PORTLAND — The first road playoff win in San Diego Wave FC history will have to wait after the club fell 1-0 to the Portland Thorns in the first round of the NWSL playoffs Sunday at Providence Park.
The No. 3 Thorns struggled to break through the No. 6 Wave’s back line for most of the match, not registering a corner kick until the 84th minute.
However, the Thorns did enough to keep the game scoreless and head into overtime. And from there, Thorns young star Olivia Moultrie made a run in the 93rd minute, crossed it into the box to Portland forward Reilyn Turner who headed it past Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan for the match’s lone goal.
San Diego’s season ends with a 10-7-10 overall record and after fighting for a playoff spot for much of the second half of the season. The Wave’s all-time playoff record also drops to 1-3.
The Thorns took control early and kept the ball pressured in the first 10 minutes toward the San Diego goal.
A cross in the fifth minute by Portland was missed on a header, but the follow up resulted in a shot on goal saved by Sheridan in net for the Wave. Three minutes later there was another Portland cross, this one caught by Sheridan in the box.
The Wave were able to flip the field from there, eventually getting a cross attempt in the 18th that resulted in a header going wide on the near side.
The chance sparked the San Diego attack though, and it began to control the match for the final 30 minutes of the first half, ending it with the advantage in shots (5-4), crosses (9-2) and corners (3-0).
Wave midfielders Kenza Dali and Gia Corley each got deep for some decent looks in the 24th and 25th minute, which was followed by a weak header from defender Hanna Lundkvist in the 26th that was easily saved.
On the ensuing Portland run, there was a scary moment for the Wave when midfielder Laurina Fazer and defender Perle Morroni collided heads in mid-air going for the midfield header. Both were down on the field for a few minutes getting checked by the medical team, but both stayed in the game.
There was another injury scare in the 35th minute when defender Dudinha went down with an apparent leg injury, but she quickly popped up after the medical staff looked at her and also stayed in the match.
The scariest part of the first half when it came to scoring though was in the 41st and 44th minute. Portland forward Deyna Castellanos fired a shot from inside the box on the far side that went just wide and hit the outside netting of the goal.
Three minutes later, the Wave failed to clear a ball on the edge of the box on the near side next to the baseline, resulting in a pass to Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who only had Sheridan in front of her.
Sheridan cut off enough of the near side to force a shot to the far side, and Moultrie’s shot just missed, hitting the far post and going back into the field where it was cleared.
The Wave kept it going into the second half as they continued to dominate possession and not allow the Thorns any real chances for the first 35 minutes of the period.
Meanwhile, the Wave started to break through the cracks a little more, including a couple golden looks in the 74th minute.
Dali got a cross in the box and headed the ball on goal, which was kicked out to midfielder Kimmi Ascanio who danced around until her shot was blocked by a Thorns defender.
The clear was sent to Wave defender Kennedy Wesley, who launched a rocket that went off the crossbar and out of play.
Three minutes later, it was Dali in the middle of the field who got a pass, made a move to her right and had an opening that she launched on goal, but was saved by Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold up and over the net.
The Thorns turned up the attack in response, getting their first corner kick of the match in the 84th minute when Dali made an all-out block next to the near-side post.
Portland got another corner in the 86th minute that was headed out, but went to the foot of Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey who fired it on goal. Sheridan didn’t have to move though and made the easy catch save.
Both sides traded some blows in the midfield in the five minutes of extra time, but neither got a clean look to send the game into overtime knotted at zero. San Diego increased its advantage in shots (15-12), corners (8-2) and crosses (20-9).
In overtime, the Wave got a free kick in the 92nd minute right outside the near-side corner of the penalty box, but it was quickly sent out on the entry.
After another cross, Portland was able to get in deep on the near side thanks to a run from Moultrie in the 93rd minute. Near the corner, she chipped in a cross that was headed by Turner and into the back of the net to break the scoreless tie and give Portland the 1-0 lead.
San Diego still had 27 minutes to try and level the match with the overtime rules being two 15-minute halves played with no golden goal.
The Wave couldn’t deliver in the first half of overtime, but started with a strong look in the 106th minute from Quincy McMahon when she had a look on the far side next to the post. However, Arnold slid out to stop the shot attempt at her foot.
After that, the more San Diego pressed, the more it seemed to open up for Portland as the advantage in offense, flipped from what happened in regulation. The Thorns finished the match tied in shots with 19 and dominated the attack throughout OT.