San Diego Wave battled to their second win of the season with a hard fought win over expansion side from San Francisco Bay FC. Mackenzy Doniak and Jaedyn Shaw scored in each half with Asisat Oshoala equalising for Bay FC between those goals.
Wave now have seven points from five games and sit in 8th placer in the NWSL table while Bay sink to 10th below their hosts.
Bay FC (9th) went into this game with two wins and three losses in their inaugural year while their hosts San Diego (11th) had one win and one draw from their four ganes.
Kimmi Ascanio and Mya Jones were given their first starts with the Wave while Naomi Girma wore the captain’s armband with Kennedy Wesley playing alongside at centre half. Sofia Jakobsson and Alex Morgan were out injured.
The visitors started strongly and six minutes in, Danielle Colaprico saw yellow for a foul on the already dangerous Rachael Kundananji.
But Doniak was not be to be denied, as the number 15 opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a superb turn and shot. Young Kimmy Ascanio took the assist for the creation.
It was not all one way traffic.
Kundananji was an ever present threat for Bay. She set up Tess Boade whose shot was saved by a well positioned Kailen Sheridan in the Wave goal.
At the other end, a goalline stop by Bay’s Emily Menges kept the Wave lead at 1-0 saving an embarassed Lysianne Proulx.
It went from end to end.
Deyna Castellanos was then well set up by Kundananji and Oshoala in 26 but fired widely. At this point, a Bay equaliser looked more likely than a Wave second.
A water break on the half hour gave Casey Stoney a chance to reorganise, though it was brought about by an injury to the tireless Colaprico who was able to continue after a bang in the face with a smile under the thumped nose!
Proulx made a fantastic diving save from McCaskill after the restart and did so with her top hand too. It was as technically excellent a save as it was spectacular for the cameras.
Still, Oshoala fired over after a sweet Bay FC passing move just before the interval. As the whistle went for the interval, both coaches had resaons for some pleasure and some concern.
HALF TIME: San Diego Wave 1 : 0 Bay FC
The experienced Australian Emily van Egmond replaced the young Ascanio at half time. It was however the visitors who struck early.
A Kyla Sharples header ricocheted off the bar but the rebound was turned in for the visitors by Oshoala. It’s hard to deny that Bay FC were worth equality at that point and the Nigerian especially was worthy of getting her name on the score sheet.
Doniak continued to be a threat but pointed her header straight at Proulx from a fine cross which merited a better finish while a superb lock from Hanna Lundkvist stopped Kundananji again.
On 69′, the much awaited debut of Mexican left winger Maria Sanchez brought a cheer as she came off the bench. Elyse Bennett joined her with Doniak and Jones departing.
The changes brought effect. In the 79th minute, substitute Jaedyn Shaw put the Wave ahead from inside the area with another sub Elyse Bennett suppling her.
Boade missed a gilt-edged chance for a Bay equaliser after being superbly set up by Princess shortly thereafter.
With a few raw nerves, San Diego held on and will probably benefit from the experience of hanging onto a lead. Both these sides however have the firepower to continue to entertain this season.
PROST AMERIKA MVP: Mackenzy Doniak & Danny Colaprico
Doniak was Wave’s most threatening player and scored the opening goal but Colaprico played 90 minutes and did extremely well to limit the excellent Kundananji and Oshoala to the few clear cut chances she did.
Doniak made way for new signign Sanchez but her 69 minutes were vital to secure the home win, and she looked a constant threat.
Teams:
San Diego Wave: Sheridan, McNabb, Girma (c), Wesley, Lundkvist (Torpey 88′), McCaskill, Ascanio (van Egmond 46′) Colaprico, Doniak (Sanchez 69′), Carusa, (Shaw 64′), Jones (Bennett 69′)
Subs: Beale; Enge,, Ali, Westphal,
Bay FC: Proulx; King. Dydasco (Pickett 68′), Menges (c), Sharples, Bailey, Castellanos (Anderson, 77′), Boade, Oshoala (79′), Kundananji, Camberos
Subs: Rowland; Beattie, Shepherd, Conti, Malonson, Moreau
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Links:
Soccer in San Diego
