**SAN DIEGO, Calif.** – San Diego Wave FC hosted Gotham FC on Saturday night and defeated their foes, 2-1, thanks to goals from Makenzy Doniak and Amirah Ali on separate ends of the match. The result moved San Diego into 6 ^th place with 24 points from 16 games played, while Gotham now sits just a point ahead of them in 3 ^rd place with 25 points from 16 games played.
The hosts San Diego got off the mark early on as forward Makenzy Doniak fired the Wave in front with a powerful drive from close in in the 17 ^th minute. San Diego had burst ahead on the right side as forward Jaedyn Shaw gave a lung-busting run to recover the ball near the endline and corner flag. Forcing a ball into the box from there, Doniak sprinted toward it and was first to meet it as she then ripped a shot off the underside of the bar and in to send Snapdragon Stadium into a frenzy.
Going the other way in attempts to push San Diego back, Gotham were on the attack and ended up hitting the post via forward Jenna Nighswonger. A long ball ahead down the left side saw Nighswonger collect it after a short pursuit, and she lifted her head before opting to lift a cross tight toward the goal. Leaping to try and get a touch was San Diego goalkeeper Shae Yañez, but she was unable to make proper contact on the ball as it instead clipped the bar and stayed in play as the San Diego defense rushed to clear it.
Both teams continued to poke the other throughout the remainder of the first half, but forward Alex Morgan came close to doubling San Diego’s lead in the third minute of stoppage time as her team’s next best legal chance. A cross from the right side saw Morgan create space at the back post, and as goalkeeper Abby Smith came out, Morgan leaned in and would end up beating the shotstopper to the ball. However, her headed effort landed just wide of goal in the end.
Then, two minutes later, San Diego would put the ball in the back of the net through midfielder Lauren Hill only for a late offside flag to spoil the celebrations a few seconds later. Unreal vision from Shaw saw her pick up a ball in the midfield area and slice a diagonal low ball through to Hill in behind the defense. Hill then produced a calm finish to beat Smith, but an offside decision kept Gotham within a goal heading into the break.
Into the second half, it was Gotham’s turn to see the ball into the back of the net only for a VAR decision to wipe off the supposed equalizer. Midfielder Delanie Sheehan had done well to work her way into the box and through a pair of Wave defenders before setting her sights on goal. Launching a high effort from close in, Sheehan watched as her shot ripped back off the underside of the crossbar and into play. Eventually, Sheehan bundled the ball over the line and into the back of the net only to have been judged to have fouled the goalkeeper in doing so, eliminating the goal.
Gotham continued to push for an equalizing goal with attacker Yazmeen Ryan forcing a good save out of Yañez to preserve her side’s clean sheet. Ryan had been sent down the right side of the field where she received a through pass and began to dribble her way into the box. Cutting the ball onto her left foot, Ryan fired at the near post with venom only for Yañez to push the ball away in the end.
However, San Diego would end up finding one final goal on the night as forward Amirah Ali produced an incredible solo run to put the game away with a tally in the 85 ^th minute and help San Diego go 2-0 up on the break. A splitting ball down the center of the field allowed Ali to sprint ahead and round Smith before rolling the ball past the goalkeeper and in to seal the win.
Gotham would not go quietly, though, and managed to pull back a goal via forward Katie Stengel in the 11th minute of stoppage time due to injury. Stengel took a pass near the top of the box and spun in place, creating just enough space for her to have a look on goal. She then shot a low, steaming ball toward the bottom left corner that Yañez could not reach and Gotham was able to create a little more late game drama.
In the end, though, the hosts would preval as Doniak and Ali goals in the first and second halves helped the Wave earn a solid win in their return to regular season played.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights