A pair of first-half goals pushed the San Diego Wave over Racing Louisville 3-1 on Sunday to end the NWSL regular season.
In what was scheduled as a home game for the Wave (6-13-7, 25 points), field conditions changed the venue to Louisville but San Diego still played like it had home-field advantage.
Jaedyn Shaw, Maria Sanchez and Savannah McCaskill found the back of the net for the Wave, while Bethany Balcer replied for Louisville (7-12-7, 28 points).
Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund made an outstanding kick save from close range in the second minute that earned San Diego a corner. On the set piece, Shaw received the short corner and sent a cross towards goal. The ball went past everyone, including Lund, and into the corner of the net to put the Wave up 1-0.
Then, in the 22nd minute, San Diego won a free kick a yard outside of the penalty area and Sanchez stepped up to take the kick. Sanchez sent a low curling shot around the Louisville wall, off the inside of the left post and across the goal line for a 2-0 lead.
In the 58th minute, Louisville had a chance nullified by an early whistle. After San Diego passed back to keeper Kailen Sheridan, Janine Beckie was recovering from a previous play and intercepted the pass. The referee blew a whistle for an incorrect offside call, and right after that Beckie was knocked over by Sheridan. With the early whistle, no VAR could fix the play and Beckie received a yellow for dissent when arguing with the official.
Louisville would still cut the deficit to one 10 minutes later, when Balcer took a rebound off a Sheridan save and buried it in the net.
The comeback was short-lived, as second-half substitute McCaskill put her head on the end of a cross from very close range, securing the victory in the final match of San Diego’s season.
–Field Level Media