The National Women\u2019s Soccer League\u2019s regular season comes to a close Sunday. For the San Diego Wave, there\u2019s plenty to play for.<\/p>\n
The Wave (17-8-4) have a chance to win the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team that finishes atop the league standings at the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n
To do so, the visiting Wave need to beat Bay FC and hope that first-place NJ\/NY Gotham FC falls to the Utah Royals. All matches on the NWSL\u2019s \u201cDecision Day\u201d start at the same time: 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll we have to do is to win,\u201d midfielder Gia Corley said. \u201cThen we did everything that is in our control, and we can\u2019t control anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any Wave victory combined with a Gotham loss would give San Diego the Shield by way of a tiebreaker, either through goal differential or total wins.<\/p>\n
The Wave also need to make sure the Washington Spirit don\u2019t leapfrog them for second place. San Diego can clinch at least second with a win or draw against Bay FC. Washington can move into second if the Wave lose and the Spirit defeat Chicago.<\/p>\n
Wave coach Jonas Eidevall said the team will monitor both matches while focusing on its own performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be informed, and we\u2019ll know whenever that sort of has any formal impact on our game,\u201d Eidevall said.<\/p>\n
The Wave are focused on securing a victory and building momentum before the playoffs begin next weekend.<\/p>\n
They are coming off a disappointing 2-2 draw against Boston Legacy FC, a match they believed they should have won given their recent form. A victory would have left San Diego just one point behind Gotham entering \u201cDecision Day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes, however, a setback can serve as a valuable wake-up call before the playoffs, especially for a team with championship aspirations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see us be us,\u201d Eidevall said. \u201cPlaying our way, being brave, being optimistic, proactive in the way that we play. That\u2019s the most important thing for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two teams last met May 3, when Bay FC earned a 1-0 victory at Snapdragon Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a long time ago, though,\u201d Corley said. \u201cSo we grew from this point. I would say, so we\u2019re a whole different team now than we were then, and we just try to focus on ourselves and put on the field what we did the last weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bay FC has struggled since that meeting, falling to third-to-last in the NWSL standings with 27 points. The club is also winless in its last four matches.<\/p>\n
Forward Karlie Lema has been Bay FC\u2019s biggest offensive threat, scoring eight goals this season. She recently recorded two assists in a 2-2 draw against the Portland Thorns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey create you multiple problems or challenges, so to speak,\u201d Eidevall explained. \u201cThey create quite a fair bit of opportunities from their high pressing, so we need to be aware of that. They\u2019re a quite direct team in the way they try to create goal-scoring opportunities, so we need to be very quickly organized in those situations. So there\u2019s a couple of things we just need to be a little bit extra on the lookout for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plenty can happen across the league Sunday, but the Wave remain focused on returning to their winning ways and entering the postseason with momentum.<\/p>\n
It will be a quick turnaround for San Diego. The Wave will host their NWSL quarterfinal match Friday at 7 p.m. The opponent will be determined by what happens on the final day of the regular season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really like the playoff and the excitement it brings and the importance of the games,\u201d Eidevall said. \u201cI think the crowd loves it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
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