San Diego (April 18, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC (1-1-1, 4 points) take on Orlando Pride (1-0-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium on Friday night for the Wave’s second consecutive away match of the season. The match kicks off at 5 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on Prime Video.
The series between San Diego and Orlando currently sits in the Pride’s favor with the record holding 1-2-1 heading into the fifth matchup. In the most recent meeting, the Wave defeated the Pride in a 2-1 matchup on Aug. 25 in Orlando. Defender Abby Dahlkepmer scored the opening goal in just the seventh minute of the match from a half volley that ricocheted off the top post and into the back of the net. Orlando’s Adriana equalized in the 44th minute just before halftime but the Wave’s Kyra Carusa earned the game winner in the 76th minute. Carusa’s goal came in just her second appearance with the Wave and it marked her first goal of her NWSL career.
Last Time Out
In San Diego’s last match, the Wave played Racing Louisville to a scoreless draw on April 13 at Lynn Family Stadium. San Diego dominated the first half, as the Wave prevented Louisville from registering a shot on target, while out-possessing the home side (58.7%-41.3%). Neither team were able to score after the 90 minutes but the Wave were able to continue their record of being unbeaten in their last four road games in all competitions (W3 D1).
Orlando Pride are coming off their first win of 2024 after three consecutive draws to open the season. The Pride earned their win over the Utah Royals in a 1-0 match on April 12 with a lone goal scored by Marta. The Brazilian goal-scorer received a cross and took a one touch shot to earn the Pride its game winner in the 68th minute.
Players to Watch
Marta’s game winning goal for Orlando came just six minutes after the forward was subbed on and it marks her 33rd goal since joining the Pride in 2017. Since the Pride’s inaugural season, Marta has made up 25% of the goals scored while also recording 17 assists. The Brazilian international is currently the all-time goals (27) and appearance (84) leader in Pride history and will continue to be a key target for Orlando’s offense.
Wave defender and co-captain Abby Dahlkemper has been a mainstay in San Diego’s backline this season, logging all 270 regular season minutes for the Wave and leading the team to two regular season shutouts so far, plus the 2024 NWSL Challenge cup win over NJ/NY Gotham FC in March. The nine-year league veteran currently holds a 84% passing success rate and will continue to be a key leader in the backline as the Wave look to shut down Marta and the Pride offense on Friday night.
How to Watch
Friday’s match will be broadcast live on Prime Video at 5 p.m. PT. Fans in San Diego are invited to join the club’s watch party at Novo Brazil Mission Valley.
