San Diego Wave drop lead late, draw 1-1 vs. Washington Spirit
Credit: San Diego Wave FC
The San Diego Wave played the first game of a three-game road trip this Saturday, June 15, when the Southern California club faced the Washington Spirit at Audi Field.
The game ended in a very disappointing 1-1 draw for San Diego, with a late goal tying up the score for Washington.
Heading into the match, if the Wave had been offered a 1-1 result, the team would have potentially taken it, but given the circumstances, this result was a very bitter one. The only change that Casey Stoney made to the starting 11 that was used last week was starting Sofia Jakobsson over Mya Jones.
sánchez y shaw 🇲🇽🤝🇺🇸
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) June 16, 2024
The lone goal for the Wave came in the 20th minute when Maria Sanchez connected on a cross with Jaedyn Shaw, who put away the opportunity in front of the net. Shaw was stumbling after receiving the ball off the cross but managed to make contact to score the goal. This was Maria Sanchez’s first goal contribution with San Diego and she really needed that after a quiet start to the season.
Like in previous games, San Diego failed to be effective in front of net, but Washington was attacking even more in this match and was more than just knocking on the door. The home team was extremely unlucky to not score heading into the final moments of the match, but that goal finally came in stoppage time.
Croix Bethune did not miss in front of Kailen Sheridan’s net after being given the ball off a header by San Diego’s Abby Dahlkemper. It was quite an unfortunate goal to concede for the Wave and a very unfortunate moment for Dahlkemper after heading the ball directly to the opponent.
The Wave were lucky throughout the match, even in the initial minutes when a shot by Croix Bethune smashed the post. Kailen Sheridan also had a very notable effort between the sticks, as the goal for Washington Spirit was long overdue when it came.
The final third continues to be a huge issue for San Diego Wave, as finishing needs to improve massively. However, there were also some sloppy mistakes in the backline for San Diego on the day that Washington was unable to capitalize on completely.
The San Diego Wave is still out of a playoff spot, currently in ninth place with 14 points and have two consecutive road games coming up against Gotham and Houston.
Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.