The Skinny: The Red Stars opened the scoring early in this match but San Diego equalized in the second half. Regulation time could not separate the sides so to extra time it went where Alex Morgan, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, scored the go ahead goal to send the expansion side to the semifinals in their already record breaking season.
One Key Moment: Obviously Morgan’s game winner is the key in this one and it is a brilliant strike. The shot is taken from a relatively difficult angle but because it is curving away from Alyssa Naeher and bounces right in front of her, Naeher just couldn’t quite get it.
Alex Morgan scores for San Diego! Ten minutes left and the expansion side has the go-ahead goal!#SDvCHI | 2 – 1 pic.twitter.com/VC5qBAU6vK
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
Inside the Game: Regulation time was full of chances and the opening goal came early. Just ten minutes in Yuki Nagasato chipped Kailen Sheridan to put Chicago on the score sheet. It was a bad mistake from Sheridan giving the ball directly to Nagasto in the center of the pitch at the top of the 18 yard box, and not a mistake Sheridan usually makes, but Nagasato kept her composure and punished the Wave.
Alex Morgan scores for San Diego! Ten minutes left and the expansion side has the go-ahead goal!#SDvCHI | 2 – 1 pic.twitter.com/VC5qBAU6vK
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
The Wave found the equalizer in the 67th minute when Emily Van Egmond, who was only 45 minutes short of an ironwoman season, connected on a deflected cross. Sofia Jakobsson was incredibly effective in this match driving down the left flank and it was her cross that was deflected leading to the goal. She also had multiple other crosses throughout the match that created dangerous chances her teammates didn’t convert.
Emily Van Egmond equalizes for 
!!! What a time for your first goal of the season!#SDvCHI | 1 – 1 pic.twitter.com/YTFbrKynEp
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
!!! What a time for your first goal of the season!#SDvCHI | 1 – 1 pic.twitter.com/YTFbrKynEp— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) October 17, 2022
In the end it appears San Diego had the better bench, while it was their starters who scored the goals, it was the the halftime sub Jakobsson who contributed to the first goal and assisted the game winner. Fresh legs from players like Makenzy Doniak and Amirah Ali wore Chicago down until they couldn’t keep up. Overall an evenly matched game but San Diego Wave come out on top.
The Goals:
- Chicago Red Stars — Yuki Nagasato, 10′
- San Diego Wave — Emily van Egmond, 67′
- San Diego Wave — Alex Morgan (Sofia Jakobsson), 90’+20′
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