“ENDLESS IMPACT” written on the pink and orange tifo in the supporter section welcomed Alex Morgan home to Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego Wave fans chanted the star’s name as she walked around the stadium to meet the fans of the team she retired at. Tonight was Morgan’s jersey retirement ceremony, just after the Wave fell 3-0 to the Houston Dash.

📍 home of the greatest pic.twitter.com/EEADvuo0CI

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) September 8, 2025

Alex Morgan holds the goalscoring record for the San Diego Wave, with 20 goals in 50 appearances. As part of the Wave’s inaugural season in 2022, she earned the NWSL Golden Boot with 16 goals. She also helped the team win the NWSL Shield, the club’s first trophy.

Tonight, the Wave were looking to improve their form, after they failed to secure 3 points in their last two games. Head Coach Jonas Eidevall made two changes to the starting lineup: Savannah McCaskill started instead of Gia Corley, and Adriana Leon started instead of Kimmi Ascanio. 

The home team came out aggressively, with 5 corners, 2 shots in the first 15 minutes. However, the Houston Dash opened up the scoring with a shot from the center of the box from striker Clarissa Larisey. Just before the end of the first half, Houston doubled their lead with a powerful shot from winger Yazmeen Ryan.

The Wave finished the half with 63% of the possession, over 200 accurate passes, and nine corners, but they were unable to convert any of the 7 shots into a goal. The team and coach retreated to the locker room to find the key that would unlock the goalscoring for the San Diego Wave tonight.

The Second Half Begins

The second half kicked off, and Eidevall replaced Laurina Fazer with Kimmi Ascanio to bring fresh legs to the midfield. The Wave were much more aggressive with their attack, with three shots blocked by the Houston goalkeeper in the first few minutes of the half. 

60 minutes into the game, Dudinha replaced Adriana Leon. The Wave pressed high with new energy, with the momentum of the second half in their favor. The team earned two corner kicks, but both times the Houston Dash’s defense closed down the Wave’s attacking opportunity.

Eidevall brought on forward Gia Corley for McCaskill, doubling down on the attacking effort. However, the loss of the defensive minded midfielder led to another Houston goal, this time from Messiah Bright. Eidevall said after the game that these decisions “are about risk taking… some of these decisions will expose us more.”

Morgan’s endless impact on the team was obvious, because even with the score line working against them, the team rallied until the end. No goals were scored by the Wave, but the supporters exploded with cheers for each of the team’s 19 shots.

Head Coach Jonas Eidevall on the teams attitude and willingness to continue pressing despite the score.@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/71TwwjxiXb

— Jenny Furrer (@JennyFurrer619) September 8, 2025

After the final whistle, the stadium readied to celebrate, despite the final result. Team legend Alex Morgan came to the pitch and delivered a heartfelt message to the fans, thanking them for their support through her journey and their continued support of the team.

Alex Morgan’s heartfelt message to the fans @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/jpwLBtFqb1

— Jenny Furrer (@JennyFurrer619) September 8, 2025

Morgan’s number thirteen jersey hangs on the north side of the stadium, immortalizing her legacy.

Jenny Furrer

Jenny is a San Diego native, athlete, and local sports fanatic. She covers San Diego FC and San Diego Wave.