For the second consecutive match, the outcome of a San Diego Wave FC game was decided near the end of stoppage time.
This time, however, fortune did not smile on the home club, which had to settle for a 1-1 draw against the Portland Thorns.
During the 97th minute, rookie center back Jayden Perry of the visiting Thorns connected with a left-footed penalty kick from the center of the penalty area. The ball whizzed into the net after goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was faked out by Perry. She dove right instead of left while attempting to stop the ball.
“She’s one of the best keepers in this league,” Perry said of Sheridan during a post-match interview. “But as soon as you go up to the (penalty kick) spot, you just have to trust in yourself no matter who’s on the other side of that penalty (kick). I have full trust in myself and confidence that when I go up there, I know that I’m going to make it.”
Sheridan played in her 150th NWSL game Saturday, and is just the fourth keeper in league history to reach the milestone.
The aforementioned penalty kick had been awarded after the Wave’s Kristen McNabb fouled the Thorns’ Sam Coffey during the match’s 95th minute, just a few seconds short of when the match was due to end.
Perry, who was born and raised in Orange County, had a large contingent of family and friends cheering her on at Snapdragon Stadium.
She managed to save the Thorns from defeat less than two months after making herprofessional debut. She signed with Portland in January and played her first game with the side March 15.
Prior to the game-tying goal Saturday, it looked like the Wave was about to have thefirst four-game winning streak in its history.
San Diego had led nearly the entire match despite defender Kennedy Wesley receiving a red card during the game’s 40th minute.
Wesley, who was ejected from the match after tripping an opposing player, did not play at all during the second half; as a result San Diego was forced to play 10-on-11 for more than 50 minutes of game time.
Due to the red card, Wesley’s also expected to be ineligible for San Diego’s next match, a road contest against NJ/NY Gotham FC on May 16.
The Wave led 1-0 at halftime, with the lone score coming from 17-year-old midfielder Kimmi Ascanio, who converted a diving header into the lower right corner of the net in order to give San Diego the lead.
Despite the final score, the Wave is still managing to exceed expectations. Manycommentators and league observers had expected the rebuilding side to struggle this early, and in its initial games, it did.
But the Wave entered Saturday night’s match on a three-game win streak after beating Bay FC 2-1 in stoppage time on May 4. It won via a game-winning goal by another 17-year-old, rookie Trinity Armstrong, who is one of four teenagers on the Wave’s roster.
The Wave has a record of 4-2-2 and 14 points, good enough for fifth place in the 14-team NWSL standings. The Thorns now sit in sixth with a 3-4-2 record and 13 points.
Notes: Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall, who was ailing, was not on the sideline during the match. Instead, he was in a booth, and relayed his coaching instructions to assistant coach Jack Jensen, who stood in for Eidevall on the sidelines … San Diego has scored in each of its last four games, with 10 goals … Midfielder Kimmi Ascanio netted her second professional goal of the season. The 17-year-old has scored two goals in the last three games … Forward Kyra Carusa made her first appearance since San Diego’s season-opener on March16 after recovering from a lower leg injury.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Wave leads for most of match, then has to settle for draw after late penalty )
Also on site :