Late Goal from Ascanio Lifts Wave Above Washington

San Diego Wave FC returned home tonight to face Washington Spirit. The visitors were on a five game winning streak, and the Wave were ready to crash the party. The Wave returned to Snapdragon after defeating Angel City FC in Los Angeles last Saturday.

Head Coach Jonas Eidevall gave Trinity Byars her first ever start for the Wave, after an ACL injury kept her sidelined for over a year. With Byars in the attacking three, Ludmila had a chance to rest. Ludmila was listed as "questionable" on the availability report due to a thigh injury.

Left back Perle Morroni had her work cut out for her tonight, with Trinity Rodman expected to be a major attacking threat down the right wing. Defensive organization was important tonight, as the speed and quality of Washington's attack could easily break down the Wave's defense.

The First Half

Washington Spirit came out on the offense as the match started. San Diego absorbed pressure in their third of the field, disrupting the away team's attacking runs before they got too dangerous.

At first, the Wave struggled to break into the final third. Less than ten minutes in, Dudinha and Kimmi Ascanio carried the ball up the field. Ascanio passed the ball to Byars in the box. Byars beamed the ball past four Washington defenders and their goalkeeper, and gave the Wave an early lead.

The Wave's back line stayed organized, breaking off the Spirits attacking attempts. Twenty minutes in, center back McNabb saw a path through the midfield, and carried the ball across the pitch into the box. She passed to Mimi Van Zanten, whose cross earned a corner for the Wave.

Washington Spirit right winger, Trinity Rodman, tried to pull the defense out of position, but Wave left back Perle Morroni was able to neutralize Rodman by herself.

The away team found another route to the equalizer. A corner kick crossed from the left side snuck past the Wave's defense found Rebeca Bernal, who quickly knocked the ball into the net.

Just over half an hour in, the teams were level once again.

As the pressure built, Washington Spirit became more physical. Gabi Portilho was on the receiving end of several fouls, causing delays in the match. As the away team's frustration grew, their discipline decreased. Washington fouled nine times compared to the Wave's three.

The half ended level. Each team had three shots on target and one goal. The teams hurried back to the locker room to regroup and find a plan that would give them the edge in the second half.

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The Second Half

Jonas Eidevall brought on Lia Godfrey, Ludmila, and Melanie Barcenas in place of Gia Corley, Trinity Byars, and Gabi Portilho. The plan was clear: it's time to score.

Much like the first half, the Wave spent the first part of the half absorbing pressure from Washington. The Wave maintained consistent pressure on the opposition's attack, and created opportunities to counterattack against a more disorganized defense.

As the game progressed, the Wave inched closer to earning a goal. They recovered the ball more quickly, creating confusion in Washington's back line. The crowd could feel it; a goal was close. "Let's go Wave" chants rang around the field.

It was Godfrey who found the back of the net after controlling a wild ball that riccocheted through the crowded box. The goal was disallowed due to an offside call, but the Wave were nearly there.

With only two minutes of regular time remaining, the Wave earned a corner. Dali crossed the ball perfectly into the box, and Kimmi Ascanio put the ball past the keeper into the net.

The game winner from Ascanio, Byars's first professional goal, and a standout performance from the whole team lifted the Wave to the top of the NWSL standings.

Next up, the Wave travel to Texas for another Van Zanten sister clash. San Diego dropped points during their home opener to the Houston Dash, and will want to make up for the loss during the rematch.