Goals, Grit, and Growing Pains: Wave Fall 5–2 to Denver

San Diego Wave faced expansion side Denver Summit in their second preseason match at the Coachella Valley Invitational.

The First Half Begins

Denver struck early. A high press forced Dudinha into a turnover, and center back Natalie Means stepped into space before rifling a shot into the right corner from outside the box. Didi Haracic couldn’t get there in time, and the Summit had the early advantage.

The Wave responded quickly. Dudinha slipped through defenders and found Ludmila, who whipped a cross across the face of goal. Lia Godfrey finished at the back post, but the flag went up for offside.

Still pushing for an equalizer, the Wave stayed aggressive. Ludmila blocked a goal kick from Abbey Smith and chased it down, calmly finishing behind the goalkeeper to level the match and secure her debut goal.

San Diego continued to press. Kennedy Wesley launched a long ball forward to Dudinha, who delivered a dangerous cross into the box, but Summit defenders intervened before the Wave could pull the trigger. When Denver regained possession, they compressed quickly in defense, limiting space in the final third.

In the 23rd minute, Means was involved again, sending in a cross that Melissa Kössler powered past Haracic with a header to restore Denver’s lead. The Summit capitalized on their aerial presence, making the most of their height advantage.

Denver began to settle into control, forcing two strong saves from Haracic. The Wave struggled to maintain sustained possession and relied on transition moments to create opportunities.

Eventually, San Diego built patiently from the back. Wesley connected with left back Perle Morroni, who glided down the flank and unleashed a shot that forced a save, earning a corner. The opportunity, however, was quickly cleared by Denver.

The first half closed with the Wave trailing 2–1.

The Second Half

San Diego emerged from the break determined to respond.

A corner from Gia Corley bounced through traffic and fell to Dudinha, who reset the play. After a deflection inside the box, Godfrey reacted first and smashed the ball into the top of the net for an emphatic equalizer in her debut performance.

The match opened up again, but only briefly. Four minutes later, an aerial ball found Tash Flint, who unleashed a powerful strike into the top left corner. Despite Haracic’s effort, Denver reclaimed the lead.

The Summit rode that momentum. Although the Wave initially disrupted another Denver attack, a failed clearance fell to Olivia Thomas, who quickly slotted her shot across Haracic to extend the advantage.

The physicality increased as San Diego pushed numbers forward in search of another response. The urgency was there, but clear chances were harder to come by.

Fan favorite Kenza Dali entered the match and injected energy into the midfield. Corley combined with Dudinha, who sent in a cross toward Nya Harrison, but the header sailed over the bar, one of the Wave’s final looks at goal.

With 90 seconds remaining, Denver added a final blow. Off a corner, Carson Pickett delivered a ball to Thomas, who headed home her second of the night to make it five.

The match ended in a 5–2 loss for San Diego.

Final Thoughts

While the scoreline favored the expansion side, preseason results rarely tell the full story. The Wave showed flashes of attacking chemistry, particularly through Dudinha, Ludmila, and Godfrey, but defensive lapses and aerial mismatches proved costly.

With valuable minutes for new faces and key returners alike, the Coachella Valley Invitational offered another opportunity for San Diego to fine-tune combinations before the regular season begins.