Rivalry night in Los Angeles, and two teams on the wrong kind of streak– the Wave have lost two in a row, ACFC three.
Even a tie would break the rut, and allow both teams to hold their position in the standings. Not that either team was looking to settle for their first tie of ’26.
After a scoreless first half that saw much contact, but surprisingly no cards, San Diego broke the stalemate early in the second half, with Dudinha outfoxing two ACFC defenders and taking her shot. Sarah Gordon, who heroically blocked a Dudinha attempt in the first half, tried to make it two but couldn’t close the angle in time. The shot ricocheted off her, and an already-committed Angelina Anderson could only watch as the ball changed direction and hit the back of the net.
The lead wouldn’t last long. Gordon lobbed in a long pass to Emily Sams, who was able to collect it in front of keeper DiDi Haračić. Dropping it under Haračić’s arm, she tied it up in the 54th minute.
That lasted until the 81st minute, when Dudinha fired off a lob of her own, finding Mimi Van Zaten on the right side of the box. Van Zaten headed it in at near point-blank range, giving San Diego the win and bragging rights until at least July.
With the win, the Wave move to second in the standings, a point behind Portland. L.A. drops to 9th, a point behind Houston. But L.A. has only played 7 games to Houston’s 8, and the Wave and Thorns are both at 9.
L.A. gets a chance to claw back some points next Sunday on the road in Portland, while SD hosts #4 Washington on Friday.
Artcle and Photos: Jim Sabo
