Building a brand new professional sports franchise from the ground up takes time and patience. So, what San Diego Wave FC has accomplished is certainly not the norm.
In just their 3rd ever match, the Wave earned their first win in franchise history with a convincing 4-2 result over Angel City FC in front of a loud crowd at Torero Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Jodie Taylor got the scoring started in the 18th minute. Her header was saved but landed right at her feet and the veteran sent it to the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage, their first lead of the season. Angel City tied it 1-1, then the most accomplished player on the field made an impact.
In stoppage time Alex Morgan collected a loose ball in the box and shot it to the short side, past the diving goalie for her first San Diego point and a 2-1 halftime lead. Angel City found the equalizer again, and that did not sit well with Morgan.
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In the 71st minute she took a beautiful cross and sent a one-timer to the right corner for another goal. This time the Wave did not let it get away. Just eight minutes later Amirah Ali, a 4-time All-American at Rutgers, took a pass just past midfield and did the rest herself. Ali made a run all the way to the box and fired a shot that snuck inside the right edge for her first NWSL goal.
This win is historic and you could really see it building. The Wave were coming off a 1-0 loss to Portland, a veteran team that's had success in the NWSL, but it's easy to make the argument San Diego was the better club. They controlled the ball more than half the game and had more shots on goal than the Thorns. A 2-goal win over Angel City shows that was not a fluke.
The Wave have a little break to relish the win. Their next Challenge Cup match is Thursday, April 14 on the road against OL Reign up in Washington.
