The San Diego Wave will begin their new NWSL season on Saturday night.
And for the first time in franchise history, there’s no clear No. 1 goalkeeper.
Kailen Sheridan, who had been in goal since the Wave’s inaugural season in 2022, left the club in December in what the team said was a mutual decision.
Who will Wave coach Jonas Eidevall choose to start the season opener against the Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium? He’s not saying.
“Just like with our outfield players, we select a goalkeeper for each game, select a right fullback for each game, and so on,” Eidevall said. “So, it’s nothing different there.”
He has options.
Eidevall could go with the experience of DiDi Haračić, who is entering her second season with the Wave, or the recently signed Leah Freeman or Luisa Agudelo. Eidevall said the Wave players must trust whichever goalie replaces Sheridan, who is now with the North Carolina Courage.
Haračić has the most experience with the club and the defense, something teams typically value. And she won’t be overwhelmed by the moment: the 33-year-old has made over 100 National Women’s Soccer League appearances since debuting in 2013.
“I think it’s very easy for when the games get hectic and chaotic, for everyone to get wrapped up in that,” center back Kennedy Wesley said. “But I think (Haračić) does a really good job of bringing this all back in and simplifying the game when it needs to be simple.”
For Haračić, this is a moment she has been preparing for ever since leaving Angel City for the Wave a year ago.
She knew it was Sheridan’s job and worked hard while waiting for the opportunity. The two had played together before: From 2019-21, Haračić backed Sheridan up with NJ/NY Gotham FC.
“I just think we both understand each other,” Haračić explained. “We understand the role, we understand what comes with the position. So I think the bond that we built together, it’s just this, like, friendship, that we just respect each other and we support each other on and off the field.”
Starting would mean a lot for a player who has been waiting for her chance.
“It’ll be an honor,” Haračić said. “I’m excited for the opportunity if it does come. I know that I’ve always played every single role on the team, and I know that whatever happens, I will fit that role to the best of my ability.”
Goalkeeper DiDi Haračić was part of the Wave’s World Sevens championship roster this offseason. (San Diego Wave FC)
The 2025 season was a rollercoaster for the Wave.
The club caught fire under first-year coach Eidevall, and were near the top of the NWSL standings — and exceeding expectations — early in the season.
The Wave cooled off after the midseason break, but still managed to make the NWSL playoffs.
Haračić praised Eidevall for navigating the team through so many highs and lows.
“I think people coming in and out, he knows how to manage people, their personalities, the relationships that we build,” Haračić said. “Every day at training, we’re always kind of fine-tuning things and changing personnel. Trying to get used to each other. So I think so far, he’s handled it really well.”
Haračić has become a leader in the goalkeepers’ room. Freeman, 24, is a second-year pro who spent the 2025 season with Bay FC. Agudelo, who turns 19 later this month, comes from Colombia’s Deportivo Cali.
She has tried to get to know both newcomers, on and off the pitch.
“The best thing for me personally is when we get to training, we’re able to connect as humans,” Haračić said. “That’s something that I like, because that’s what builds our training environment, for it to be a positive one.”
And Haračić is big on positivity at this stage in her career.
Her path toward that mindset started in 2017, when she bought a $500 camera and began documenting whatever inspired her — sunsets, the Santa Monica Pier, the beach.
She eventually turned that passion into a media company, upgrading her equipment over time and even adding a drone. Ultimately, she wants to tell other athletes’ stories and show who they are as humans, not players.
“I want to create stories that make you feel because I think that’s something we don’t really talk about,” Haračić said. “I think as athletes … it’s really beautiful to talk about the vulnerable side, the human side of an athlete.”
Meditation and journaling remain a part of Haračić’s daily routine. She has high hopes for the club and her teammates, whatever her role will be.
“Our identity is a blue-collar (team), grit, work ethic,” Haračić said. “That’s who we are, and that’s how we play. Anytime we lost it, it was right away, a counter-press and an identity to regain the ball right away. So, that is something we are hungry for. For me, I love being the underdog. I love people who doubt us, and I love people who doubt me.”
Season opener: San Diego Wave vs. Houston Dash
When: 5:45 p.m. Saturday
TV: ION