Pride and disappointment were the two overwhelming themes for everyone that played, coached or supported San Diego Wave FC on Sunday afternoon.

San Diego was the first expansion team in the NWSL to make the playoffs. San Diego set the NWSL attendance record with a sellout of Snapdragon Stadium. They set the record for the largest playoff crowd later in the season. They won their first ever playoff match in extra time. Now their first historic season comes to an end at Providence Park against Portland Thorns FC in a 2-1 thriller that ended with a stoppage time goal.

“Records are there to be broken and history is there to be made and we made history,” Head Coach Casey Stoney said. “But, obviously right now the overriding emotion is disappointment because we set out to get to a final and we just fell short in the dying moments.”

San Diego quickly got off to a great start in the first 10 minutes putting two shots on goal before ultimately sending one in thanks to an 8th-minute amazing cross by Alex Morgan from outside the box right into the center of the box for a completely free Taylor Kornieck who easily headed it in to take the 1-0 lead.

“I just felt like they left me free, I think Alex served in a great ball and me and her have a really good connection,” Kornieck said.

Kornieck, who had a career year earning her first callup to the USWNT and a crucial midfielder for San Diego all year, credited her success to Stoney and her teammates.

Portland did not wither following the early goal. They responded with their first of two “worldies” as Stoney and Kornieck called them.

It started with a set piece corner kick that Kornieck, using her height, headed out of the box. It was sent back in and headed again by Kornieck in the air landing at the feet of Raquel Rodríguez taking a second to control the ball before sending a missile into the far side of the box perfectly placed out of reach for Sheridan, making it 1-1.

The rest of the second half was filled with tension and chance but neither team gave in. Even with a near chance for San Diego at the end of the first half, the score remained at 1-1 and nearly even on all statistical categories.

Though when the second half began San Diego was noticeably fatigued compared to Portland who received a bye week as the number two seed in the NWSL playoffs.

Stoney made two substitutions during regulation that she said she would look back on wondering what she could have done but ultimately saying that the team turned the ball over too many times.

In the 62nd minute, Portland made a substitution for Rodriguez, their lone goal scorer up to that point, sending in Crystal Dunn. Dunn went on to score a beautiful stoppage time goal once again off of a set piece that got deflected out of the box. The announced crowd of 22,005 people in Providence Park exploded in joy while San Diego players walked back to their positions in shock.

The preseason for San Diego will begin in February of 2023 and many San Diego players will be staying in town during the offseason according to Kornieck. Stoney spoke very highly of what San Diego meant to the team and said “stay with us this is just the start.”

Meanwhile, Portland will advance to the NWSL Championship at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., where they will play the winner of the other semifinal matchup between OL Reign and Kansas City Current on Saturday, Oct. 29. The match will be broadcasted nationally at 5 p.m. PT on CBS.