Tag: San Diego Wave

Sources: San Diego Wave lands Sanchez in trade from Houston Dash

The Mexico international requested a trade and has now been dealt to the Wave

Houston Dash forward Maria Sánchez has been traded to the San Diego Wave, multiple sources have confirmed to Pro Soccer Wire. 

Houston will receive $300,000 in a transfer fee and $200,000 in allocation money from San Diego, plus two years of an international roster spot in exchange.

The $500,000 total makes it the largest fee paid for an intra-NWSL transfer.

Last weekend, ESPN reported that Sánchez had handed in a transfer request, sending shockwaves through the league. On Saturday, San Diego confirmed the terms of the deal.

Sánchez confirmed on Thursday that she had requested a trade, after only signing a new contract worth up to $1.5 million in December. The 28-year-old was a restricted free agent and at the time, her deal was the richest in the NWSL.

The Wave were understood to be one of the teams interested in Sánchez during the offseason, but the winger would ultimately re-sign with the Dash.

In a statement on social media announcing her trade request, Sánchez said that the affair had “taken a toll” on her and she wanted to be traded in a “timely manner.”

Friday’s trade came just hours before the league’s midnight ET transfer deadline. If that deadline passed, Sánchez wouldn’t have been able to be traded until August 1.

Sources familiar with the situation said that the Mexico international took a meeting with Houston general manager Alex Singer and head coach Fran Alonso on March 27 to air her frustrations with the club.

Multiple clubs were in contact with the Dash over sealing a trade for Sánchez, but the Wave were able to get the deal over the line early on Friday afternoon.

After a chaotic few seasons in Houston where she played under five coaches including interims, Sánchez is heading to a more stable environment. After winning the 2023 NWSL Shield, San Diego extended head coach Casey Stoney’s contract through the 2027 season.

The Englishwoman won the NWSL’s Coach of the Year award in 2022 and has made the playoff semifinal in both of her two seasons so far. The Wave began the 2024 season by lifting another piece of silverware, the Challenge Cup. In regular season play, it has been a more level start (1W-1D-1L) for the California club.

Houston has gone 1W-1D-2L over the first four weeks of the NWSL season with many fans and pundits questioning Alonso’s deployment of Sánchez as a wingback. At the best times in her career, Sánchez has been a pure winger and will be expected to assume the role at her new club.

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USWNT coach Kilgore offers positive Girma injury update

It appears Girma has avoided the worst-case scenarios when it comes to her thigh injury

It appears U.S. women’s national team defender Naomi Girma has avoided the worst-case scenarios when it comes to her thigh injury.

Girma was removed from Saturday’s SheBelieves Cup win over Japan in the first half, as she pulled up while running and was unable to continue after receiving treatment on the pitch.

Speaking to the media ahead of the SheBelieves Cup final against Canada on Tuesday, interim head coach Twila Kilgore indicated that the 23-year-old hadn’t suffered a serious injury.

“Naomi had a thigh strain and is day to day right now,” Kilgore said, without offering an indication whether Girma would be available for the Canada game.

Even if she is unavailable for the match against the Reds in Columbus, it appears that Girma won’t miss an extended period — a major relief for club and country.

The San Diego Wave star has become one of the first names on the team sheet for the USWNT, winning the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after a standout year for the national team.

Girma has also been named the NWSL Defender of the Year in both of her pro seasons thus far, helping the Wave win the NWSL Shield last season.

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USWNT star Girma taken off with injury in SheBelieves Cup game vs. Japan

The USWNT and San Diego Wave could have a real concern on their hands

The U.S. women’s national team and San Diego Wave could have a serious injury concern on their hands.

Naomi Girma was forced off in the first half of the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup match against Japan on Saturday, as the team’s standout defender suffered a reported thigh injury.

In the 16th minute, Girma was chasing a long ball in behind and pulled up with what appeared to be a muscle injury. The center back immediately signaled to the bench that she required treatment.

Girma was treated on the pitch, but was unable to continue and was replaced in the 18th minute by Abby Dahlkemper, her teammate for club and country.

On the TNT broadcast, sideline reporter Melissa Ortiz said Girma was being evaluated for a right thigh injury.

Following the match, U.S. coach Twila Kilgore confirmed that, telling reporters that Girma was “being evaluated for a right thigh injury, and we’ll know more shortly.”

Should Girma be forced to miss a significant amount of time, it would be a major blow for club and country. The 23-year-old was named the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after establishing herself as the USWNT’s most important defender. At the club level, Girma was named NWSL Defender of the Year for the second straight season.

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Alex Morgan reps Caitlin Clark jersey before San Diego Wave opener

Game recognize game

Caitlin Clark will have a lot of eyes on her this month, including some big names from the world of women’s soccer.

The University of Iowa basketball sensation began her final NCAA tournament on Saturday, leading the top-seeded Hawkeyes to a 91-65 victory over Holy Cross in the first round.

After the game, San Diego Wave and U.S. women’s national team star Alex Morgan showed up for her side’s match wearing Clark’s No. 22 jersey.

Morgan posted a picture of herself on social media repping the all-time record holder for career points in Division I college basketball, with the striker doing Clark’s famous “you can’t see me” celebration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C44OV4YRwbF/

Morgan has previously shown her admiration for the basketball star, congratulating her last month upon breaking the all-time scoring record.

The San Diego striker went on to play 82 minutes as the Wave began their regular-season campaign with a 2-1 defeat to the KC Current.

Morgan wasn’t the only player from the NWSL to wear Clark’s jersey on Saturday, with Chicago Red Stars pair Ally Schlegel and Sophie Jones doing the same.

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Alex Morgan chalks NWSL Challenge Cup-winning goal to ‘longest offseason I’ve had’

Morgan said focusing on her craft in an unusually long offseason helped her get the winner for the San Diego Wave

HARRISON, N.J. — Even at this point in a glittering career dating back over a decade, Alex Morgan is preaching the values of good old-fashioned practice.

Before a crowd of 14,000 at Red Bull Arena on Friday, Morgan’s late header gave the San Diego Wave a smash-and-grab 1-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The U.S. women’s national team star was part of the side that won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup just five days before the Challenge Cup, which is now a one-off curtain-raiser between the defending league champions (Gotham) and the NWSL Shield winner (San Diego) held a day before the NWSL regular season commences.

Between some early-season imprecision and the heavy legs of national team players on both sides (Morgan was one of nine USWNT players to suit up on the day), it was a game long on defensive organization and grit, and short on attacking threats at either end of the pitch.

San Diego ended up being credited with just seven shot attempts, but Morgan used a combination of strength and veteran savvy to shed her markers on an 88th minute corner, heading home the game’s only goal.

Speaking to reporters in a post-game mixed zone, Morgan insisted that one could draw a direct line between her game-winner and what she called “probably the longest offseason that I’ve had.”

“Just personally, I feel like I worked really hard this offseason,” said the 34-year-old striker. “Took the rest I needed, and then really built from that, worked on the things I wanted to — I needed to — work on, that I don’t get to throughout the season. So it feels good, being able to execute the things that I wanted to, and go out and help my team.”

Morgan was open about focusing on a lifting program designed for injury prevention after missing time in 2023. That was followed by position-specific work that came even as she was left off of the USWNT’s December roster and was only a late call-up for the W Gold Cup after Mia Fishel suffered a torn ACL.

“It was a lot of back-to-goal stuff, quick release, in and around the box,” said Morgan. “Things like a fake shot, or getting a couple inches in the box and and taking advantage of that.

“And then, a lot of crosses. I trained a lot with Kristen McNabb and some other [Wave] teammates in the offseason, they were whipping in a lot of crosses. And so, on the corner, the goal tonight, [it] was just a result of a lot of the heading that I was doing in the offseason.”

If you ask Morgan, all that work sharpened her in front of goal, but also kept her ready for the surprise U.S. recall.

“Going into the [W Gold Cup] last minute definitely put a little bit of a kink in things, but I felt really ready. I felt game-fit and ready to play,” explained Morgan.

“As much as it seemed like a whirlwind from the outside, I just felt like it was just something that I needed to kind of expect. You know, expect the unexpected. So, just having an opportunity to win two championships and being able to accomplish that in one week? I mean, it’s pretty wild.”

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NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. San Diego Wave: How to watch NWSL Challenge Cup, live stream

The 2024 NWSL season kicks off at Red Bull Arena on Friday night

The NWSL season’s official kickoff comes on Friday night, when NJ/NY Gotham FC hosts the San Diego Wave in the 2024 Challenge Cup.

While the Challenge Cup used to be an in-season tournament, it is now a one-off match that will kick off the campaign.

Gotham FC, the defending NWSL champion will host the Wave, the defending NWSL Shield winner, before the NWSL regular season starts on Saturday.

The home side added a host of U.S. national team stars over the offseason, with Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Tierna Davidson, and Emily Sonnett all joining. Lavelle, along with fellow USWNT attacker Lynn Williams, will miss this match for the Bats with injury.

Featuring USWNT talent like Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw, the Wave will one again be expected to be near the top of the table in 2024.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.

NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. San Diego Wave (NWSL Challenge Cup)

  • When: Friday, March 15
  • Where: Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Prime Video

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Morgan snaps career-long scoring drought in Wave win over Thorns

The USWNT striker had gone 15 games overall without a goal

Alex Morgan is once again among the goals.

The San Diego Wave striker broke a drought for club and country that spanned more than four months, scoring her side’s second in a 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns on Saturday night.

After Kyra Carusa had given the Wave a 20th-minute lead, Morgan got on the end of Christen Westphal’s long cross and saw her header barely trickle past the outstretched Bella Bixby in Portland’s goal.

Morgan’s 38th-minute header would be the final goal on the night, as the Wave earned a 2-0 away win that saw them become the first NWSL team this season to clinch a playoff berth.

Prior to Saturday night, the last time Morgan scored came all the way back on May 20, as San Diego beat the Houston Dash 3-0. The eight-game NWSL drought marked the longest streak of the striker’s NWSL career.

When factoring in U.S. women’s national team matches, Morgan’s header at Portland snapped a run of 15 games overall without a goal.

Morgan has gone nine games in a row without a goal for the USWNT, last scoring in February’s 2-1 SheBelieves Cup win over Brazil. Since then, she’s gone scoreless in two friendlies against Ireland, five World Cup games, and then two more friendlies against South Africa last month.

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Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave: How to watch NWSL clash

First place is on the line in NWSL as the defending champs host high-flying San Diego

The NWSL standings are arguably more condensed that they ever have been, making Saturday night’s top-of-the-table clash between the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave all the more enticing.

With three rounds of games left in the regular season, the league has already passed a milestone in terms of a tight race for playoff spots. For the first time ever, every team in the league has at least 20 points, with a gap of just 11 points separating first-place Portland from the Chicago Red Stars, who sit at the bottom of the table.

While the Thorns have largely looked like the NWSL’s best team in most underlying data points, the defending champions have quietly gone just 2W-1D-3L in their last six league matches. A more immediate concern? The continued absence of forward Sophia Smith, who remains out with an MCL sprain.

The Wave have been at or near the top of the table for most of the season, and feature huge names like Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma. However, Casey Stoney’s side has also peppered in just enough head-scratching results — most recently, a 2-1 home loss to the Kansas City Current — that the club remains a bit of an enigma.

Both teams could clinch a playoff spot with the right results this weekend. The Thorns are in with a win, and could also claim a postseason place with a draw and some help elsewhere. For San Diego, sealing a return to the playoffs this early will require a win, plus the right combination of results around the league.

Here is everything you need to know to watch Portland and San Diego duke it out.

How to watch Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

When: Saturday, September 30

Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

Where: Providence Park

Channel/streaming: Paramount+ (USA), NWSLsoccer.com (rest of world)

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USWNT star Morgan invests in new Woods-McIlroy golf league

Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco have joined the ownership group of Los Angeles Golf Club

Alex Morgan has announced she and her husband Servando Carrasco have joined the ownership group of Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC), a franchise in TGL, the new golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Billed as a “tech-infused golf league,” TGL will begin in January 2024 in conjunction with the PGA Tour, with matches to take place in prime time on Monday nights.

LAGC was confirmed as the league’s inaugural team, and features an ownership group that includes Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That franchise has since been joined by teams in New York, Boston and Atlanta, each with high-profile owners (Steve Cohen, Fenway Sports Group and Arthur Blank, respectively). Two more franchises are set to be announced before the TGL begins.

Morgan has taken up golf in recent years, and even starred in a golf-themed Super Bowl commercial this year for Michelob Ultra.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxyB9zPLY2M/?img_index=1

TGL is aiming to attract younger audiences to golf, and will feature players hitting shots into a virtual screen before moving to “a data-rich, virtual course complete with a tech-infused, short-game complex.”

The matches will take place at a custom-built venue in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

“We all know what it’s like to be in a football stadium or a basketball arena where you can watch every play, every minute of action unfold right in front of you,” Woods said in a release when TGL launched. “It’s something that inherently isn’t possible in traditional golf — and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans.”

TGL will feature six teams with three-player rosters, with 12 pros already confirmed: Woods, McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick.

The inaugural season will feature a 15-match schedule followed by semifinals and a championship game.

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Sophia Smith hits out at NWSL over Alex Morgan fine

The NWSL fined Morgan on Wednesday for “comments detrimental to the league made on social media”

Sophia Smith has said the NWSL’s “priorities are all messed up” after the league issued a fine to Alex Morgan for her criticism of referees.

Morgan took to social media on Monday to protest a rough challenge that went uncalled during the San Diego Wave’s defeat to the Kansas City Current over the weekend.

The striker was taken out in the box by a tackle from defender Stine Ballisager, which was deemed to be clean after a VAR review.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Morgan said Ballisager’s tackle could have left her seriously injured.

“In what world is this not a penalty and red card, or even foul? Completely reckless and the leg going in for the tackle doesn’t even get a ball when I cut her?” Morgan said. “Just glad I saw her coming and didn’t plant on that leg or I’d 100% not be walking today.”

In response to Morgan’s criticism, the league issued Morgan a fine on Wednesday for “comments detrimental to the league made on social media.”

That fine didn’t sit well with Portland Thorns star Smith, who stuck up for her teammate on the U.S. women’s national team.

According to Smith, Morgan’s fine was “backwards” and showed the NWSL’s priorities were not where they should be.

The NWSL has long been criticized for failing to better protect players on the field, with a lack of adequate training and pay for referees among the issues hampering player safety.

Regardless, it seems like Smith could now be the next player to get fined.

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