Thunderous cheers erupted whenever San Diego Wave players kicked the ball to their side of the pitch during Sunday’s NWSL semifinal match at Snapdragon Stadium. It was as if the 32,000 fans sought to will the ball into the net for a victory over Seattle’s OL Reign.
It was not to be.
The Wave fell 1-0 and failed to advance to the finals, repeating what has plagued them throughout the season: not executing goals.
Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan kept a clean sheet in the first half despite numerous goal attempts by OL Reign stars.
A ball that bent into the goal by Veronica Latsko got past Sheridan minutes into the second half and put OL Reign in front for the rest of the match. The goal shocked both teams because the kick wasn’t a direct attempt.
The announced crowd of 32,262, a NWSL playoff attendance record, stood in stunned silence when the final whistle blew, ending the second-year team’s season.
Seattle’s 38-year-old star Megan Rapinoe played all 90 minutes and aggressively assisted in many attempts.
The Wave won the NWSL 2023 Shield as regular season points leader and earned a bye in the quarterfinals and home field advantage in the semifinal.
“Bitterly disappointed” was how Head Coach Casey Stoney described her feelings. “I don’t think we showed the best of ourselves tonight, but I’m very proud of our season.”
“They’re gutted, devastated,” Stoney said of the team.
OL Reign remained undefeated against the Wave.
Seattle will face New York Gotham, a 1-0 victor over defending NWSL champion Portland Thorns, in the league’s title match Saturday at Snapdragon
