Wave FC and the Orlando Pride both entered Friday night’s match slumping badly and desperate for a win. But it was the visiting team, not the home squad, that was able to dig deep and leave Snapdragon Stadium with a victory.
Orlando won 2-1, with the team’s first point coming from a player who scored her first-ever NWSL goal, and the winning point from a player scoring just her second.
The outcome means that San Diego hasn’t registered a home victory since May. The Pride, meanwhile, won its first match – home or away – since June 13.
The winning goal came during the 54th minute when Pride defender Carson Pickett scored with a right-footed shot on goal. Pickett, who was born without a left forearm and hand, didn’t play in the first half and scored after having played less than 10 minutes.
The match was tied 1-1 at the half with each team having scored relatively early. Orlando struck first, when forward Jacqueline Ovalle connected with a left-footed shot during the match’s eighth minute.
Ovalle, a Mexican national, was acquired in August from Liga MX squad Tigres UANL for a global record-breaking transfer fee of $1.5 million.
The Wave’s lone goal also was delivered by a player scoring her first NWSL point. About two minutes after Ovalle gave Orlando the lead, San Diego forward Dudinha, found the back of the net with a right-footed shot.
Dudinha usually comes off the bench for the Wave, but started Friday. The full given name of the Brazilian national, acquired by Wave FC in July, is Maria Eduarda Rodrigues Silva; Dudinha is her nickname.
For the full match, Orlando won the possession battle, maintaining the ball for 51% of the game. San Diego took more shots and shots on goal – 15 and six, respectively, but Orlando’s nine shots and two on goal were more efficient.
Orlando (9-5-8) similarly had a statistically better first half, maintaining the ball for 55% of the time during the initial 45 minutes. But Wave FC took six first-half shots compared with four for Orlando; each club had one shot on goal.
San Diego played without starters Savannah McCaskill and Delphine Cascarino due to injury. Starting goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan also did not play; her wife gave birth to the couple’s daughter about a week ago.
Wave FC lost the season series to Orlando; during their previous match on March 29, San Diego fell, also by a 2-1 score. Orlando now has a 5-1-2 all-time record against the Wave.
With Friday’s loss, San Diego’s record drops to 8-7-7, with 31 points. The team hasn’t won a match since Aug. 16 at Bay City FC. The Wave last won at Snapdragon on May 25 vs the North Carolina Courage.
In its last 10 games, San Diego has a record of one win, five draws and four losses. In its last five contests, Wave FC has no wins, two draws and three losses.
Notes: Up next, Wave FC plays one of the best teams in the NWSL, the Washington Spirit, in an ESPN-televised match that’s likely to affect playoff seeding. The game is set for a special 10 a.m. kickoff on Oct. 5. San Diego then faces the Utah Royals in an Oct. 11 road match before returning to Snapdragon Stadium for its last regular home game of the season, against the Chicago Stars on Oct. 18.
