They have done it.
San Diego Wave FC are have not only made the playoffs as a third-seed in their first season as an expansion team, but they have also secured a home post-season game at Snapdragon Stadium in two weeks against the Chicago Red Stars.
This is good news for Wave, who have already won both matches against Chicago this year in the regular season. Both games were won by a 2-1 scoreboard in favor of San Diego.
But this isn't the only good new for Wave this past weekend, after U.S. Womens Soccer legend Alex Morgan secured the league's Golden Boot Award as the NWSL top scorer this season, accumulating 15 goals and two assists through 17 games.
The winner between San Diego and Chicago will move on to face the Portland Thorns to play for a spot in the title-winning game.
Notable accomplishments by Morgan:
- 3 braces (games in which she scored at least two goals)
- Only player to score four goals this season
"The forward is tied for second in the league in 2022 for braces and is the third player in NWSL history to score four times in a single contest. Additionally, the Diamond Bar, California native’s 11th goal of the season marked her 50th regular-season goal, making her the fifth player in league history to reach the milestone," the team mentions on their official website.
The Wave barely missed-out on having a first-round bye in this post-season, but fortunately for San Diego, they get to have locals supporting them when they host the visiting team from the Windy City.
"The 2022 NWSL playoffs will feature the top six teams (OL Reign, Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave FC, Houston Dash, KC Current and Chicago Red Stars) with the top two seeds earning a first-round bye to the semifinals. The semi-finals will take place the weekend of Oct. 22-23 on CBS Sports Network ahead of the Championship game on Oct. 29. All playoff matches will stream internationally on Twitch," the club says.
