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NWSL San Diego Wave FC

Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC vs. Houston Dash

September 3, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
San Diego Wave FC News Release


SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego Wave FC (8-6-3, 27 points) returns home to Snapdragon Stadium this weekend to host the Houston Dash (4-5-8, 20 points) on Sunday, September 3, at 5:00 p.m. PT. The match will be streamed nationally on Paramount+.

In the Wave's previous match, San Diego defeated the Orlando Pride on the road in a 2-1 victory at Exploria Stadium on Friday. The match featured goals from defender Abby Dahlkemper and forward Kyra Carusa. Dahlkemper, in her third game back following back surgery, scored her first regular season goal since 2016, while Carusa, a San Diego native who just joined the Wave two weeks ago, scored her first NWSL goal. With the win, the Wave is currently above the playoff line in third place with 27 points.

The Dash is coming off a 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Current. Houston was trailing in the 67th minute until forward Michelle Alozie beat three defenders and scored off a shot from just inside the box for the equalizer.

The last time the Wave faced the Dash was on May 20 when San Diego defeated the home team in a 3-0 win at Shell Enegery Stadium. In that matchup, San Diego's opening goal came from Morgan in the second minute of the game, making it the fastest goal of her NWSL career. Midfielder Sierra Enge scored her first NWSL goal by doubling the lead in the 58th minute and defender Madison Pogarch added a final goal for the Wave in the 79th minute while also recording her first ever NWSL goal.

The San Diego Wave will culminate their World Cup Welcome Back match on Sunday with a post-game ceremony on the field for 13 players, including Wave FC's Kyra Carusa (IRE), Naomi Girma (USA), Sofia Jakobsson (SWE), Alex Morgan (USA), Kailen Sheridan (CAN), and Emily van Egmond (AUS).

Hometown Kid, Hometown Hero

San Diego native Kyra Carusa signed with the Wave on August 16, just after representing the Republic of Ireland in the World Cup this summer. The forward has made two appearances since and in San Diego's last match, Carusa scored the game-winning goal with her head to give the Wave their first-ever win over the Orlando Pride.

Dahlkemper Makes Remarkable Comeback

Since undergoing back surgery and returning from the SEI list, Abby Dahlkemper has made two regular season starts, playing all 180 minutes. In the Wave's match versus the Orlando Pride last weekend, Dahlkemper put San Diego on the scoreboard first by firing a half-volley. This was her first non-penalty goal in her 137th appearance in all competitions, the longest wait before a first non-penalty goal in league history.

Sofia Bringing Back the Bronze

San Diego Wave players Sofia Jakobsson and Emily van Egmond faced each other in the third-place match of the World Cup last week. Jakobsson and Sweden took home the bronze medal in a 2-0 win over van Egmond and the host country Australia. This was the furthest the Commbank Matildas have made it in World Cup history.

Check out the San Diego Wave FC Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from September 3, 2023


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