Update 8/2/26 at 6:48 P.M. with quotes from head coach Jonas Eidevall and Lia Godfrey.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - After going three matches without a victory, Wave FC delivered one of its biggest results of the season Sunday afternoon. Lia Godfrey's second-half goal proved to be the difference as San Diego defeated the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Audi Field, handing one of the NWSL's top teams a home defeat and moving the Wave back into the race near the top of the standings.
The victory for San Diego came against a Washington team that entered the day in second place, while the Wave sat in fifth. The result lifted San Diego back into the No. 3 spot (pending the outcome of tonight’s Thorns/Royals match) and dealt the Spirit a setback in the race for first place.
Playing through rainy conditions, both teams struggled to create clear scoring chances in a tightly contested first half. Possession was evenly split, but neither side was able to break through before halftime.
Washington looked more dangerous early in the second half, with Trinity Rodman and Rebeca Bernal each threatening the Wave defense. However, San Diego's back line, led by defender Mimi Van Zanten, limited Rodman's opportunities throughout the afternoon. Van Zanten's defensive work forced Rodman to switch sides for a period during the second half in search of more space, but the Spirit still struggled to create quality chances.
Head coach Jonas Eidevall turned to his bench in the 57th minute, bringing on Trinity Byars for Ludmila. The move paid off almost immediately.
Just three minutes later, Byars delivered a perfectly timed assist to Godfrey, who finished the chance to score her fifth goal of the season and give the Wave a 1-0 lead.
Lia Godfrey fights for the ball. Credit: Wave FC Media
Byars once again made an immediate impact after entering the match. The forward entered the match with six goals this season and has now been directly involved in seven of San Diego's last 11 goals, further cementing her role as one of the team's most influential attacking players.
For Godfrey, the goal was a reflection of the team's effort and mentality throughout the match.
“One of the things we wanted to do with this game was come out hard, come out with aggression, and I thought we did that,” Godfrey said. “The way we sustained that for 90 minutes, that's how I would describe this as heart. Everyone was digging deep, so many players were stepping up to help us win this game.”
San Diego's defense took over from there.
The Spirit, led by Rodman, Leicy Santos, and Sofia Cantore, entered the match as one of the league's highest-scoring teams with 26 goals through 17 matches. But the Wave held Washington to only two shots on target, frustrating one of the NWSL's most dynamic offenses. Washington didn't earn its first corner kick until stoppage time in the second half, a testament to San Diego's defense throughout the match.
Despite facing one of the league's strongest attacking teams, Eidevall felt San Diego was able to control the match by staying true to its style of play.
“We really pushed Washington deep down, we played the game on our terms and not theirs,” Eidevall said. “Our mentality in possession and our identity in possession is so clear for everyone to see and what we're achieving here.”
Sandra Paños makes a save. Credit: Wave FC Media
The Wave also continued another impressive trend. No opponent has scored more than two goals against San Diego in any match this season, and Sunday's clean sheet further demonstrated why the club remains one of the league's strongest defensive teams.
The result also extended San Diego's unbeaten run away from home to five matches, showing the Wave's ability to earn results in difficult environments against some of the league's top teams.
In the second half, Kimmi Ascanio was forced off with an injury before veteran midfielder Kenza Dali entered in relief. Adriana Leon and Tatum Wynalda also came off the bench in the closing minutes as San Diego protected its one-goal advantage.
For a team that has often dominated possession and created scoring opportunities without always finding the finishing touch, Sunday's performance showed the value of capitalizing in key moments. Eidevall pointed to the team's mentality as a major reason for the result.
“This is a performance of a team that cares. That cares about each other...and they show that with really passionate actions,” Eidevall said.
The victory moved San Diego back into third place while Washington remained second in the NWSL standings. It also ended the Wave's three-match winless streak and provided an important boost as the playoff race continues to tighten.
