NWSL San Diego Wave FC

Alex Morgan's Career-High Four Goals Lead San Diego Wave FÚtbol Club to Thrilling Shutout Victory at Home

Published on May 10, 2022 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
San Diego Wave FC News Release


SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Playing on their front foot for all 90-plus minutes, San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (2-0-0) shutout NJ/NY Gotham FC (1-1-0) 4-0 in front of 5,000 energetic fans at Torero Stadium on Saturday night. Alex Morgan scored an NWSL career-high four goals, converting PKs in first-half stoppage time and again in the 66th minute followed by a left-footed laser in the 70th and a crafty finish in second-half stoppage time. With the win, Wave FC becomes only the third NWSL expansion team in history to win each of their first two games in league play.

Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan also had a standout performance, proving stingy against her former club with four saves on the way to recording her second-consecutive clean sheet. The Wave FC defense as a whole has denied 19 shots and yielded zero goals through their first two matches of the regular season.

Wave FC set the tone from the first whistle, aggressively creating scoring opportunities, dominating with a 31-to-8 shot advantage, and shutting down Gotham FC's attack with a swarming defense. The attacking trio of Taylor Kornieck, Jodie Taylor and Alex Morgan continually created havoc for the opponent, but Wave FC didn't capitalize on a scoring chance until a handball inside the penalty area by Gotham in first-half stoppage time set them up to break to scoreless tie. Morgan confidently walked up, drilled a line-drive penalty past goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, and spun around to celebrate the 1-0 advantage with her teammates.

Game-changer Amirah Ali, who entered the match in the 64th minute, set up Morgan's second goal when she paced ahead of the Gotham FC defense and then drew a foul inside the penalty box on a cross-over move against McCall Zerboni. This time, Morgan sent the penalty kick into the right side-netting to give Wave FC a 2-0 lead in the 66th minute. She would follow it up four minutes later when she forced a turnover from Zerboni feet away from the goal and swung around to rifle a shot past Harris once again. For Morgan's final score of the night, she raced into the box from the left, put a hesitation move on Ashlyn Harris, and brought the crowd to max volume as her historic fourth goal flew past the keeper and into the net.

The four goals by Morgan were her most in a competition since recording five for the USWNT in World Cup Group Play against Thailand on August 11, 2019. It also marks only the third time in NWSL history that a player has scored four goals in a contest.

Captain Abby Dahlkemper left the match in the 35th minute after suffering an injury. Head Coach Casey Stoney stated in her post-match interview that Dahlkemper is in stable condition.

Wave FC Goals: Alex Morgan (45'+1), Alex Morgan (66'), Alex Morgan (70'), Alex Morgan (90'+1)

NJ/NY Gotham FC Goals: None

Misconduct Summary: Caprice Dydasco (Caution 45'+6), Ellie Jean (Caution 88')

Wave FC starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan

Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper [c], Naomi Girma, Tegan McGrady, Christen Westphal

Midfielders: Sofia Jakobsson, Taylor Kornieck, Emily van Egmond, Kristen McNabb

Forwards: Alex Morgan, Jodie Taylor

Subs Used: Kaleigh Riehl, Amirah Ali, Kelsey Turnbow, Katie Johnson, Mia Gyau

SD Wave Head Coach Casey Stoney:

On the performances from Alex Morgan and Kailen Sheridan tonight

"World class players have world class games and that was definitely an example of that tonight. The save [by Sheridan in the 74th minute], the one to the left, was unbelievable. I think, listen, four goals... [Morgan] has been playing well all season, but tonight she went to another level again."

On the 4-0 win and looking ahead to Chicago next week

"We trained well all week, so I wasn't surprised by the performance. I said in the huddle that it takes every single one of those players all week to prepare the team. What a great night for the fans. I'm very much of the opinion you're only as good as your last game, so we don't want the [next match] to be a low point for us. I said to them [in the huddle after the match] I'm going to ask more from you week after week, and I'm going to ask you to continue improving and continue developing. And that's probably harsh coming off the back of a four-nil win, but it's because I know we're capable of more."

SD Wave forward Alex Morgan:

On what it meant to have a home debut like tonight

"To have the turnout at our home opener and then to be able to put on a show like we did tonight, getting a clean sheet, which is extremely important, and scoring goals, I don't think we could've asked for a better game for ourselves and for this city."

On feeling at home in San Diego and scoring a historic four goals

"There's no doubt about it - I am home. I think everyone can feel it and can see it. The ball just dropped my way tonight after the two penalties. All around it was such a great team performance. We were everyone around this pitch. I don't get these goals without the amazing crosses that forced the handball or the header by [Amirah], or the other defensive work, so it was a really great team effort by everyone tonight."

SD Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan:

On recording a second-straight shutout

"It's really important to us that we represent our home really well and that we keep clean sheets at home. When people come here, we want it to be a really hard place to play and a hard place to score and we accomplished that today. People aren't going to second-guess us anymore and they're not going to take us for granted."

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