In a season of firsts for San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, including finding itself in first place in the NWSL standings with only a handful of games left in the regular season, the team announced on Thursday it sold out the first home match at Snapdragon Stadium versus fellow expansion team Angel City FC on Sept. 17.
“A monumental day for San Diego Wave, San Diego, and for women’s professional sports,” said San Diego Wave FC president Jill Ellis. “Inside the stadium and outside the stadium, I just think there’s going to be a buzz. It’s really kinda set this town on fire.”
The capacity for Snapdragon Stadium is 35,000 with the venue officially opening for the NCAA football game between San Diego State University and the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 3 with the Aztecs playing another home game there against Idaho State on Sept. 10.
The Wave played its final game at its temporary home, Torero Stadium, on Aug. 20 in a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dash.
“We would not be at this point today without the support from our owner Ron (Burkle) and his belief and commitment in the future of women’s football, and of course, our players, staff, and business operations who have worked incredibly hard to make this happen,” Ellis added. “We’ve sold all of our inventory, it’s incredible. We should celebrate this but we should now expect big crowds for women’s professional sports.”
The day of the game against Angel City will include a free So-Cal-themed Boardwalk Fest outside Snapdragon Stadium, starting at 3:30 p.m. featuring food, live music, art installations, a spirit zone for kids, games, and prizes.
San Diego is currently set to play a road match against the reigning league champion Washington Spirit on Sept. 10 and close out the regular season at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 30 versus North Carolina Courage before its Sept. 25 game against the Orlando Pride at Exploria Stadium. If the season ended today, San Diego would get a first-round bye due to being the top seed in the NWSL standings.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker
