San Diego Wave FC punched their ticket into the 2025 NWSL Postseason with a dominant 6-1 win over Chicago Stars FC at Snapdragon Stadium. This is the club’s third playoff appearance.

The Wave (10-8-7, 37 points) controlled its own destiny entering tonight: win and they’re in the playoffs. They scored four goals in the first half. Chicago (2-12-11, 17 points) stood no chance.

“It was important to win at home to celebrate with them (Wave fans) the qualification of the playoffs was amazing,” Wave veteran midfielder Kenza Dali said postgame.

San Diego snapped their seven-game winless streak last Saturday against Utah Royals FC. It was a much-needed win for their playoff hopes and a confidence boost for the club. Dali’s rainbow shot sailed into the goal in the 72nd minute to secure the 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, Chicago has been eliminated from playoff contention since late September. They have struggled mightily this season. Heading into tonight, they have 10 draws in their last 14 matches. Brazilian forward Ludmila has been a star in 2025, scoring 10 goals.

As the ball began to roll, the visiting squad applied pressure in the attacking third. Stars forward Nádia Gomes’ shot inside the box was blocked by the goalkeeper, captain Kailen Sheridan. This was one of the few opportunities Chicago had in the first half.

Seven minutes into the match, Delphine Cascarino was in the right place at the right time. The goalkeeper blocked Dudinha’s shot, and Cascarino tapped it in. This was the French forward’s fifth goal of the season.

San Diego’s defender Hanna Lundkvist was working up the right wing and crossed the ball into the box, which had four Stars defenders. Sam Staab’s clearance went toward the left post, and Chicago was unable to prevent the ball from entering the net. The own goal gave the Wave a 2-0 lead.

A few moments later, Dudinha took control of the ball. Positioned on the left side of the pitch, she found herself surrounded by three defenders. Although the Brazilian midfielder briefly lost possession, she quickly regained control, turned, and successfully placed her shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Dudinha what have you done!? 🇧🇷🤯 pic.twitter.com/x1s7y9FP77

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) October 19, 2025

Three goals in 18 minutes is the fastest San Diego has scored in a game.

Just before halftime, the Wave had a free kick opportunity. Dali launched the ball into the crowded box, and defender Kristen McNabb was in excellent position for the header—and she delivered the fourth goal.

The home team overwhelmed Chicago in the first half with , possessing the ball 62% of the time and had nine shot attempts.

With the playoff spot already secured, San Diego continued to push forward. Dudinha scored her second goal of the match in the 57th minute. The 20-year-old has proven to be an excellent addition to the Wave. She became the fifth player in Wave history to record a multi-goal game.

“I’m very impressed with the level that she is playing on-ball with,” Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall said about Dudinha. He’s been impressed with her growth on the pitch and sees her playing more confidently, which has translated to more goals and assists.

Dudinha gets her brace!! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/lRfnlu3WQA

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 19, 2025

In the 71st minute, Stars forward Ally Schlegel executed a no-look pass to midfielder Bea Franklin, who was making a run into the box. Franklin then delivered a sliding kick that found the back of the net, scoring against Sheridan.

Dali added to the scoreboard with a goal in the 83rd minute, marking the sixth goal for San Diego. This six-goal performance is the highest the Wave has achieved in a single match—the 13th time a team has scored that amount of goals in NWSL history.

San Diego Wave FC is playoff-bound!@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/IdiYnEGtPs

— Sebastian Sanchez (@Ssanchez_16) October 19, 2025

“It means everything,” McNabb said about advancing to the playoffs. She has been with the club since its inception. The 31-year-old defender said the club set a “high-standard” in their first year (2022), and missing the playoffs last season was a “dissapointment.”

After a disappointing 2024 season, Eidevall has successfully led the club back to its winning ways in his first year. In the postgame press conference, he noted that the Wave is one of the teams in the league that has shown the most improvement. As they enter the final match, the team has accumulated 12 more points than they did last year.

The Wave will travel to Kansas City to face the top-seeded Current (20-3-2, 62 points) after October’s FIFA International Window on Nov. 2 (Decision Day). Twelve San Diego players will represent their respective countries.

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.