The San Diego Wave know Saturday’s matchup against Bay FC  is more than just another game — it’s a chance to reverse their recent slide and reclaim momentum in the National Women’s Soccer League playoff race.

The Wave (7-3-5) haven’t won since June 13, when they beat the Houston Dash 3-2. That was also the last time they scored more than one goal in a match.

Since that victory, San Diego has played three matches, scored just one goal, and collected only three points. They’ve dropped from second to fourth in the NWSL standings. Saturday’s match in San Jose is a chance to get right: Bay FC (4-6-5) hasn’t won since June 7. Incredibly, the club has tied its last four matches.

“We definitely try to find our feet back since the break,” midfielder Kenza Dali said. “We create a lot of opportunities, but we’re not happy, because obviously we’re not taking the points we want.”

The Wave have been fortunate that Orlando and Washington have also stumbled, keeping the gap small. They remain just one point behind both the Pride and Spirit for second place.

“I think we’re very much on the same page with what we need to improve,” Wave coachJonas Eidevall said.

Their latest setback came Saturday at home against Angel City. San Diego broke a 304-minute scoreless streak in the 85th minute, when Makenzy Robbe blasted home a screamer to put them up 1-0. But just seven minutes later, Angel City’s Alanna Kennedy headed in the equalizer.

“We are dissatisfied with the game against Angel City, that it becomes too many times where we’re not doing what we can do really well,” Eidevall said. “Instead of opting in to doing other stuff, and that’s not who we are. We can win, draw or lose games; it’s not about that. But we need to be able after the game to say … we play to our strengths.”

Those strengths, Eidevall explained, include controlling possession and finding the open player — making sure passes aren’t delivered too early or too late. In each of their last three matches, those timing issues have cost the Wave in the second half.

The Wave’s style depends on building from the back with patience, something Eidevall preaches as they move up the field. When that patience disappears, mistakes tend to follow.

“We get vulnerable both in transitions, but also in the rhythm of the game,” Eidevall said. “We don’t create the situations we want to do against opponents. So then we need to practice that decision-making.”

After the Angel City match, Eidevall huddled the team together to stress that every issue is fixable — but players must first take accountability.

“He is often right,” Dali said. “When he says, ‘it’s a wake-up call’ and stuff, I completely agree with that. I think you appreciate that as a manager. You don’t want all the time him to say you’re amazing when you’re not. So, he’s good at that.”

Dali, signed from Aston Villa in late January, admits the transition to a new team and country was challenging at first. But her competitive spirit quickly took over.

“I never claim myself as a leader, because this is not something that you ask to be a leader,” Dali explained. “This is something that you show, it’s just my personality. I’m really competitive when things don’t go the way or we’re not good, I’m not scared to say, new or not on a new team, that we need to do better.”

Dali plays a pivotal role in the midfield, orchestrating the attack with vision and precision. According to FOTMOB, she has an 87.1% pass accuracy this season and has created chances at a 78% success rate.

She’s also one of the most vocal players on the pitch, quick to point out adjustments after fouls or missed opportunities. And she’s blunt about what needs to change for the Wave to return to form.

“When we have our momentum, we need to capitalize on them, and we haven’t yet in the games that we draw,” Dali said. “So this is something that we work on, that we know and that we need to change if we want to achieve what we want to achieve.”

This season has been a roller coaster for San Diego. They bounced back from two straight losses to Orlando and Kansas City with a six-match unbeaten run.

Now, they’re in a three-game slump, but Dali knows from experience that such stretches can define a season — and a team’s character.

“Really good teams, champions are the teams that even when they play bad,” Dali said. “They keep they keep winning and I feel like this is something we need to figure out.”

San Diego Wave (7-3-5) vs. Bay FC (4-6-5)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where:  PayPal Park, San Jose

TV: ION

Originally Published: August 15, 2025 at 9:51 AM PDT