Turning of the tides: Wave succeeds in draw against Spirit

The San Diego Wave led the Washington Spirit in a cross-country matchup at the nation’s capitol. The match was almost the end of their winless game streak. They had an amazing run leading for nearly 75 minutes until a goal by Croix Bethune left the Wave walking away with one point instead of three. It was the first of three matches on the road. The match was the second 1-1 draw in a row for San Diego.

Nineteen-year-old Jaedyn Shaw put the Wave on the board. She gave fans hope for a win when she found the back of the net in the 20th minute. It started as a display of team excellence, with a strong wide pass by Savannah McCaskill to María Sánchez. The recent acquisition from the Houston Dash beat a challenge with Washington’s defense, carrying the ball down the left flank. She hit a cross across the face of the goal to Jaedyn Shaw. The forward came out from the midfield to knock it into the back of the net. 

This marks Shaw’s third season goal and Sáchez’s first assist with the Wave. It was one of Sánchez’s strongest demonstrations of her footwork and skill increasing her impact as she adapts to the team with every minute played. Shaw spoke about the goal and her growing familiarity with Sánchez's playing style afterwards.

"I think I knew what she wanted to do and I made a good run to the front post that allowed me to be open towards the middle to the back of the goal. It was a great ball into the box and I actually tripped over it my first touch, but I was happy to finish it at the end.”

Shaw’s lone goal would put San Diego ahead as Washington struggled to break past goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s seven saves, which tied her club career high. She put a stop to numerous attempts by the Spirit’s Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune. Only in the 96th minute did a ball sneak past Sheridan, resulting in both teams conceding one goal a piece. 

Bethune created space and separation late in the remaining stoppage time, shooting the ball over the top, just past the hands of Sheridan. The rookie had collected the ball off her chest, making her the first player in NWSL history to have scored multiple result-changing goals at 90 '+5' during regular season play.

The Wave is Rising

Although Saturday’s result is not ideal, it was one of the best matches the Wave has played recently. Yes, the winless streak has been extended to six matches. No, the Wave hasn’t seen high numbers on the scoreboard or moved into a playoff spot on the table. But San Diego’s performance in D.C. shows tremendous growth both in efficiency and team confidence. 

"I thought once we scored though we actually got better and grew in confidence and momentum. We had some good passages of play and got into good areas. We got to keep doing the things we’re doing well. We’ve got to improve on these areas. We’ve got to start games a little bit brighter, play forward a little more in between the lines.” 

-Wave F.C. Head Coach Casey Stoney

This match built off the momentum of the Wave’s recent games against the Orlando Pride and SoCal rivals Angel City F.C. which saw the team exploiting space, making chances and discovering a team rhythm. They’ve been working hard to establish new identities and find the back of the net. This season head coach Casey Stoney wanted to add lethalness to the squad’s performances, bolstering the success of their defense with a stronger and more clinical offensive attack. 

In front of the 19, 897 fans packed into Audi Field they did just that.

Alongside Shaw and Sánchez's goal, San Diego's defense shined against Washington's high press. Two-time NWSL defender of the year Naomi Girma had a master-class performance against Washington's Trinity Rodman and Bethune. Nearly every time Rodman entered the box, Girma was there to stop her. She broke up Washington's chance by staying in place instead of opening space, reading Rodman’s attempt to trick her at the top of the second half in the 93' and 94'.

San Diego did a great job protecting their attacking third. Washington relied on transition moments to attack but San Diego continued to retain position, applying counter pressure on the ball and minimizing Washington’s attack.

San Diego remained in the lead with possession (53%) compared to Washington (47%) and saves (7/2). They had more passes (393/358), and although the Wave had slightly less pass accuracy (72%) than the Spirit (74%), they maintained a nearly impenetrable force until the last few minutes.

The Return of Alex Morgan

Saturday's draw marks Alex Morgan's second start for San Diego since her return from a month-long ankle injury. It was another goalless night but she had an impact during her 85 minutes on the pitch. Morgan created a chance in the 53rd minute with her shot that was just too wide of the goal. She did an effective job of dropping behind Washington's backline and opening space for the midfielders to drive. Morgan had strong runs up the right and middle, connecting passes with Sánchez and Sofia Jakobsson.

So far, Morgan hasn't scored with the team in 2024, but she's only played seven games as she's navigated multiple injuries and changes in the team. Regarding concerns over the U.S. Women's National Team roster for the 2024 Olympics this summer, the three-time Olympic champion remains confident in her abilities. For the Wave, the frequent team captain remains focused on improving.

“I think it’s just continuing to work on the training pitch and getting her in the right areas and the right positions. I thought she played well today, getting in behind a couple of times really effectively. She’ll be disappointed she didn't hit the target with the chance she had but I think her being on the field at certain moments is dangerous and allows other people to get into positions," said Stoney on Morgan's performance against the Spirit.

Moving Forward

San Diego's progress will need to continue throughout the remainder of the season if they want to end their winless streak. They'll learn from their mistakes in this match and apply changes for the next one, building on their positive plays. “I thought we played some really good stuff at times. I thought we created some really good moments. I’d like us to create more. They defended so well for so long in the game, we were just a little bit I think naive at the end in terms of where we put the ball and how we dealt with the ball," said Stoney regarding improvements.

For the team as a whole, there was a new side to the Wave. Hopefully, their improvements in practice will continue to translate to the pitch, and the mistakes of the past get washed away. As for right now, there is much-earned pride amongst the team and Stoney.

"We’ll keep trying to do the right thing and hopefully the tie will turn because the players deserve more. Tonight they gave absolutely everything, you know they emptied the tank and I can’t ask any more of them".

Next up, San Diego faces NJ/NY Gotham FC once again. It will be the second game of their away game stretch on Wednesday, June 19 at the Red Bull Arena. Here, they will fight to move up from 9th place on the league table against the team that sits in 4th place with 24 points. The Wave (3-4-5, 14 points) hope to secure a playoff spot.