San Diego Wave FC will become the first NWSL expansion team to make the playoffs and host a playoff match when they take on the six-seed Chicago Red Stars at Snapdragon Stadium Sunday night.
San Diego is 2-0 in their two matches against Chicago Red Stars with a 1-0 win on July 30 and a 2-1 win on May 15.
Forward Alex Morgan and midfielder Taylor Kornieck were questionable after missing training earlier in the week, but appeared in the starting lineup for Wave FC.
Morgan was selected as an MVP Finalist and won the NWSL Golden Boot with 15 goals in the regular season. She will serve as the captain on the pitch for Wave FC’s first-ever playoff match.
Kailen Sheridan, nominated for goalkeeper of the year after leading the league in penalty kicks saved and finishing second in clean sheets, will make her second consecutive playoff start against Chicago. She allowed just one goal but her former team, NJ/NY Gotham FC, fell to Chicago, 1-0.
Rookie defender Naomi Girma was named a finalist for rookie of the year, defender of the year and MVP in a spectacular showing in 2022. She will get her first-ever playoff match after starting 19 of 22 regular-season matches.
Defenders Kaleigh Riehl, Christen Westphal, midfielders Kristen McNabb, Emily Van Egmond, Belle Briede, forwards Kelsey Turnbow, and Jaedyn Shaw wrap up the starters for San Diego.
Jodie Taylor, Makenzy Doniak, Amirah Ali, Sofia Jakobsson, Mia Gyau, Madison Pogarch, Marleen Schimmer, Jackie Altschuld and Carly Telford were named as substitutes ahead of the match.
For the first time in club history.
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) October 17, 2022
Your playoff #WaveFC starting XI, presented by @Gatorade. pic.twitter.com/Gzij9EloDz
Chicago is making their seventh consecutive playoff appearance since 2015 in the NWSL after sneaking in on the final match of the season.
Chicago’s starters include goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Tatumn Milazzo, Zoe Morse, Arin Wright, midfielders Morgan Gautrat, Danny Colaprico, captain Vanessa Dibernardo, Rachel Hill, forwards Yuki Nagasato, Mallary Pugh, and Sarah Luebbert.
Pugh finished fourth in the NWSL in goals scored this season with 11 and was named an MVP finalist alongside Girma, Morgan, North Carolina’s Debinha and Portland’s Sophia Smith.
Emily Bond, Mikenna, McManius, Sam Fisher, Ava Cook, Jill Aguilera, Amanda Kowalski, Ella Stevens, and Sarah Griffith were listed as substitutes ahead of the match for Chicago.
Let’s do this. #MKOT pic.twitter.com/7DncWyYQVN
— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) October 17, 2022
The crowd is expected to be near or at capacity as San Diego is expected to break another NWSL attendance record, this time the playoff attendance record set early Sunday afternoon with 21,284 fans in Houston.
The match will be televised on CBS Sports Network with kick-off set for 7:07 p.m. PDT with the winner facing the Portland Thorns FC in the league semifinals.
Jonny Richardson (@itsjonnysd) will have in-game coverage and updates from Snapdragon Stadium.