After falling behind 2-0 to the Portland Thorns in its second group stage match of the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, the San Diego Wave pulled off a 3-2 comeback, led by the outstanding performance of midfielder Maria Sanchez (above).

Bombi, as she is affectionately nicknamed by her fans and teammates, scored the first Wave goal on a left-footed penalty-kick conversion in the 67th minute moments after teammate Makenzy Doniak was fouled by Portland midfielder Sam Coffey just inside the box.

Sanchez did not have to wait long for her second goal after taking a pass from midfielder Delphine Cascarino and turning it into a point-blank header that beat goalkeeper Shelby Hogan.

The game-winning score came in the 85th minute after defender Becky Sauerbrunn was called for a handball and Sanchez again scored from the penalty spot.

“Thank you, Wave fans. It was such a fun win,” said Sanchez. We heard all your support here, and we’re excited to have you at the next one.”

The victory places San Diego in first place of the Group B standings at six points. Its third group stage match is on Oct. 1 versus Vancouver FC Girls Elite in Canada. The Wave won its first game of the tournament 2-0 over Santa Fe on Aug. 20 in Panama, with Sanchez scoring the opening goal after just two minutes.

San Diego returns to NWSL regular season play this Saturday against the Chicago Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium. The Wave is coming off a 2-1 road win over the Utah Royals in its previous league match on Sept. 14. The last time Chicago and San Diego met was on June 28 at Snapdragon Stadium with the Red Stars coming out with a 3-0 victory that also marked the first game without the services of Casey Stoney as head coach after being fired a few days prior.

Photos by San Diego Wave