While it is difficult to pinpoint why it went wrong, it is clear that the San Diego Wave’s players have drifted apart from each other in the second half of the season. All the while, manager Jonas Eidevall has sat almost comically unflinching as players grow more frustrated with each other and new faces offer both promise and an added variable to an already chaotic situation.
Sunday’s match against league leaders Kansas City Current was primed to be another chapter of this painful devolution. In a way, it would be hard to blame the team for faltering under the pressure of a nearly unstoppable opponent, who came into the match without a home loss all season.
It is this context that made the match so intriguing. They did make a good number of miscues, but they kept on fighting. They did allow a comeback, but they did not crumble — not as usual, at least. They did lose, but for the first time in months, they did all of this as a team.
The final result, 2-1, reflects a dual reality. On the surface, it is another loss that reinforces and punctuates San Diego’s waning regular season. However, those who watched the match saw an even clearer revelation of a reformed identity, one defined by individual talents working together. It is a volatile combination that could serve as a blueprint for the difficult playoff road ahead — if they can abide by it.
Dudinha (a new signing) exemplified this new form eight minutes in when she cut down the left side of the pitch and into the box. Instead of going at it herself, she found Perle Morroni (a left back) in the 18-yard box, who played a quick one-two back to Dudinha. The Brazilian then slotted in a shot under the goalkeeper for the opening goal of the match.
Dudinha is an exciting player, no doubt. Her play style is Joga Bonito-esque (reference 2010s Neymar highlights) — creative, full of flair, and individual. The best teams would share in the joy. However, modern football tactics, with their strict positioning and regimented play styles, have made such a synergy a losing battle.
Such was the case for Dudinha, who joined a Wave side under the guidance of one of the most tactical minds in women’s football. For many games, the Brazilian was visibly out of sync with her teammates. Yet, in this final regular-season matchup, it seemed like she found a compromise between boundless freedom and heavy tactics.
The same goes for Kenza Dali and Gia Corley, who admittedly found success with the Wave system relatively early on. The latter started and finished off a magnificent sequence in the 37th minute that included a hard-fought individual dribble out of the Wave’s half, a flow of passes down the left flank, and a one-touch curling shot that went just wide of the right post.
Defensively, San Diego held a potent Kansas City side to just three shots on goal; the team leads the league with an average of over 5 shots on goal. The Current’s offsides and missed passes, combined with San Diego’s pass-heavy play style, kept the ball with the Wave for 68% of the match.
When the Current scored their first goal, a well-placed free kick from just outside the box, the Wave just kept going. It is unfair to Kansas City to say that the game didn’t shift from that point. The Wave undoubtedly slipped more and more as the minutes ticked by. However, it would take another 20 minutes for the best team in the league to find the net again.
San Diego was simply unprepared for Kansas City’s twitchy one-touch counterattack in the 75th minute, the type of link-up play that almost makes you feel silly for trying. However, watch the replay and see three Wave players fall to the ground trying to get the ball back.
In reality, the loss is disappointing. A win would have surged the Wave from fifth to third in the standings; instead, they sit at sixth. The third-place seeding would have brought the playoffs to San Diego. Perhaps most importantly, it would have lit a fire under fans and squad alike heading into an always unpredictable NWSL playoffs.
Simply put, the sports world is bleak in San Diego. The San Diego Padres lost in the first round of the MLB playoffs. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series on Saturday. San Diego FC lost to the Portland Timbers in frankly atrocious fashion and now face a winner-take-all third match.
Thus, maybe this analysis’s optimism is just a coping mechanism for these trying times. No matter, in the spirit of hopefulness (and for the first time in a while, realism), it is fair to say that the San Diego Wave have more than a fighting chance come November 9.
