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San Diego Wave FC travel to Washington, D.C., on Sunday for a rematch with the Washington Spirit, looking to recapture the form that made their first meeting one of the season’s biggest wins. The Wave defeated the Spirit 2-1 at Snapdragon Stadium in May, handing Washington its first loss of the season and ending an eight-match unbeaten run. This time, however, San Diego enters the matchup in search of a spark of its own.
The Wave are 1-2-1 since returning from the international break, including a 2-0 loss to Seattle Reign FC in their most recent match. Washington, meanwhile, has continued to build momentum and enters the rematch in significantly stronger form. That makes Sunday’s meeting a difficult test, but the Wave have already shown this season that they can match up with the league’s best and find a way to win when the stakes are high.
San Diego will also have to navigate a thinner squad than the one that took down Washington in May. Dudinha is on the season-ending injury list, and the Wave have limited depth along the back line. Against a Washington attack capable of creating problems from multiple areas, San Diego will need to be disciplined defensively while finding ways to reignite an attack that has struggled to turn its recent chances into goals. It is a challenging rematch, but it also gives the Wave an opportunity to change the direction of their current form, and prove once again that Washington is a team they can beat.
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Match Information
Teams: San Diego Wave FC vs Washington Spirit
Referees: JC Griggs (Ref), Matt Trotter (AR1), Max Smith (AR2), Pavel Georgiev (4th), Danielle Chesky (VAR), Matthew Rodman (AVAR)
Date: August 2nd, 2026
Time: 1:00pm, Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
TV: CBS Sports Network & KUSI
Forecast: 83º/75º. 82º at kickoff. Cloudy. 9 mph winds. 15% chance of rain. 75% humidity.
Wave Wins: 2
Wave Goals: 13
Draws: 4
Washington Wins: 3
Washington Goals: 15
Last Meeting: Wave 2-1 Washington
Washington Spirit
The Numbers
2026 Goal Leaders: Trinity Rodman (8)
2026 Assist Leaders: Trinity Rodman (5)
Last Match: Spirit 1-0 Royals
Washington Spirit Overview
The Washington Spirit enter Sunday’s matchup at the top of the NWSL table and carrying plenty of momentum. Washington has won 11 of its 17 regular-season matches, collecting 36 points and eight clean sheets along the way. The Spirit have also won 10 of their last 12 league matches, with their only two losses in that stretch coming against Gotham FC and San Diego Wave FC.
Washington’s latest victory came Wednesday night, when the Spirit defeated Utah Royals FC 1-0 following an 80-minute weather delay. Trinity Rodman scored the lone goal in the 28th minute, finishing a Paige Metayer cross for her eighth goal and 13th goal contribution of the season. However, the Spirit were not completely dominant, as Utah controlled much of the second half and held Washington without a shot for a 30-minute stretch. Washington’s defense ultimately held firm to secure its eighth clean sheet of the season.
Player to Watch
There may be no more important player for San Diego to account for than Trinity Rodman. The forward has been at the heart of Washington’s recent run, registering a goal or assist in each of the Spirit’s last several stretches of success. Her eighth goal against Utah was her 13th goal contribution of the season, with all 13 coming over the last 12 matches. The goal was also the 10th regular-season match-winner of her career.
Great ball from Paige to Trin 😎
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 30, 2026
Trin puts us on the board! pic.twitter.com/ieDaWr3r9F
Rodman has proven capable of hurting opponents in several different ways. Against Denver, she assisted Sofia Cantore’s game-winning goal after carrying the ball forward on a counterattack, while she scored herself against Boston after running onto a through ball.
Earlier in the season, she scored twice against Houston and also assisted twice in Washington’s 4-2 win over Orlando. For the Wave, limiting Rodman’s ability to attack space in transition will be one of the biggest challenges of the afternoon.
How the Wave Can Disrupt Washington’s Streak
San Diego already has the blueprint for beating this Spirit team. The Wave defeated Washington 2-1 in May, ending the Spirit’s five-match winning streak and eight-match unbeaten run. San Diego scored first in that match and, after Washington equalized, stayed in the contest long enough to find a late winner through Kimmi Ascanio in the 89th minute.
That previous meeting suggests two major priorities for the Wave: start aggressively and stay dangerous until the final whistle. Washington has become particularly effective at controlling matches once it takes the lead, but Utah showed Wednesday that the Spirit can be pushed onto the back foot for extended stretches.
San Diego will need to avoid giving Rodman and Washington’s other attackers room to counter, while continuing to pressure the Spirit defense and create opportunities from set pieces.
If the Wave can make Washington uncomfortable rather than allowing the league leaders to dictate the match, they have already shown they can take advantage late.
San Diego Wave FC
The Numbers
2026 Goal Leaders: Trinity Byars (6)
2026 Assist Leaders: Lia Godfrey (4) |Dudinha (4)
Last Match: Wave 0-2 Reign
San Diego Wave FC Overview
San Diego Wave FC enter Sunday’s matchup looking to reverse a recent dip in form.
The Wave are 1-2-1 since returning from the international break, with their most recent result coming in a disappointing 2-0 loss to Seattle Reign FC at Snapdragon Stadium. After falling behind by two goals in the first half, San Diego came out with considerably more energy after halftime and repeatedly tested Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, but could not find a way through. The Wave finished with eight shots on target, but none found the back of the net.
The result continued a frustrating stretch in front of goal. San Diego controlled possession and created opportunities in its recent losses to Angel City and Seattle, but has struggled to turn those chances into goals. Against Seattle, the Wave's attack looked much more dangerous after halftime, with their pressure forcing risky passes and creating opportunities around the box.
Now, San Diego will need to turn that second-half attacking energy into goals against a Washington side that has been one of the league's toughest teams to break down.
Player to Watch
Trinity Byars has quickly become one of the Wave’s most important attacking pieces. After making her first professional start against Washington in May, Byars scored just six minutes into the match to give San Diego an early lead. She later added goals against Houston and Chicago, becoming a consistent threat whether starting or coming off the bench.
Her goal against Chicago was her third as a professional and came after she entered the match as a substitute.
TRINITY BYARS FIRST START FIRST GOAL 🌊 pic.twitter.com/9tNFSJFSbL
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) May 16, 2026
Byars has also shown that she can capitalize when chances fall her way. Her first goal against Washington came after she received the ball inside the box and fired through a crowded defense, while her equalizer against Houston came from close range in stoppage time.
Most recently against Seattle, Byars was involved in several of the Wave’s best attacking moments, narrowly missing a chance after Mimi Van Zanten’s cross and testing Dickey again after halftime. With San Diego needing to rediscover its finishing touch, Byars could be key to making those opportunities count.
The Formula for Success
San Diego already found the answer once this season: attack Washington early and keep creating chances from multiple areas of the field. In May’s 2-1 victory, Byars scored in the sixth minute before Washington equalized, and the Wave eventually found the winner through Kimmi Ascanio in the 89th minute. San Diego did not need to dominate the entire match to win; instead, it capitalized on early pressure and remained dangerous enough to find another opening late.
The Wave’s recent matches suggest that getting the ball into the box more efficiently will be critical.
Against Seattle, San Diego found success when Mimi Van Zanten carried the ball down the right and delivered service toward Byars, while Barcenas also created danger with crosses and shots from the right side.
Against Washington, the Wave can lean on that same variety, combining wide service with runs from Byars and midfielders arriving into the box. If San Diego can maintain the second-half intensity it showed against Seattle while being more clinical in front of goal, there is reason to believe the Wave can once again make Washington uncomfortable.
