San Diego Wave FC shutout at home against Seattle Reign
San Diego Wave FC's Kennedy Wesley heads the ball at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Photo by Nate Tubbs/EVT
The sun was beating down on Snapdragon Stadium as San Diego Wave FC fell to Seattle Reign 2-0.
SAN DIEGO — It’s the two clubs’ first matchup of the season, and the Reign have historically dominated. In fact, Wave FC has only beaten Seattle once, back in 2024.
Kenza Dali and Lia Godfrey were both absent from the starting lineup, though Godfrey came in as a substitute in the second half. With Dali off the field, San Diego was left without their usual offensive conductor, which resulted in a slower start than they would have liked.
In the 17th minute, Seattle got on the board on a nice header from Maddie Mercado. Then, in the 19th, a corner kick turned into another header just out of new goalkeeper Sandra Paños and Kristen McNabb’s reach. With the lead doubled in just a couple of minutes, the Wave found themselves in desperate need of offense.
Picking up the slack were mainly Mimi Van Zanten, Gia Corley, and Melanie Barcenas. Van Zanten showed once again that her stamina is as good as anyone on the team and was consistently making runs.
As Melanie Barcenas put it after the game, it wasn’t a loss due to poor play; it was just one of those games where the ball doesn’t find the back of the net. Barcenas finished the game with three shots on goal.
Statistically, this game was one that San Diego controlled, but the momentum of the game belonged to Seattle.
Between Ainsley McCammon’s two assists and a stellar performance from Reign keeper Claudia Dickey, the Wave’s chances at clawing back to a draw were stifled.
Takeaways from the match
San Diego remains at 29 points in the NWSL, currently good for fourth place.
When asked about how the heat played a factor in the team’s performance, Kristen McNabb said that it was no excuse.
“We’re about to go to the East Coast; it’s going to be hotter. We were just in Kansas; it was hotter,” McNabb said.
The officials mandated hydration breaks this match as well. Instead, it was the time it took to generate a defensive rhythm that translated to the loss.
“It took us a little too long to settle in to then dictate our defensive line,” McNabb said.
Something promising from Sunday afternoon’s match is the return of Adriana Leon to the pitch. Leon subbed on in the 68th minute and appeared to be in good condition. Leon has been missing from the lineup this season, battling a back injury. Coach Jonas Eidevall was among those that are very excited to see her return.
“That’s definitely needed for us, to have her and her qualities back,” Eidevall said. “It was just great to get her back on the pitch again, and I think she can be very helpful.”
While the team waits for Catarina Macario, who remains out with a heel injury, and Dali to come back, getting an extra weapon in Leon is much needed.
Dudinha is out for the season, and Ludmila has yet to have a marquee game with San Diego, which has left the offense less sharp than the lineup would indicate.
San Diego Wave FC’s next match is August 2 against the NWSL-leading Washington Spirit. The Spirit currently has a four-point advantage over the Wave, with one match to play before the two clubs meet in the nation’s capital.
Nate Tubbs is a recent graduate of Journalism at San Diego State University. In his time at SDSU, he wrote and photographed several different sports for Aztec Link, the school’s NIL collective. He also co-hosted a weekly podcast featuring Aztec athletes, sharing their stories and goals for the season. Tubbs is passionate about photography, storytelling, and most of all, San Diego sports.