Know Your Opponent: San Diego Wave FC

Key Transactions

San Diego Wave FC signed U-20 U.S. Youth National Team star Jaedyn Shaw through 2023, with no option year. The 17-year old has appeared in three games since signing with the Club and has scored in all of those matches. Shaw became just the second player in NWSL history to score in each of their first three league appearances. The Texas native is a regular for the U-20 USYNT, where she recently scored two goals in three matches to help her squad win the Sud Ladies Cup in Aubagne, France. 

Recent Form

The Wave are coming off a 1-0 win in front of a record-setting crowd of 32,000 at SnapDragon Stadium. Jaedyn Shaw headed in the game winner off a cross from Sofia Jakobsson in the 30th minute. The Wave are currently sitting in second place with a record of 10-6-4 and just one point off of first-place Portland Thorns, easily the best start by an expansion franchise in NWSL history. 

Who’s Hot

Alex Morgan is the current league leader for goals with 15 in 17 matches played. Morgan is also within the top three for both shots and shots on goal with 46 and 26, respectively. The Wave forward has tripled her scoring output from last season with at least two games remaining. Morgan scored three goals in her last four matches including a two-goal game in the Wave’s loss to the Washington Spirit. 

Head-to-Head

In the inaugural matchup between the two sides, the Pride went across the country and walked out of San Diego with a well-earned 1-0 victory over the Wave. The Pride were backed by a first-half penalty kick from Meggie Dougherty Howard, the lone goal in the game, while the defense earned its fourth clean sheet of the regular season. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod made six saves in the match including a couple late stops to preserve the victory.

Rasmussen University Fun Fact
The San Diego Wave smashed the single-game attendance record for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) after a sellout crowd of 32,000 was recorded in their last match against Southern California rivals Angel City FC. The game was the Wave's first to be held at the new Snapdragon Stadium on the Mission Valley campus of San Diego State University. The previous record for a standalone game was 25,218, set back in 2019 in a match at Providence Park between the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage. Orlando held the single-game attendance record up until that point, after 23,403 fans packed Camping World Stadium for the team’s inaugural home game.