San Diego Wave FC found the decisive moment right at the end on Friday night, earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Washington Spirit at Snapdragon Stadium in National Women’s Soccer League action.
The visitors started sharply and grabbed the opener in the 6th minute when Trinity Byars (6′) put Washington Spirit in front, giving the away side an early foothold in the fixture. Washington controlled more of the ball across the night, finishing with 58.7 percent possession, and looked comfortable for stretches of the first half.
But San Diego Wave FC worked their way back into the contest and found a deserved equaliser in the 33rd minute. Rebeca Bernal (33′) rose to score with a header, restoring parity and shifting the momentum inside Snapdragon Stadium. At 1-1 by the interval, the match was finely balanced, with the home side carrying more threat in the key moments despite seeing less of the ball.
The second half settled into a tense battle. Washington Spirit pushed with their extra possession and won six corners to San Diego’s three, but the Wave stayed compact and made their chances count. San Diego finished with nine shots to Washington’s eight, and both sides put four efforts on target, underlining how little separated them.
As the clock moved toward full time, the fixture looked to be heading for a draw. Instead, San Diego delivered the final blow in the 89th minute. Kimmi Ascanio (89′) popped up with the late winner, heading home to send the home crowd into celebration and seal all three points for the Wave.
There was a combative edge to the match as well. Bernal went into the book in the 54th minute after already making her mark on the scoresheet, while San Diego’s Melanie Barcenas was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute. Washington Spirit also picked up cautions late in the first half and again in the 78th minute as the intensity rose.
In the end, it was a classic example of efficiency over volume. Washington Spirit saw more possession and forced more corners, but San Diego Wave FC were more ruthless in the decisive moments. With Bernal’s equaliser and Ascanio’s dramatic late header, the Wave turned a difficult night into an important home win.
Final score: San Diego Wave FC 2-1 Washington Spirit
Goals: Trinity Byars (6′), Rebeca Bernal (33′), Kimmi Ascanio (89′)
