August 13th @ Torero Stadium
Records:
San Diego Wave FC 7-4-4 (2nd)
Orlando Pride 3-5-6 (8th)
Last Match:
San Diego Wave FC Lost vs. Kansas City Current 1-2
Orlando Pride Tied vs. Angel City FC 2-2
Coastal Competition
This is the first matchup between these two water adjacent clubs. They’ve never met in the Challenge Cup (because of different divisions) nor in the regular season.
Pride Reunion
Never having played against each other does not mean they do not know each other, however. Four current Wave players played on the Pride previously (and three as recently as last season), in fact, and they are: Alex Morgan, Taylor Kornieck, Jodie Taylor, and Emily van Egmond. You have to wonder if Wave coach Casey Stoney happened to watch a lot of their games and decided to fill roster spots. No Orlando Pride players have previously played on the Wave, of course, since this is their inaugural season. Players have a habit of playing more…inspired…when up against their former clubs, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Alex Morgan, for example, bag a goal or two.
Playoff Talk
Teamwise, both clubs can realistically believe they are going to make the playoffs. With seven games left in the season, this is the time to separate the wheat from the chaff. The Pride have a mathematically steeper climb and are on the playoff bubble, being thirteen points out of first, and two spots and six points below the playoff line (six teams out of twelve make the playoffs). All this despite losing their coach midseason due to an internal investigation (still open) and losing the aforementioned stars. The Pride will be looking to inch closer to a playoff spot with an away win and three points under interim head coach Seb Hines.
Meanwhile, with the Wave currently occupying the second spot in the table (recently knocked out of the top spot by the Portland Thorns), it is looking very likely they will secure a playoff spot in their first season. They would really have to tank their last seven games to not make the playoffs on points. The Wave will be looking to “stop the skid” (if moving from first to second can be considered a skid, that is) and tie regional rivals Thorns for first with a home win.
Scoring Commentary
It’s too early and unfair to say that Alex Morgan is in a scoring drought, especially considering how well she performed for the USWNT during the CONCACAF W Championship in Mexico last month, but she has yet to score for the Wave since returning from that tournament. Morgan is still atop the league’s leaderboard for the Golden Boot (and nominated for the Ballon D’Or!!), although she may have to share the honor with USWNT teammate and Portland Thorn Sophia Smith. No pressure on Morgan per se, as players typically tend to publicly prefer team success over individual accolades, but this game presents an opportunity for her to score in front of her hometown crowd at Torero Stadium. The Wave will be moving into permanent digs, aka Snapdragon Stadium, after the Dash game.
The Wave have gotten offensive help from players not named Morgan in their last two games. Amirah Ali scored the lone goal in their loss to the Kansas City Current and newcomer/rookie/teenager Jaedyn Shaw scored the lone goal vs. the Chicago Red Stars in her professional debut. Shaw is currently away in Costa Rica playing in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup and will miss this match. The other NWSLer at that tournament is the Portland Thorns’ Olivia Moultrie, by the way.
For the fantasy fans, the Wave’s Kelsey Turnbow is creating chances and likely “due” for an assist as Nick Manser posits in Fantasy NWSL “Unluckiest Players.” I wouldn’t expect a goalfest as these teams combine for the lowest fantasy points of all teams playing this week (see Christina Piro’s NWSL Round 14 Match of the Week), but stranger things have happened in the NWSL (and not that goals are the only way to accrue fantasy points either…)
Final Thoughts
While both teams feature water in their crests (Lake Eola geyser for Orlando and generic Pacific Ocean wave for San Diego), this game will be won, lost, or tied on land. Wave vs. Pride, first edition for the history books will be fun.