San Diego Wave vs. North Carolina Courage Preview: Can the Wave Find a Way to Win?

San Diego Wave FC will return to Snapdragon Stadium Saturday afternoon to face the North Carolina Courage in a matchup with major playoff implications. Both teams enter the match with 39 points through 23 games, but North Carolina currently sits ahead of San Diego on goal difference. With only a handful of matches remaining in the regular season, three points could make a major difference in the race for playoff positioning.

The Wave will also have to navigate some changes since their last match. San Diego loaned midfielder Jordan Fusco to Racing Louisville FC earlier this week before adding Italian international forward Barbara Bonansea on loan from Juventus. Meanwhile, Mimi Van Zanten will miss the match through suspension after receiving a red card in the Wave's previous game, which could open the door for Brooklyn Courtnall to step into the right-back role. Both teams are also dealing with extensive availability issues, adding another challenge to an already important matchup.

And then there is the heat. San Diego has spent the week dealing with an extreme heat wave, with temperatures soaring well above average across the county and some inland areas reaching triple digits. Saturday's match is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with kickoff temperatures expected to be around 80 degrees. After a week where just stepping outside has felt like a challenge, the conditions at Snapdragon Stadium could become a factor as the Wave and Courage battle for three crucial points.

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Match Information

Teams: San Diego Wave FC vs North Carolina Courage
Referees: Matt Thompson (Ref), Alexander Arita (AR1), Seth Martin (AR2), Corbyn May (4th), Joshua Encarnacion (VAR), Katarzyna Wasiak (AVAR)
Date: September 12th, 2026
Time: 3:30 pm, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
TV: ION
Forecast: 81º/68º. 80º at kickoff. Sunny. 8 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 63% humidity.

North Carolina Courage

The Numbers

North Carolina Courage Overview

The North Carolina Courage are coming off one of their most dominant performances of the season, cruising to a 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars on Sept. 6. Ashley Sanchez stole the show with her first career hat trick, while Chioma Okafor, Shinomi Koyama and Ryan Williams also found the back of the net. The shutout was the Courage's second straight win and kept them firmly in the playoff race.

Player to Watch

The Wave will have to find a way to slow down Ashley Sanchez, who enters the matchup in the middle of a career-best season. The Courage midfielder has scored 18 goals in 23 appearances, already more than doubling her previous career high and setting a new NWSL single-season scoring record for an American player. She also has four assists, giving her 22 goal contributions on the season.

Sanchez has been especially dangerous recently. She scored twice against Boston, twice against Angel City and added a hat trick against Chicago, while also assisting Evelyn Ijeh's goal against Kansas City. The chemistry between Sanchez and Ijeh has become one of the biggest weapons in North Carolina's attack, with the pair combining for 29 goals this season. Sanchez can score from distance, attack space behind the defense and create chances for teammates, making her movement one of the biggest challenges for San Diego's back line.

How Can the Wave Exploit the Courage

Despite North Carolina's recent attacking success, the Courage have shown that they can be vulnerable defensively. They conceded three goals to both Houston and Kansas City in August, with Kansas City jumping out to a 3-0 lead before North Carolina mounted a late comeback. The Courage will also be without several defensive players, including Maycee Bell, Natalie Jacobs and Sydney Schmidt, while Payton Crawford is also unavailable.

That could give San Diego an opportunity to attack a less familiar Courage back line, particularly by moving the ball quickly and looking for space before North Carolina can get organized. The Wave should also look to stretch the Courage's defense and take advantage of transition opportunities, rather than allowing North Carolina to settle into the attacking rhythm that has produced 46 goals this season. With the Courage missing multiple defenders and the Wave also dealing with significant absences, including Dudinha, Kiki Pickett, Mimi Van Zanten and Luisa Agudelo, this could come down to which team does a better job of capitalizing on the available pieces.

San Diego Wave FC

The Numbers

San Diego Wave FC Overview

San Diego Wave FC enters the matchup looking to get back on track after a difficult 1-0 loss to the Seattle Reign. The Wave played with 10 players for more than 75 minutes after Mimi Van Zanten's early red card, but still managed to create nine shots and four shots on target in the second half. The loss ended San Diego's 3-1-1 run and dropped its record to 12-3-8.

Before the Seattle defeat, the Wave had put together an impressive stretch that included a 4-2 win over Utah Royals FC and a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Racing Louisville FC. San Diego showed its ability to find goals from different areas of the attack during that stretch, but the team will need to be more clinical against a Courage side that has been scoring at a remarkable rate.

Player to Watch

Trinity Byars has quickly become one of San Diego's biggest attacking threats. After returning from a lengthy injury absence earlier this season, the forward has made an impact as both a starter and a substitute. Her ability to find space inside the box and finish quickly has given the Wave another reliable option in the final third.

Byars enters this matchup coming off one of the best stretches of her season. She scored twice against Utah and added two assists, contributing to all four of San Diego's goals in the 4-2 victory. She followed that performance with another two-goal game against Racing Louisville, including the goal that sparked the Wave's comeback and the equalizer that brought San Diego level.

Her recent form could be especially important against North Carolina. With Dudinha unavailable and Ludmila listed as questionable, the Wave will need Byars, Lia Godfrey, Melanie Barcenas, Gabi Portilho and the rest of the available attacking group to provide consistent pressure and finish the chances they create.

The Formula for Success

The Wave should look to attack North Carolina's defense with quick combinations and movement around the box. San Diego has already shown that Byars can be dangerous when she receives the ball in space, while Godfrey, Barcenas, Portilho and Kenza Dali can help create the opportunities needed to get her and other attackers into dangerous positions.

Set pieces could also be an important avenue for San Diego. The Wave have consistently created chances from corners and free kicks, while their ability to score from distance gives North Carolina another problem to deal with. With several Courage defenders unavailable, including Maycee Bell, Natalie Jacobs and Sydney Schmidt, San Diego should look to move the ball quickly and test a depleted back line before it has a chance to settle. The Wave cannot afford to rely on one player to carry the attack. Against a Courage team that has scored six goals in its most recent match, San Diego may need multiple attacking threats to keep pace.