SAN DIEGO (June 14, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC (3-4-4, 13 points) travel to face Washington Spirit (9-3-0, 27 points) at Audi Field on Saturday, June 15. The match will be broadcast on ion with kickoff slated for 4:30 p.m. PT.

The series between San Diego and Washington currently sits in the Spirit’s favor with the record-holding 1-2-1 heading into the fifth overall matchup. In the most recent meeting, the Wave split the points with the Spirit in a 2-2 draw on July 8, 2023. Washington opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a penalty kick goal scored by Ashley Hatch. Nearly one minute into the second half, forward Jaedyn Shaw’s corner bounced around the box until former San Diego defender Cheyenne Shorts finished it at the back post to equalize. Washington took the lead again in the 54th minute when a miscleared ball found the back of the net for a San Diego own goal. In the final minutes of the match, a perfectly placed cross by former midfielder Kelsey Turbow found the head of former midfielder Taylor Flint (Kornieck) who secured the equalizer in the 90th minute to keep the match level at home.

Last Time Out
In San Diego’s last match, the team played Orlando Pride to a 1-1 draw at Snapdragon Stadium. The visitors got on the scoreboard first when forward Babra Banda charged up the right side of the field in the 36th minute and crossed the ball into the box. Orlando forward Julie Doyle reached behind her to volley the ball first time into the side netting. San Diego pulled one back in the 62nd minute when midfielder María Sánchez hit an inswinging cross that was parried away by Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse. The ball fell to the feet of second-half substitute Makenzy Doniak, who hit a first-time touch that found the back of the net to level the score.

Washington is coming off a 1-0 win over the Utah Royals on Saturday, June 8. The lone goal came in the 26th minute when a bouncing ball from a corner kick made its way to Kate Wiesner outside the box. The midfielder, with her back to the goal, turned and took a touch before sending a shot to the bottom left corner for the game-winner.

Players to Watch
San Diego midfielder Makenzy Doniak scored her team-leading third goal of the season in the Wave’s last match against Orlando. The goal was the Southern California native’s ninth career regular-season goal for San Diego, third-most in club history. It also marked Doniak’s eighth goal as a substitute, more than any other NWSL player in league history.

Washington forward Ouleymata Sarr is the Spirit’s current leading goal scorer with six on the season thus far along with two assists. The most recent goal for the French international came on May 24 against the Seattle Reign when rookie Croix Bethune sent a cross into the box that found the head of an unmarked Sarr who secured the Spirit’s third goal of the match.

How to Watch
Saturday’s match will be played at Audi Field in Washington D.C. The match will be broadcast live on ion with kickoff slated for 4:30 p.m. PT.