On Wednesday, the Wave will host the Portland Thorns FC in the first 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup match of the season. Kickoff against the Thorns is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT and tickets to the game are available here. The contest will also be televised on Paramount+.
The Wave made its Challenge Cup debut last season, scoring nine goals in six games with a 1.5 goals per game average, the second highest of any club in the competition’s history (following North Carolina with 1.9).
Wednesday will be the fifth encounter between the two teams, with two out of the five games being from last season’s Challenge Cup. The series is 1-3-1, with the two Challenge Cup matches both being taken by Portland. Led by first-year head coach Mike Norris, Portland (2-0-1, 7 points) is currently tied for first in the league standings with Washington Spirit. The Thorns are coming off a 1-1 draw against Houston Dash at Providence Park.
Wave midfielder Taylor Kornieck has scored four out of the seven goals for San Diego against Portland, including a late-match brace on June 8, 2022 to help the Wave come back from a two-goal deficit. Forward Alex Morgan assisted three goals versus the Thorns in 2022.
The Wave (2-1-0, 6 points) are coming off their first loss of the season after a last-minute goal gave OL Reign the 1-0 victory at Lumen Field on Saturday. Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan had a standout game in the net, with four saves, including back-to-back saves to keep the game level in the final minutes of regulation.
Four days later, San Diego will head north to take on Angel City FC (1-1-1, 4 points) on Sunday, April 23. Kickoff at BMO Stadium will be 5:00 p.m. PT and streamed live on Paramount+.
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