Despite all three teams already having clinched a playoff spot in their own leagues, the implications of this weekend’s matches remain high for different reasons.
San Diego Wave: The team, led by head coach Casey Stoney, currently holds fourth place in the NWSL standings with 35 points but can finish as high as second place and a bye for the first round of the playoffs with a victory over North Carolina Courage on Friday, Sept. 30 at Snapdragon Stadium.
The Wave would also need both OL Reign and Kansas City Current to either tie or lose their respective games on Saturday for that to happen. North Carolina Courage is coming in as the hottest team in the league having won five out of its last six games and holding the sixth and final playoff spot. A loss to North Carolina and the Wave slip to fifth place if Houston Dash defeats the Washington Spirit on Saturday.
“It’s another big game, irrelevant of the fact that we’ve clinched playoffs,” said Stoney. “It’s another big game in terms of where we want to finish in the standings. I’ve got a lot of respect for their team, they’re a very good team.”
The last time these two teams met was on May 22 with San Diego Wave coming out with a 1-0 victory at WakeMed Soccer Park thanks to a 41st-minute goal from golden boot leader Alex Morgan.
leal de san diego clinches the second seed in the playoffs with at least a draw against Orange County SC at Championship Stadium on Saturday. The team, led by head coach Landon Donovan, is coming off back-to-back victories and is already assured a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
The Loyal can also clinch the second seed with a point in any of its three remaining matches starting on Saturday regardless if the Colorado Switchbacks and the Sacramento Republic win out. The last time San Diego Loyal and Orange County squared off was on July 30 at Irvine with forward Evan Conway providing the late dramatics in the 85th minute for the 3-2 victory. After winning the title last season, Orange County SC is already out of the playoff picture currently sitting in last place in the western conference standings.
“To clinch a playoff spot in our conference is a huge accomplishment,” said Donovan. “It’s good to be a San Diegan right now. If you do things the right way people do really care and show their support.”
Albión San Diego can clinch a home playoff game of its own this Saturday with a victory over the Maryland Bobcats. The team, led by head coach Ziggy Korytoski, is coming off a tough 2-1 loss to Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, which knocked them out of any chance of finishing as one of the top-two seeds in the NISA standings.
“Guys will need to have a short memory as we now prepare for Maryland and get us back on track moving towards the postseason,” said Korytoski.
Albion can still finish as high as third place along with a first-round home playoff game against the team that finishes in the sixth position. Albion San Diego can also assure itself a home playoff game if it finishes in fourth place where the team would take on the fifth seed instead. The last time both sides met was on August 17 with Albion coming out with a 2-1 home victory.
The team controls its own destiny in terms of getting that coveted home playoff match in the first round with two more matches on the road, including this Saturday, before returning to face the top-seeded California United Strikers on Oct. 8 at Canyon Crest Academy Stadium to wrap up the regular season.
Photos courtesy of San Diego Loyal and David Frerker
