Wave set record for consecutive scoreless matches with 0-2 loss to Gotham FC
Delphine Cascarino makes a pass during San Diego Wave’s 0-2 loss against Gotham FC. (Photo credit: San Diego Wave FC)
San Diego Wave are in a scoring drought.
In front of an announced crowd of 10,403 the San Diego Wave lost against Gotham FC. The Wave have not won at home since May 25, and have been shutout in the past four matches, a new club record for consecutive scoreless results.
“We’re obviously in a period where we have a really hard time scoring a goal, which is tough, we need to continue to work through that,” Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall said. “At the moment we’re not keeping clean sheets either. It doesn’t mean that everything we do here now is bad. There are good spells in the game, there are good things in the games as well, but the details that we need to win matches is not there.”
The Wave were the better team with more chances for a majority of the first half, but ended the half with a brutal blunder by the defense that lost them the lead.
It came while Kennedy Wesley was trying to build from the back of the pitch and cent a poor pass back toward the center for Kailen Sheridan. The pass was weak and rolled toward the top of the penalty area. Sheridan tried her best to clear the chance, but sent it perfectly to the feet of Esther González who kicked it into the empty net easily to make it 1-0 during stoppage time in the first half.
“To be honest this is a really important moment for us as a team, because adversity will happen to people or the team at various points, and everything about now is how we respond. How we respond as individuals and as a group moving forward, and that tells everything you’re about as a person,” Eidevall said. “It’s the difference between personality and character. Personality is what you say you want to be, and character is who you really are. Football or soccer will always reveal your character, and now it will reveal our character as a team.”
Newest member of Gotham FC and former San Diego Wave star, Jaedyn Shaw, made her debut with her new club in the second half. Gotham acquired Shaw via trade with a record-breaking $1.25 million in intraleague transfer funds. Shaw spent most of 2024 with North Carolina Courage after requesting a trade away from the Wave during the offseason and had been entering Courage matches as a late substitute.
Gotham sealed the victory with Shaw’s goal in the 79th minute. It came after positive play to bring the ball into the Wave’s defensive third right ended with a cross to the center of the penalty area for Shaw.
San Diego tried to change things on the front line with substitutes and playing Wave defender Trinity Armstrong at the striker position, but their offensive woes sustained.
At time of publication The Wave stand at fourth place in the NWSL standings and play their next match on the road on Saturday, September 20, against the fifth place Portland Thorns.
