Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC vs. North Carolina Courage

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San Diego Wave FC

Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC vs. North Carolina Courage

September 6, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
San Diego Wave FC News Release


SAN DIEGO - San Diego Wave FC returns to Snapdragon Stadium to host North Carolina Courage on Sunday, Sept. 8. The contest will mark Wave FC captain and forward Alex Morgan's final game as the iconic forward announced her retirement earlier this week. Kickoff is slated for 5:00 p.m. PT with limited tickets available here. The match will be streamed live on NWSL+ and broadcast locally on FOX 5/KUSI.

The series between San Diego and North Carolina currently sits in the Wave's favor with the record-holding 2-0-2 heading into the fifth overall matchup. In the most recent meeting, the Wave split the points with the Courage in an away scoreless draw on Oct. 7, 2023 at WakeMed Soccer Park. The shutout marked goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan's 30th of her NWSL career and earned San Diego its first-round bye and home-field advantage for the 2023 semifinal match.

Last Time Out

In San Diego's last match, the club came from behind to tie 1-1 with Washington Spirit at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 1. Washington took the lead in the 30th minute when an attempted clearance by defender Kennedy Wesley ricocheted off another Wave player and found the back of the net. Pulling all throughout the second half for an equalizer, the Wave would eventually level the score in the 68th minute when defender Kristen McNabb got on the end of a corner kick taken by forward María Sánchez which earned the defender her first goal of the season.

North Carolina is coming off a 2-1 win over Kansas City Current on Sept. 1. The Current opened the scoring in the 62nd minute by way of Temwa Chawinga which marked her league leading 14th goal of the season. Just five minutes later, Australian international Courtney Vine scored her first ever NWSL goal while equalizing for the Courage. North Carolina then found the game winner in the dying minutes from midfielder Brianna Pinto.

Players to Watch

San Diego's captain and forward Alex Morgan will retire in Sunday's match as the club's all time leading scorer (23) and assist leader (8) since joining the team ahead of its inaugural season in 2022. In nearly 11 years playing in the NWSL, Morgan made 149 regular season appearances across three teams - Portland Thorns FC (2013-15), Orlando Pride (2016-21) and San Diego Wave FC (2022-24). For San Diego, Morgan stepped on the pitch in 62 matches for the Wave across all competitions and consistently showed up in big moments for the club. The forward scored in the match that helped San Diego clinch the 2023 NWSL Shield on Oct. 27, 2023 and she scored the game winning goal on March 15 in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup, earning the tournament's MVP award. The club will recognize Morgan prior to the match against North Carolina and celebrate her storied career during the club's final home match on Sunday, November 3 at Snapdragon Stadium.

Ashley Sanchez leads North Carolina in goals (4) and assists (3) this season. The forward's last goal came on July 7 against Racing Louisville when she found space in the box to score a header that equalized the match and helped the team come from behind to end up earning a 3-1 win.

How to Watch

Sunday's match between San Diego and North Carolina will be played at Snapdragon Stadium with kickoff slated for 5:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available here and will be broadcast live on NWSL+ and streamed locally on FOX 5/KUSI.

Check out the San Diego Wave FC Statistics

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