The San Diego Wave did not look like the National Women’s Soccer League’s first-place team in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Angel City at Snapdragon Stadium.
Instead, the Wave (9-5-1) resembled the team that came out flat following last year’s international break.
Angel City (6-6-1) applied pressure from the opening whistle on the way to a rivalry win.
Seventeen minutes into the match, Angel City forward Jun Endo dribbled the ball down the left sideline before sending a cross into the box that goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo popped into the air.
Wave defender Perle Morroni attempted to clear it with a backward kick, but Angel City midfielder Maiara Niehues charged in and headed the ball into the net while taking a boot to the face, giving Angel City a 1-0 lead.
Niehues received medical attention for nearly five minutes but remained in the match.
“Obviously, they’re a very high-level opponent, and we knew that going into the game,” Wave defender Kennedy Wesley said. “It was difficult for us from the start to handle their intensity. They pressed really high. They pressed like player for player, making it really hard for us to pick out passes.”
Angel City didn’t take its foot off the gas. San Diego’s L.A.-based rivals floored it.
In the 26th minute, a long throw-in reached the penalty area, where midfielder Evelyn Shores headed the ball into the air before Ary Borges finished it with a right-footed strike. Borges immediately turned toward Snapdragon’s Sirens supporters section and made a “be quiet” gesture with her hand, drawing loud boos as Angel City extended its lead to 2-0.
L.A. could have taken a 3-0 lead into halftime if not for Agudelo. In the 43rd minute, Ally Sentnor sent a cross into the box that found defender Gisele Thompson one-on-one with the Wave goalkeeper, but Agudelo made the save to keep San Diego within striking distance. Agudelo, 19, signed with the club in January out of Colombia.
“We’re really proud of her,” Wesley said of Agudelo. “I think it’s not an easy environment to come into by any means. We, in the back especially, take a lot of pressure, and she’s been dealing with it so well. We’re really happy for her and proud of what she’s been able to showcase so far.”
At halftime, San Diego had just one shot on goal and had not created a single big chance. Coach Jonas Eidevall responded by substituting forwards Melanie Barcenas and Ludmila for midfielder Lia Godfrey and forward Trinity Byars.
“We have to have higher standards than we had in the first half,” Eidevall said.
San Diego’s best opportunity of the second half came in the 69th minute. Byars outran her defender to a loose ball inside the box and fired a shot toward the near post, but goalkeeper Angelina Anderson made a diving save.
In the 74th minute, Eidevall made an unconventional move by inserting defender Trinity Armstrong at striker while taking off right back Mimi Van Zanten. The adjustment took some of the defensive attention away from Byars while also giving the Wave another aerial threat.
In the 85th minute, Wave midfielder Kimmi Ascanio drove into the box and was taken down by Borges, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Godfrey stepped up to take it, but her attempt struck the woodwork after Anderson guessed correctly.
Eidevall could be seen yelling and urging his team to press throughout the second half. Although the Wave generated more chances after halftime, they were unable to find the back of the net.
“We never really gave up, despite being down to goals, but also acknowledged that the first half was just not good enough,” Wesley said about what Eidevall said after the match. “Pretty much every aspect of the game we fell short of where we want to be and where we know our potential is.”
Despite the loss, San Diego remains in first place in the NWSL, holding a one-point lead over the Washington Spirit. However, Washington plays twice this week and has an opportunity to move ahead in the standings.
Next up: San Diego will travel to face the sixth-place Kansas City Current on Friday.