SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Second-place San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (6-3-4) travels to face third-place Chicago Red Stars (5-2-5) on Saturday, July 30, at 5 p.m. PT from Soldier Field. With just two points separating the top three spots in the NWSL standings, Saturday’s match is an important result for both sides in the second half of the season.
Newly-acquired USYNT player Jaedyn Shaw will be available for the first time on Saturday, as well as Wave FC star players Alex Morgan, Kailen Sheridan, Taylor Kornieck and Naomi Girma, who return to the squad for the first time since June 19.
In their first-ever meeting on May 15, San Diego defeated the Red Stars 2-1 at Torero Stadium and now looks for another winning result on the road against the Illinois side. Wave FC’s Alex Morgan scored the match’s first goal in the 56th minute from a penalty, followed by Kaleigh Riehl’s late-match goal in the 89th minute off a set piece routine. Chicago then got one goal back in the 90th minute, scored by Ava Cook.
Notably, Chicago’s leading goal scorer, Mallory Pugh, was not in the lineup on May 15 but will likely be available on Saturday. A player to watch, Pugh has returned from the Concacaf W Championship, where she scored one goal and led the USWNT forwards in chances created with six throughout the tournament.
After Saturday’s matchup, San Diego Wave FC returns to Torero Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 7 to battle Kansas City Current with tickets on sale now at sandiegowavefc.com/tickets. That night, as part of the 2022 Nationwide Community Impact Program, Wave FC will recognize the United Women of East Africa (UWEAST) in a pre-game ceremony on-field. San Diego defender Naomi Girma will help present UWEAST with a Nationwide donation check to kick off the season-long community partnership.
San Diego Wave FC continues to fight for a playoff spot in its inaugural season and has sat consistently on top of the NWSL standings since Week One. Forward Alex Morgan leads the league in the Golden Boot race with 11 goals in 10 regular-season matches, a single-season career best for the Southern California native. The club looks forward to playing in the new state-of-the-art Snapdragon Stadium in a historic opening match on Saturday, Sept. 17, with single-game tickets available now.
About San Diego Wave Fútbol Club
San Diego Wave Fútbol Club is the 12th and newest member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The club’s vision is to be a force for good through the game we love and is led by President Jill Ellis, former head coach of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) and two-time World Cup champion. Together with Head Coach Casey Stoney, the club will bring the highest level of world-class, professional soccer to San Diego. USWNT standouts Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper were two of the first players signed to the club that consists of athletes representing six international soccer federations, including US, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, England and Australia. The team began its inaugural season at a temporary home, University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium. The new Snapdragon Stadium will serve as Wave FC’s permanent home upon completion of construction, scheduled for September 17, 2022 as the team takes on Angel City FC.
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