Snapdragon Stadium- San Diego, California 

On a night with Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan in attendance, San Diego’s newcomers stole the show en route to a dominant 5-2 victory over the North Carolina Courage.

Adriana Leon secured her brace (25’, 40’) and Perle Morroni recorded her first NWSL goal in what turned out to be a rout of North Carolina.

The Courage struck first in the fifth minute with a beauty of a give-and-go between Denise O’Sullivan and Manaka at the top of the penalty area. O’Sullivan sent a pass to Ryan Williams near the end line, who then played a cross to Kailen Sheridan’s right, where Feli Rauch finished on a header back to Sheridan’s left. In 2024, Rauch capitalized in similar fashion on a header in a Courage win (4-1) at Snapdragon Stadium. 

The Wave came crashing back with a barrage of opportunities. In the 23rd minute, Kenza Dali played a nifty pop pass over a Courage defender before landing at the feet of Delphine Cascarino. Cascarino sent the ball to the middle of the box, where Adriana Leon just missed on a header of her own. 

Shortly after Leon’s attempt in the 25th minute, Cascarino found herself alone on the right side. She blew past a Courage defender and found Perle Morroni, who finished over an outstretched Casey Murphy to further establish the French Connection. 

The Wave’s relentless attack continued in the 40th minute as Gia Corley intercepted a pass from Courage’s Murphy that ricocheted to the feet of Leon at the top of the penalty area. This time, she was able to find the back of the net as the ball careened off Murphy’s fingertips to give the Wave a 2-1 lead just before halftime. 

“Once they scored, we bounced back immediately. We didn’t take our foot off the gas, and we kept going,” Adriana Leon reflected on the team’s ability to respond. “We put five in the back of the net, which is really exciting. Credit to the whole team, the whole squad. Everyone is hustling out there until the 90th minute, and it’s nice football to watch.”

Although the first half came to a close, it didn’t take either team long to resume their potent attack. The Courage notched the equalizer in the 51st minute as the initial shot attempt was blocked, but Manaka found the back of the net on a blistering strike. The goal marked her third in the last two matches.

San Diego responded yet again as Kenza Dali sent a rainbow pass from the Courage left corner to the far side of the net. Trinity Armstrong sent a connecting header to the opposite post, where a sliding Kristen McNabb tallied another Wave goal in the 54th minute.

Six minutes later, the Wave took a 4-2 lead when Hanna Lundqvist sent a pass deep into Courage territory, where Adriana Leon barely snuck one past Murphy before they collided with each other just outside the penalty area. Murphy stayed down for several minutes but remained in the game. 

San Diego was able to contain the Courage for thirty-plus minutes before Melanie Barcenas found Maria Sanchez at the top of the penalty to make it 5-2 in the 95th, just before the ref blew the final whistle.

Two straight victories and six without a loss give Wave FC its longest unbeaten streak in club history. Five goals in a single match is the most San Diego has ever scored. Kristen McNabb’s goal marked the 13th individual player to score a goal this season, another club record. 

“I think it’s just a testament to the depth of our team. It also speaks to our identity and that we have a certain way we want to build and we have a certain way we want to play,” said Kristen McNabb in the post-game press conference. “The soccer we’re playing this year is unbelievable, so I think it’s been really fun to be a part of.”

Thanks to a night for the record books, San Diego regained second place overall in the NWSL standings and now leads the league with 17 assists (KC Current is second with 13). 

The Wave (6-2-2, 23 points) look to extend their unbeaten streak to seven in a home bout this Friday at 7:00 PM with the Seattle Reign (4-4-2, 16 points).

Andy Olsson

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Andy’s passion for sports has followed him across the country. With meaningful stops in Cleveland and Indianapolis, he finally landed in sunny San Diego in 2023. Now rooted on the West Coast, he covers the San Diego Wave and San Diego State Aztecs, bringing a rust belt work ethic to SoCal sidelines. Spreadsheet enthusiast. Serviceable golfer. Everyone watches women’s sports. Be good, do good, Go Bills.