San Diego Wave FC finished in first place and claimed the NWSL Supporters’ Shield after a 2-0 victory over Racing Louisville at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday.
The win came at the same time that Angel City FC qualified for the playoffs as the fifth-seed thanks to a resounding 5-1 victory over the defending champion Portland Thorns, which was the other piece that SD Wave needed in order to finish with the best regular season record.
The Wave opened up the scoring in the 26th minute after forward Alex Morgan passed to a streaking Jayden Shaw who was then able to beat the Louisville defense shooting the ball by the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Katie Lund.
The home team extended the lead in the 47th minute after Morgan scored an absolute golazo with a left-footed shot from just inside the box off a quick pass from teammate Madison Pogarch that Lund had no chance of stopping.
The best scoring opportunity for Louisville came in the 55th minute from a 20-yard free-kick that goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan got a glove on and somehow prevented from crossing the line. Sheridan ended the regular season with nine clean sheets, a tie for most in the league alongside North Carolina Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy.
The Wave finished the season with 37 points and two points ahead of Portland as both teams earned a bye for the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. After the quarterfinal round is completed, the Wave will be playing the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals at Snapdragon Stadium.
Photos by David Frerker
