SAN DIEGO — San Diego Wave FC is out of the running for the National Women’s Soccer League Championship after falling to Seattle’s OL Reign in the semifinal on Sunday.
San Diego closed out their second season with a 0-1 loss in front of a sold-out crowd at Snapdragon Stadium, a devastating end to a historic year for the team.
At the end of the regular play, the club secured the NWSL Shield for the best season record with 11 wins, seven draws and four losses — an impressive accomplishment for a team only in its second year of existence.
It came shortly after the Wave clinched a top-two seed for the first time, securing a first-round bye in the playoffs and home field advantage for a semifinal match-up.
However, it was ultimately not enough to send San Diego to their first-ever Championship game.
After a scoreless first half, Forward Veronica Latsko made a stunning go-ahead goal for OL Reign in the first minutes of the second.
Despite multiple goal opportunities, the Wave still could not seem to make it through the Reign’s defense in the second, continuing a pattern that held true to every regular season match up between the two teams both this year and last as Seattle bested San Diego in each one.
Sunday marked the Wave’s second appearance in the NWSL postseason in as many years. During their inaugural season, the club also made it to the semifinals, where they were eliminated in a 1-2 match against the Portland Thorns.
While the Wave is out of the running for the title, the Championship game will still be hosted at at Snapdragon Stadium on Nov. 11. OL Reign will take on New York’s Gotham FC in the final game, with kick-off is set for 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale on the stadium’s website.
Gotham has made it to the Championship twice, winning the title in 2009 — the club’s inaugural year. Should OL Reign win, it will be their first title, despite two appearances in the penultimate game.
The Championship match will also likely be the final game for one of soccer’s greatest stars, Megan Rapinoe, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
Regardless of the heartbreaking loss for San Diego, there remains a bit of good news to close out 2023: Defender Naomi Girma, Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and Head Coach Casey Stoney have all been named finalists for “best of” awards in their respective roles.
Girma is also a contender for the NWSL Most Valuable Player this season.