Sports stats



NWSL San Diego Wave FC

San Diego Wave FC Previews Chicago Matchup

July 27, 2022 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
San Diego Wave FC News Release


San Diego Wave FC (6-3-4) vs. Chicago Red Stars (5-2-5)

2022 NWSL Regular Season

Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 5:00 pm PT

Soldier Field

Watch on Twitch

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - First-place San Diego Wave Fútbol Club travels to face third-place Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, July 30, at 5 p.m. PT. With just two points separating the top three spots in the NWSL standings, Saturday's match is an important result for both sides.

Newly acquired USYNT player Jaedyn Shaw will be available for the first time on Saturday, as well as Wave FC star players Alex Morgan, Kailen Sheridan, Taylor Kornieck and Naomi Girma who return to the squad for the first time since June 19.

Below are quotes from Head Coach Casey Stoney, defender Madison Pogarch and midfielder Kristen McNabb from Wednesday's media availability.

Wave FC Head Coach Casey Stoney

On the upcoming match in Chicago:

It is a big game for us this weekend. Every game is big now in this push to the final part of the season now that we have completed the first half. Tough game coming up, Chicago is an exceptional side. They have a very good coach and have lots of threats. We are prepared, and it is good to have nearly everyone back [with the exception of Jakobsson]. We are looking forward to getting back to playing games again.

On Internationals returning:

The vibe is different when they are back. Everyone is pleased to have them back. They are looking for good in training, and we are looking forward to welcoming Sofia [Jakobsson] when she returns.

On Madison Pogarch's role:

I am very pleased with the addition of Po [Pogarch]. She is a character in the dressing [locker] room, which I think is important. Her speed and athleticism will really help us. I am looking forward to working with her and seeing the limits we can push, how we can develop her, and how she can contribute to the team.

On resigning McNabb:

She has been pivotal in our success in the first half of the season. I am very pleased to secure her signature. I am always planning and looking ahead to see how we can sustain what we have and continue to improve and better our playing.

On Chicago scoring many goals on counter attacks:

They have speed. There's tremendous pace in their front line especially with Mal [Pugh]. She is a significant player for them, and someone we will have to be very aware of. We have great assets in our locker room too, so they [Chicago] need to be very mindful of our transitions, too. It is going to be a very competitive game that we are looking forward to.

On team expectations moving forward:

Good performances - that has to be our focus. If we can have good, consistent performances, we will have the chance to pick up points. We know we are top of the standing but we want to be more consistent with how we perform and put more points on the board. It is about putting more work in the training grounds. We have been doing that, and our first test is this weekend against a very good Chicago team. We will see how far we've come. We cannot look anywhere other than the next game, so Chicago is our only focus.

On return of international roles

Our players stepped up exceptionally well and played their part contributing to the team. The internationals coming back makes us look at what we need to win the game: who will be the eleven to start the game, but also, who will be able to finish games for us. Everybody is in consideration because everybody has put a marker down during this [international] window. It makes my life difficult with these decisions, but I much prefer that than easy decisions.

Wave FC Defender Madison Pogarch

On joining Wave FC:

I am super excited to be a part of the Wave. There are a lot of great girls, a great coaching staff, and it is great to be a part of an inaugural team, and obviously, a team that is doing very well for themselves. I am hoping to come in and help the team remain on top of the league and see what I can do to contribute.

On her role at SD:

I have been in the league for a couple years now. I have been in a developmental role, so I am happy to come here [San Diego] and provide what I have learned from being at Portland. I am hoping to enhance the back line and build into it while getting to know the girls playing alongside of them, and help the people around me. Hopefully that helps the team overall.

On her move to SD:

This was a career choice for me. San Diego is a great team, Casey is a great coach, and there are a lot of great girls here. For me, it was important to go to a culture that was well taken care of and had some really good players. I am excited to learn from Casey. To have a coach that will be able to push me, but also support me in the same way, and is willing to give me that on the field time was important to me in my decision to leave Portland. Portland is a good team, but I was not going to get the opportunity to see as much time as I had hoped. This is a move to try and see the field a bit more and learn more in-game lessons.

Wave FC Midfielder Kristen McNabb

On this weekend's match:

I am excited. To have everyone back from camp, and to have new faces. We are excited to play another team that is towards the top of the table. Hopefully, we can put in a good performance, but it is good to have everyone back to get going again.

On what has changed since the last matchup against Chicago Red Stars:

The league really ebbs and flows when a team finds a roll and finds success. They [Chicago] play a unique system, we are learning the ins and outs of that. We did find success against them [Red Stars] the first time we played, so we are looking to build on that and look back at the game, find where we had success, but also look at their recent games and see where they are vulnerable or where we can exploit them. We are not looking to change much on our end, we want to play our game, play San Diego Wave style and hopefully find success against them again.

Check out the San Diego Wave FC Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from July 27, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central