The San Diego Wave will face another tough matchup on Friday night, when they take on the Washington Spirit at Snapdragon Stadium in a battle between two teams tied for second place in the National Women’s Soccer League standings.
This is the second matchup in the last four games in which the Wave (6-3-0) are facing one of the top teams in the league. Led by international superstar Trinity Rodman, the Spirit are 5-1-3 heading into Friday.
San Diego is coming off a 2-1 victory over Angel City, a win that snapped a two-game winless streak. Right back Mimi Van Zanten was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal in the 81st minute as the Wave beat their Southern California rivals.
“It was really nice to see the way that we as a team could take control of the game in the second half,” Wave coach Jonas Eidevall said. “Make the game our game, instilling our footprint on the game, and then scoring goals as a result of that.”
Eidevall said San Diego struggled with the pressure Angel City applied in the first half. It isn’t the first time this season that the Wave stumbled early before settling in and eventually winning; is also happened in last month’s 3-2, come-from-behind victory over the Denver Summit.
Eidevall will return to the Wave sideline on Friday after serving a suspension for the red card he received late in the 1-0 loss to Bay FC. Becki Tweed coached the club in last weekend’s win over Angel City.
“We are happy to have him back,” midfielder Laurina Fazer said, “and I think he’s happy, too.”
Since the 2-0 loss against Portland, Eidevall has moved away from the diamond midfield formation, moving Gabi Portilho into the starting lineup and utilizing more of a 4-3-3 setup with three attackers up front.
Before the international break, the 4-4-2 formation had led the Wave to a five-game win streak.
“There are moments when we don’t prioritize a certain formation over another,” Eidevall said. “But we always have some principles without disclosing them here with how we’re positioning ourselves and that has not changed. It’s the same as it’s always been.”
The Spirit enter Friday’s match as one of the hottest teams in the league, carrying a five-game win streak dating back to April 5.
“It’s a stacked team up front,” Eidevall said.
Washington features four players who have scored three goals this season, including Rodman. The Spirit also have two players with three or more assists, again led by Rodman.
San Diego understands the challenge Rodman presents.
“This is normal for us in the league, and this is what we like about the league as well, that every game poses a different challenge for us and that it’s what this league should be,” Eidevall said.
Washington has scored 15 goals this season, tied with Portland for the most in the NWSL, which is a major reason both clubs sit near the top of the standings.
“It’s a very good team,” Fazer said.
The Wave are not far behind offensively with 13 goals scored this season, tied for second with Louisville and Orlando. Meanwhile, the Spirit own one of the stingiest defenses in the league, allowing just six goals this season, tied for the second-fewest in the NWSL.
Friday night’s showdown against Washington will be another strong test for San Diego.
“We know it’s a tough opponent, but we know we’re also good, and we’re going to do our absolute best,” Eidevall said. “We look forward to doing it in front of our fans at Snapdragon, and hopefully, we create a really marvelous game where we get the best result of it.”
San Diego Wave (6-3-0) vs. Washington Spirit (5-1-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Streaming: Victory+