SAN DIEGO (Oct. 4, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC (5-10-7, 22 points) continues on the road to face the North Carolina Courage (11-9-2, 35 points) at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. PT and the match will be broadcast live locally on FOX 5/KUSI and streamed on NWSL+.
The series between San Diego and North Carolina currently sits in the Wave’s favor with the record-holding 2-1-2 heading into the sixth overall matchup. In the most recent meeting, the Wave fell to the Courage for the first time in a 4-1 defeat on Sept. 8 at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego’s lone goal came from defender Kennedy Wesley in the 13th minute when the rookie towered over her defenders to direct a header from a María Sánchez corner kick towards the near post.
Last Time Out
In San Diego’s last regular season match, the team earned a 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns at Snapdragon Stadium with both goals coming from second half substitutes Mya Jones and Melanie Barcenas. The Wave opened the scoring in the 69th minute when María Sánchez curved a free kick into the box that found the head of defender Kristen McNabb who headed the ball towards goal where Jones was able to power through and put the ball in the back of the net for her second goal of the season. Five minutes later, Barcenas beat her defenders and hit a left-footed shot that took a deflection off a Portland defender and into the near post for the 16-year-old’s first-ever goal.
North Carolina earned a 3-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars in the club’s last match on Sept. 29. The Courage found the back of the net in the 15th minute when midfielder Brianna Pinto applied pressure to the Chicago defense as Ashley Sanchez delivered a cross in front of the net resulting in a Red Stars own goal. Denise O’Sullivan doubled the lead for the Courage in the 41st minute when the midfielder fired a first-time shot at the edge of the box to the top corner. It was midfielder Kerolin who earned the final goal for North Carolina in the 65th minute when a perfectly placed cross found the Brazilian international in front of the goal for a first-time shot past goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Ludmila, Chicago’s Brazilian international, would earn the Red Stars a goal just three minutes later.
Players to Watch
San Diego’s Amirah Ali scored her third goal of the year in all competitions in the club’s last match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC a part of the Concacaf W Champions Cup. The forward subbed into the match in the 66th minute and scored just one minute later when a sequence of passes between forward Jaedyn Shaw and defender Hanna Lundkvist played Ali in at the top of the box for her to send a low shot into the far corner of the net. Ali’s first goal of the regular season came nearly three weeks ago when she scored the fastest goal in Club history against the Utah Royals, finding the back of the net just 27 seconds into play.
Ashley Sanchez leads North Carolina in goals (5) and assists (4) this season. The forward’s last goal came on Sept. 13 against Bay FC when she found the equalizer in the 28th minute of play after a ball was played through the defense for her to run onto and slot a first-time shot to the far corner. Sanchez has also started in every match (22) for North Carolina this season.
How to Watch
Saturday’s match between the Wave and the Courage will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina with kickoff slated for 4:00 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast live locally on FOX 5/KUSI and streamed on NWSL+.
