San Diego Wave were off to a rough start this NWSL season, suffering back-to-back losses to Orlando Pride and KC Current. However, the team fought their way back with three consecutive wins, the latest being a 2-1 victory over Bay FC. This weekend, the Wave host Portland Thorns, another team currently on a three-game unbeaten streak. Let’s find out about the potential line-ups, statistics and where to watch San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns.
San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns: Team News & Possible Line-ups
The possible line-ups are derived from previous match days. We take into consideration how strong the opponents are, what players are injured and of course team news before the match.
Team News San Diego Wave
Availability report (updated on May 8):
Out: None
Questionable: None
International Duty: None
What the coach has to say:
Jonas Eidevall on the potential of his team: “We’re maturing as a team. There is still a lot of things left that we have to grow with. I feel like we’re more consistent as a team. There are more situations that we handle well.”
On the match against Bay FC: “We were really pushing for the goal in the second half. It was great to see the mentality of how we want to play, not only at home but in general in the league. To not be satisfied with a tie result, to keep on going for it and I really think that made a difference at the end.”
On the eleven different goal scorers: “We have a really good depth in the squad. We speak about that a lot: we don’t call it bench players; we call it game changers. We see that game after game, with the energy and the quality, whoever is starting on the bench, is coming on with. I think that is a really good advantage for us.”
Our prediction of the Starting IX for San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns:
- Sheridan
- Lundkvist
- Wesley
- Armstrong
- Morroni
- McCaskill
- Dali
- Cascarinp
- Corley
- Sánchez
- Ascanio
Team News Portland Thorns
Availability report (updated on May 8):
Out: None
Questionable: None
International Duty: None
What the coach has to say:
Rob Gale thought on the 1-0 win over Orlando Pride: “They were excellent start to finish, front to back, side to side. Executed the tactics, from first tackles to getting ahead. We’re always good when we go ahead. We know that and I thought it limited actual quality chances for them, other than the one [Mackenzie Arnold] had to save. The only concern for me was giving them set pieces and giving them a little bit of momentum like that. But the players that came on, we knew we could catch them the other way.”
On continuing momentum: “With a young group, consistency is the challenge. No doubt about it. We’re unbeaten at home and we’ve beaten two of the best four teams in the league. So, there’s lots of positives to take on. I want them to feel that confidence and belief, but you’ve got to back it up. We’ve got to follow it up.
“That’s the challenge in this league. We go to a San Diego team that has a lot of possession, is a good football team. We’ll have to get the tactics right again; we’ll have to get the selection right. For the players, it’s can you perform week in week out. That is professional football. The challenge that we have and for themselves, to be elite, to continue and to have longevity in this league. To continue to develop our identity as a team is to solely do that.”
Our prediction of the Starting IX for Portland Thorns against San Diego Wave:
- Arnold
- McKenzie
- Hiatt
- Perry
- Reyes
- Coffey
- Sugita
- Alidou
- Moultrie
- Castellanos
- Turner
San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns: Previous Meetings & Stats
San Diego Wave have now secured three straight wins and have eleven different goal scorers – the most of any NWSL team at this moment. Two of their players, Kenza Dali and Delphine Cascarino, featured in the NWSL Best XI of April. Next, they face off with Portland Thorns, a side that is undefeated at home and is also unbeaten for three consecutive games.
Last season, both sides secured home wins. Portland Thorns won 1-0, with a goal from D’aquila and San Diego Wave won 2-0, thanks to goals from Jones and Barcenas. The teams faced off a third time in the CONCACAF Women’s Champions Cup, where the Wave won 3-2.
| Team Streaks | ||
 | Wins | 3 |
 | No losses | 3 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 5/6 |
| Under 2.5 goals | 5/7 |
| Both teams to score | 7/9 |
| First to score | 6/8 |
Where can I watch the National Women’s Soccer League San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns?
You can watch San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns live on Ion. More information:
US based fans can watch on Prime Video, ION Network, CBS, ABC, Paramount+ and ESPN, while Optus Sport broadcasts the matches for Australian fans. Then there is NWSL+, but some games are geo-blocked, so make sure to check which ones you can watch. If they are geo-blocked it means another streaming service is broadcasting the game.
When was the last meeting between San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns?
The last meeting was on September 29, 2024. San Diego Wave secured a 2-0 win, thanks to Jones and Barcenas.
What is San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns kick-off time?
San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns kicks off on Saturday, May 10 at 07:00 PM PT at Snap Dragon Stadium.
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