SAN DIEGO (Oct. 18, 2025) – San Diego Wave FC (10-8-7, 37 points) clinched a playoff berth for the third time in four seasons with a commanding 6-1 victory over Chicago Stars FC (2-12-11, 17 points) on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. In front of 16,920 fans, the Wave delivered a record-setting offensive performance in their final regular season home match of 2025.  

San Diego struck early and often, scoring three goals in the opening 18 minutes, marking the fastest three goals to start a match in Club history.  

The Wave opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Dudinha created space against her defender and fired a shot on frame that was parried away by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. French international Delphine Cascarino pounced on the rebound and volleyed the ball with the outside of her foot into the back of the net for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.  

San Diego doubled the lead in the 15th minute when Hanna Lundkvist sent a low driven ball across the box that deflected off a Chicago defender and into the net for an own goal.  

Just three minutes later, Dudinha made it 3-0. The Brazilian international worked her way through traffic in the box, holding off her defender before spinning with her back to goal and striking a low shot inside the far post for her third goal of the year.  

Wave continued to pour on the pressure and scored a fourth goal before halftime. In the 44th minute, Kenza Dali delivered a free kick to the far post, where Kristen McNabb rose to head it perfectly down and into the net to extend the lead to 4-0, marking the first time in Club history that San Diego scored four goals in a single half.  

The scoring continued in the 57th minute when a rebound fell to Dudinha, who blasted home her second goal of the night and fourth in four games.  

Chicago would pull one back in the 71st minute when Bea Franklin finished from close range, but San Diego capped the night in the 83rd minute when Dali unleashed a powerful strike from distance to seal the 6-1 result.  

With the win, San Diego clinched a postseason berth and will learn its playoff seeding on Decision Day (Nov. 2) as the NWSL bracket is finalized.  

Next Match: Following the international break, San Diego will travel to Kansas City to play in the final regular season match of the season. The league will provide date, time and broadcast information at a later date.  

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Notes:   

San Diego Wave secured a playoff berth for the third time in four seasons with the win tonight.  
San Diego scored a Club record of six goals in tonight’s match, marking the 13th time a team has scored 6 in a game in NWSL history. 
Delphine Cascarino scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season.  
Dudinha scored her third and fourth goals of the season, marking four goals in four games for the Brazilian international. 
Kristen McNabb scored her second goal of the year. 
Kenza Dali scored her fifth goal of the season to join Cascarino for the team lead. 
Dali assisted her third goal of the season and made her third straight goal contribution. 
Adriana Leon made her third assist of the year. 
Gia Corley recorded her second assist of the year. 
Nya Harrison made her NWSL debut coming on as a second-half substitute. 
Cascarino is the only player in the league this season with at least five goals and five assists, joining Alex Morgan (seven goals, five assists, 2023). 
Cascarino has contributed three goals in her last three games in the NWSL (two goals, one assist). 
There have been 23 total goal contributions this season by the Wave’s French internationals Cascarino, Dali, and Perle Moroni. 
Dudinha became the fifth Wave FC player to record a multi goal game, joining Alex Morgan, Adriana Leon, Delphine Cascarino and Taylor Flint. 
The three first half goals made for the fastest three goals scored by San Diego in a game. 

Scoring Summary:
SD – Cascarino (5) (Dudinha, 1) 7’
SD – Staab (Own Goal) 15’
SD – Dudinha (3) 18’
SD – McNabb (2) (Dali, 3) 44’
SD – Dudinha (4) (Corley, 2) 18’
CHI – Franklin (3) (Schlegel, 5) 71’
SD – Dali (5) (Leon, 3) 82’ 

Misconduct Summary:
CHI – Ludmila (Caution) 50’ 

San Diego Wave FC: GK Sheridan, D Morroni, D McNabb, D Wesley, D Lundkvist (McMahon 90+1’), M Dali, M Fazer, M Corley (Fusco 70’), F Ascanio (Leon 81’), F Dudinha (Harrison 90+1’), F Cascarino (Robbe 81’) 

Subs not used: GK Haračić, D Arias, D Armstrong 

Chicago Stars FC: GK Naeher, D Angel (Bike 76’), D Staab, D Hendrich, D Malham, M Maitane (Anderson 77’), M Hayashi (Franklin 35’), M Grosso (Chacón 54’), F Gomes (Joseph 53’), F Ludmila, F Schlegel 

Subs not used: GK Mackiewicz, D Biegalski, M Boade, F Cook 

Stats Summary: SD / CHI
Shots: 20 / 8
Shots on Target: 7 / 4
Corners: 5 / 2
Fouls: 9 /11
Offsides: 3 / 2
Saves: 0 / 5
Possession: 61% / 39%