cup Quarterfinals preview and predictions
San Diego Wave’s Abby Dahlkemper defends star Mexico forward Jacqueline Ovalle in 2-0 loss. Credit: Concacaf.com
The first edition of the Women’s Gold Cup has had it all. Dominance, surprises and upsets occurred and featured exciting games across the three groups. Whether it be Canada’s dominance, Mexico taking first over USA in the group stage or Cinderella story Puerto Rico who just managed to get into the tournament, and win a match only to lose out on the next round through a 50/50 drawing.
The knockout rounds begin featuring the top eight teams from the group stages as follows: Canada, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina and Costa Rica.
The final spot was highly contested between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica who each had an equal number of points, goal differential, goals scored and yellow cards leaving every tiebreaker between the two completely even.s The final tiebreaker was a drawing ssby Concacaf officials between the two teams which Costa Rica won.
All matches can be found on ESPN Deportes on Paramount+ and the first matches will take place at BMO stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, March 2, with Canada vs. Costa Rica first at 4 p.m. and Brazil vs. Argentina at 7:15 p.m. second.
Canada v Costa Rica
Canada has outclassed their competition in the group as they lead the tournament in goals scored and have no goals allowed, and while Costa Rica beat El Salvador 2-0, they face a very tough task in stopping Canada’s many great forwards like Adriana Leon and Jordyn Huitema. Canada and Costa Rica already played in their final group stage match on February 28, in a 3-0 win for Canada.
Prediction Canada 2, Costa Rica 1
Both teams will likely be rightfully tired after only getting two days rest from their last match, so I wouldn’t expect Canada to score as much as they did in the group stage but I expect them to beat Costa Rica. The one goal from Costa Rica may come off an assist by midfielder Raquel Rodriguez who has been a fun player to follow in the NWSL with an energetic latin style, but I have not seen enough offensively out of the forwards to win.
Brazil v Argentina
Brazil and Argentina face each other in the night match of the doubleheader in one of South America’s biggest rivalry matches. Brazil won all their matches in the group stage at Snapdragon Stadium in dominant fashion showcasing the ‘Joga Bonito’ to San Diego and Argentina tied Mexico in their first match plus beat Dominican Republic to advance to the next round. tied Mexico in their first match.
Argentina’s best performance came against Mexico to kickoff the tournament and went according to plan for head coach Germán Portanova. A simple 4-4-2 limited space for Mexico to manage a scoreless draw, but they had created very few offensive chances to threaten their opposition.
Prediction: Brazil 2, Argentina 0
Argentina’s defense worked against Mexico, but the lack of offensive chances against higher quality opponents leaves them in a tough position so I doubt Brazil will suffer the same fate. At the same time Brazil’s makeup is much more comparable to that of the USWNT with midfielders who can make efficient passes and put the ball into dangerous positions in the box for strikers that can be clinical.
Mexico v Paraguay
The next day on Sunday, at BMO Stadium at the same times, third seed Mexico will face six seed Paraguay and later four seed USA will challenge five seed Colombia.
Mexico began group play with a lackluster performance against Argentina as they could not take advantage of many scoring chances. However, they came back much stronger with an 8-0 rout of Dominican Republic in their next match in which seven different players scored. Then they shocked everyone as they were the first team to beat the U.S. on American soil for the first time since 2000.
Paraguay made it in with two wins, the second of which came on Wednesday after a resilient win after down 2-1 in the 83rd minute only to win 3-2 thanks to a penalty and stoppage time goal.
Prediction: Mexico 2, Paraguay 0
Some may believe the cliche that Mexico has already won their personal championship by dominating their neighboring rival USA 2-0, but speaking in the mixed zone with players following the match there was a calmness to the players one wouldn't expect after one of their biggest victories in program history. They were happy with the win, but still calm and truly believed in their preparation with head coach Pedro Lopez that could take them even further in the tournament.
So long as Mexico maintains their high pressing identity on the attacking side of the ball with Jacqeline Ovalle leading the charge Paraguay faces a very difficult task ahead of them.
USA V Colombia
The USWNT face a much tougher test when they take on Colombia in what may be the most evenly matched game of the tournament. Colombia was solid in their two victories displaying good team chemistry and even looked strong in defeat playing much better in the second half of their match in a 1-0 defeat against Brazil in the group stage.
The two recently faced each other in a friendly October, 2023, where Colombia held their own for the first half limiting the USA attack, but did not manage to score as they were without their star player, Linda Caicedo, who was out with an injury. The USA’s offense only came to life when USA’s young stars Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw came onto the pitch and each scored a goal.
Fishel was set to be a starting striker for the U.S., but tore her ACL in practice the day before the first match of the group stage. She was replaced by San Diego Wave’s Alex Morgan who has been crucial to the USWNT in the past, but neither she nor Sophia Smith could score against Colombia in their last meeting.
The most exciting part of this match could be the clash between Colombia’s talented forward Linda Caicedo and USA star center back Naomi Girma. These two titans of the Women’s game at the moment are rightfully considered among the best young players in the world and may get to face off for the first time.
Prediction: USA 2, Colombia 1 (USA win in extra time)
The U.S. will likely mimic Brazil’s strategy for Colombia in which they focus defensively on Caicedo limiting her opportunities, which I believe should work. There were times in the group stage where Caicedo made amazing passes that could develop into good plays, but it was stymied by weaker play from her teammates.
San Diego Wave FC acquire Kaitlyn Torpey from Melbourne City FC
Kaitlyn Torpey celebrates for Melbourne City (Photo Courtesy of SD Wave FC)
San Diego Wave FC announced today that they have acquired Australian defender Kaitlyn Torpey from Melbourne City FC for an undisclosed transfer fee. Torpey’s new contract lasts two years and goes through the 2025 season.
“Kaitlyn (Torpey) is a talented young defender and has a bright future ahead of her with the Wave,” Wave FC General Manager Molly Downtain said. “She’s a fantastic addition to our group of defenders and is a great fit to what we are building in San Diego, and we are excited to welcome her to the club.”
Torpey made her professional debut at 16 years old with the Brisbane Roar in where she spent five seasons before moving on to join Melbourne City FC of the W-League. In her three seasons with the club she made 44 starts and notched six goals and five assists as a fullback on the right side of the pitch.
Torpey scores for Preston Lions FC (Video Courtesy of SD Wave FC)
Torpey has also represented her country for the U-17, U-19 and U-23 Australia Women’s National Team where she has appeared in various international competitions and most recently featured in friendly matches against the Scotland U-23 Women's National Team in September, 2023.
Kaitlyn Torpey receives award for Melbourne City (Photo Courtesy of SD Wave FC)
Torpey joins the Wave as its third international transaction of the offseason alongside defender Hanna Lundkvist a Swedish international who was recently brought in from Atlético de Madrid of Liga F, and Mya Jones a Canadian international player drafted by the Wave in the third round from the University of Memphis.
Kaitlyn Torpey scores for Melbourne City (Video Courtesy of SD Wave FC)
Torpey would be the club’s official fourth international player to utilize one of the five international slots per team allowed by the NWSL.
As of now their NWSL Draft pick Mya Jones would take the fifth international spot, but has not officially signed a contract with the club meaning she could leave by the end of the preseason camp. Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan does not count toward the international slot because she was in the NWSL before the rule and is thus grandfathered in. Emily Van Egmond is not currently listed as an international player on the club’s roster page, but in the past has been listed as one for the club.
SDFC sends Duran Ferree on loan to USL’s Orange County SC
The club’s first and second signings heading in the same direction, from different pathways.
Duran Ferree in goal of an US Open Cup match between Albion SC & San Diego Loyal SC
SAN DIEGO, Calif.— San Diego FC announced today their first signing, 17-year-old goalkeeper Duran Ferree, will be sent on loan for the 2024 season to the USL Championship’s Orange County SC.
Ferree became San Diego FC’s first signing in December 2023 when he signed a four-year contract that extends through the 2027 MLS season with a club option for 2028.
“We are grateful to San Diego FC for the trust they have placed in OCSC to continue Duran’s professional development,” OCSC President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Peter Nugent said. “He is a talented young keeper with a bright future ahead of him and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Ferree is a San Diego native from 4S Ranch and began his professional career signing a contract as a 15-year-old with the now defunct USL Championship club San Diego Loyal SC. He made his first appearance at 16 years old on October 9, 2022, against New Mexico United when the Loyal had already secured their position in the playoffs
“This is a very exciting time in my professional career,” said Ferree. “To be on loan with Orange County SC during the 2024 season not only allows me to train and play at a high level, it also places me in a league environment where I have familiarity and will allow me to flourish. The proximity to San Diego is an added bonus and I look forward to continuing to play in front of Southern California fans.”
Ferree has also played for the U.S. Under-17 Youth National Team making five appearances. He featured in four matches in the CONCACAF Championship and one match in the Under-17 World Cup.
Sources tell SanDiego.Fútbol that SDFC’s next signing is close with Marcus Ingvartsen, a Danish forward with FC Nordsjælland. FCN is a part of the Right to Dream group and is holding part of its preseason in San Diego where they have faced Club Tijuana and will face the MLS’ LA Galaxy and LAFC in the coming weeks.
SanDiego.Fútbol reached out to SDFC, they declined to comment.