Club America secures Champions Cup semifinal spot with win over San Diego Wave

Club America advanced to the Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals by winning a must-win match against San Diego Wave FC, 1-nil, at Snapdragon Stadium. Despite winning three group stage games, the Wave needed at least a draw to stay alive.

The tournament, which has exceeded expectations in its first edition, featured 10 clubs competing for qualification in the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.

San Diego encountered a challenging situation early in the match when goalkeeper and captain Kailen Sheridan received a red card for tripping an attacker on a fast break, thus preventing a promising scoring opportunity.

“That play (red card on Sheridan) obviously changes the game, so that’s difficult,” San Diego Wave FC interim head coach Landon Donovan said. “I actually think we did a really good job managing the game, very well, very maturely.”

Down a player with just over 20 minutes played, San Diego was forced to make an early substitution, with forward Mya Jones exiting and backup goalkeeper Hillary Beall taking Sheridan’s place.

Focusing on neutralizing America’s attacks, San Diego struggled offensively, managing only two shot attempts in the first half, compared to America’s seven additional shots. The score was scoreless at halftime.

The breakthrough came in the 59th minute. America made a long pass into the box, where forward Kiana Palacios’ header was blocked by Beall. However, the ball deflected off her glove, allowing Sarah Luebbert to finish with her left foot just before defender Naomi Girma could close the gap.

“The goal is a tough one to take,” Donovan said. “I would say the field has been in really bad shape, especially in the goal mound. I feel bad for Hillary (Beall), the ball bounces and moves like four feet. She’s probably devastated by it, and there’s nothing we could do about that.”

SARAH LUEBBERT IS THERE FOR THE REBOUND 😤

She opens the scoring for @AmericaFemenil! pic.twitter.com/xuPq5kbuMQ

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) October 17, 2024

Despite conceding, San Diego fought for an equalizer. The Wave earned a few free kicks and corners, but their attack never truly clicked, finishing the game with just six total shots.

“The hard part was after conceding the goal, and then pushing again and having to deal with a lot of hard moments,” Donovan said. “We defended very well in those moments, I’m proud of them for that.

The result is another blow in a disappointing season for the Wave. The NWSL season has not gone as planned after a successful run last season. Despite starting the Champions Cup with three consecutive wins, that was not enough to qualify. Donovan was devastated for the club tonight.

“Nights like tonight really hurt me,” Donovan said. “I’ve only been here a few months, but they hurt me for the club because I’ve achieved a lot in my life and I don’t need any personal gain out of this. I wanted this for the club. It’s sad when you can’t deliver that.”

With two games remaining in the NWSL season, San Diego’s playoff hopes appear slim. They are six points behind Bay FC, who currently occupy the final playoff spot. This past Sunday, the Wave lost to the last-place team, Houston Dash.

San Diego will travel to Kansas City to face the fourth-place Current this Saturday, before returning home to host Racing Louisville FC on Nov. 3.

Sebastian Sanchez

Sebastian Sanchez was born and raised in San Diego. He recently received his bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University. A passionate storyteller who has experience covering the Phoenix Mercury and Suns. He has also written for multiple news outlets, reporting on various sports at the college and high school levels.