With less than one-third of the regular season left, the San Diego Wave finds itself five points out of the last playoff spot thanks to a gritty 1-1 draw versus the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
While the task of making the post-season may seem daunting considering the Wave has to find a way to beat out the four teams ahead of them, by no means is it mission impossible.
Two of its remaining games are versus the North Carolina Courage including the one coming up on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Snapdragon Stadium. The Courage is in fifth place, coming off a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Current.
If the Wave, led by interim head coach Landon Donovan, can find a way to secure at least four points from those two meetings, that would substantially increase its post-season chances. The two matches that are must-wins for San Diego are the ones against the Utah Royals on Sept. 14 and Houston Dash on Oct. 13. Those teams are behind San Diego Wave in the standings but only by one and two points respectively, which means they will also be desperate for points to climb up the table.
The games against Portland, Chicago, and Kansas City may decide whether the Wave will be playing after the first week in November with all those teams in playoff position and each vying for a first-round home match.
If San Diego can remain mathematically alive for the final week then it has a chance to clinch a spot in front of the home fans on Nov. 3 versus Racing Louisville, which sits three points ahead of San Diego. For all this to matter, teams like Bay FC and Angel City will have to falter, but those clubs have the added advantage of not having to play any remaining Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage matches of which San Diego Wave still has at least three left.
Donovan has always had a flare for the dramatic, just ask Algeria in the 2010 World Cup, but this feat would be up there with the best moments. My suggestion for Landon: A Jim Fassel moment instead of a Jim Mora moment that could rally the team sooner rather than later.
Photo by San Diego Wave
