Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC at Portland Thorns

SAN DIEGO, Calif.  –  San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (8-5-4, W-L-D) plays its final away match of the month at Providence Park this Saturday, August 27, at 7:30 p.m. PT, against Portland Thorns FC (7-2-7). The team looks to grab three points on the road in this top-of-table matchup.

“Portland’s at home, so the pressure’s on them to perform and win. They’ll have to be on the front foot. I think they’ll come out and press. That’s what their crowds and fans will expect. We’ve played against a deep block before when they’ve dropped in, so we know what to do. And also we have to prepare for them to come out and press because they’re top of the table for a reason. They’re an established club. They’re at home. The pressure is on them to come out and play.”

Coach Casey Stoney, San Diego Wave FC Head Coach

The last meeting between the Wave FC and Portland Thorns took place on June 8th and ended in a 2-2 draw. The Thorns led San Diego until the 88th minute when Taylor Kornieck buried the equalizer for Wave FC and sent each team home with a point. After going on an 11-match undefeated streak, the Thorns lost to the North Carolina Courage 1-3 on Wednesday, but have outscored their NWSL opponents 37-18 this season. San Diego looks to capitalize on Portland having a mid-week match by bringing fresh legs to Oregon.

Last Saturday, San Diego Wave FC turned things around following two losses in a row with a statement 3-1 win versus Houston Dash (7-5-4) in front of a sold-out crowd for their last match at Torero Stadium. Wave FC brought the heat with three goals scored by Alex Morgan, Amirah Ali and Sofia Jakobsson.

Morgan made history as the 5th NWSL player to reach 50 career goals, and Jakobsson scored her first-ever goal for the club, while Ali continued her rising form with her second goal in three matches.

After this Saturday’s matchup, San Diego Wave FC continues its road stretch against the Washington Spirit on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. PT before returning home to open the new state-of-the-art Snapdragon stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17 with single-game tickets available now. Announced on Tuesday, San Diego Wave FC has officially sold more tickets than the NWSL attendance record for a single game with over 27,000 tickets sold for September 17. With less than a month until the historic home opener against Angel City FC, the club now sets its sights on shattering the record with a complete sell out of Snapdragon stadium.