Coming off a 0-0 draw at home against Racing Louisville on Friday night at Torero Stadium, first-place San Diego Wave now gets much of its star power back for the rest of the season with the conclusion of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship on Monday, July 18.
The team, led by head coach Casey Stoney, went 1-1-1 over the three games they were without USWNT forward and NWSL goal-scoring leader Alex Morgan, midfielder Taylor Kornieck, defender Naomi Girma, and Canadian women’s national team goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
“I feel good. I think some players have stepped up when they needed to, and I think that’s what a team is,” said San Diego forward Makenzy Doniak. “From the first player to the last player, we’re all on the same playing field, and we train the same so that when we get our opportunity on the field, we’re ready.”
Doniak has been one of those difference makers over the last three games, which included a goal against Washington Spirit on July 3, her second goal in as many matches, and almost coming up with the game-winner on Friday in the first minute of second-half added time.
Also, Carly Telford (above), who has filled in for Sheridan as goalkeeper, has been a top performer and was undoubtedly the most valuable player against Louisville. She came up with three incredible first-half saves. The first one in the 14th minute with a diving left-handed save, followed up by a point-blank range shot in the 20th minute that she deflected to a corner kick and a 25th-minute breakaway opportunity for Racing that Telford deflected out of bounds with her right arm.
The play of the match came in the 73rd minute after San Diego was called for a penalty when she made the save diving to her right on the conversion attempt by forward Savannah DeMelo.
“Honestly, when they were given the penalty, I think I saw at least three or four of them chuck it to each other as if they didn’t want it,” said Telford. “So for me, that indicated that whoever was going to take it wasn’t probably either the main penalty taker or they weren’t confident. And then for me, her run-up, I’ve done a lot of research on how people run up to the ball, and she was very kind of close, so I thought she was going to whip it towards my right.”
San Diego sits on top of the standings with 22 points after 13 matches followed closely by Portland Thorns with 21 points after 12 games. The Wave does not play another game until July 30 when they take on third-place Chicago Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium.
Besides the return of Morgan, Kornieck, Girma, and Sheridan, the team may also have the services of forward Sofia Jakobsson who is currently playing for Sweden in the UEFA Women’s Euro Championship.
