Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns FC

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NWSL San Diego Wave FC

Match Preview: San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns FC

May 8, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
San Diego Wave FC News Release


SAN DIEGO - San Diego Wave FC (4-2-1, 13 points) hosts the Portland Thorns (3-2-3, 12 points) at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, May 10. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m. PT and will be broadcast nationally on ion. Tickets for the match are available here.

San Diego and Portland have met 12 times across all competitions since 2022, holding an even 5-5-2 series record, but in the NWSL regular season the Wave holds the advantage of 2-1-2 against the Thorns. In the last match between the two clubs, San Diego came out with a 2-0 win at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 28, 2024. Melanie Barcenas, 16 years old at the time, scored her first-ever professional goal by beating her defenders and firing a left-footed shot that took a deflection off a Portland defender and into the near post. Forward Mya Jones, currently on loan with AFC Toronto, also scored for San Diego through a bouncing header in the box that found the back of the net for the Wave's win at home.

Last Time Out

The Wave is entering this weekend's matchup on a three-game win streak, most recently beating Bay FC 2-1 in stoppage time with a game-winning goal from 17-year-old Trinity Armstrong. San Diego struck early for the third consecutive match, breaking through in the 5th minute when María Sánchez delivered an inswinging corner that Kennedy Wesley headed in to give the Wave a 1-0 lead. Bay FC equalized in the 18th minute with a goal from Karlie Lema who found space in the box and slotted a low shot into the bottom right corner. The match remained level deep into stoppage time before Armstrong delivered the game-winner in the 95th minute. Rising above the defense, the defender nodded in a corner from Kenza Dali to seal the victory, marking Armstrong's first professional goal.

Portland is coming off a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride where defender Reyna Reyes found the lone goal of the match in the 16th minute. Reilyn Turner assisted the play when she received a cross with her back to the goal before laying it off for Reyes at the edge of the box. The full-back made a backwards cut to her left foot around three defenders and perfectly placed a curving shot to the near post for the eventual game winner.

Players to Watch

Wave FC currently has 11 different goal scorers this season, the most of any team in the NWSL, but midfielder Kenza Dali has been a standout for the team, helping San Diego keep a three-game win streak by making the assist to Armstrong in San Diego's stoppage-time win. The French international has started in all seven matches so far this season, playing nearly every minute and contributing one clinical free-kick goal in the Wave's victory over Racing Louisville on April 19 and two assists across 2025. Dali was also named to the NWSL's Best XI for the month of April and was nominated for the NWSL's player of the week honor after Week 8 of the season.

Portland defender Jayden Perry has scored two goals and notched one assist in the Club's last three matches. In back-to-back games, the Rookie has been the player to step up and convert the Thorns' penalty kicks that have helped the team stay undefeated for three consecutive weeks. In Week 7 of the NWSL, the defender played an impressive long ball from center field that perfectly connected with the head of Reilyn Turner, her former UCLA teammate, earning Perry the assist of the week award and helping Turner win the goal of the week honor.

How to Watch

Saturday's match will be played at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased here and the match will also be streamed broadcast nationally on ion.

Check out the San Diego Wave FC Statistics

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