The San Diego Wave traveled back east.
Jaedyn Shaw went back in time.
Shaw snaked a goal just inside the right post during the 44th minute, and the first-place NJ/NY Gotham FC outlasted the Wave 1-0 Friday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., to remain atop the National Women’s Soccer League standings.
Shaw’s goal was her fourth of the season. She had 11 during parts of three seasons (2022-24) in San Diego, punctuating her scores with a surfing celebration.
Friday’s move was more “I (heart) NY” than “Cowabunga”; Shaw formed a heart with her hands and held them above her head after scoring.
For Wave fans, Shaw’s goal was a reminder of the turnover that marked much of the 2024 and ’25 seasons in San Diego.
Shaw forced a trade to the North Carolina Courage following the 2024 season, a year in which the Wave employed three coaches and saw stars Alex Morgan retire and Naomi Girma and Abby Dahlkemper traded.
The Courage traded Shaw to Gotham less than eight months later for a record $1.25 million transfer fee. The midfielder led her new club to a NWSL title in November.
Gotham (12-3-4) outshot the Wave 15-9 on Friday, though both teams had the same number of shots on goal (three). The match was otherwise fairly competitive, with the hosts posting 1.05 expected-goals total compared to the Wave’s 0.95.
San Diego (10-7-2) continues to struggle to score, the result of injuries, tough competition and inconsistency. Leading scorer Dudinha is lost for the year after suffering a knee injury while playing for Brazil, while Catarina Macario (undisclosed injury) has yet to make her Wave debut, four months after signing the richest contract in NWSL history. San Diego has been shut out in three of its last four matches.
Despite their struggles, the Wave’s season may be looking up. The Wave play at home each of the next three Fridays, starting with next week’s match against the expansion Denver Summit at Snapdragon Stadium.