Riding the Wave: San Diego extends win streak to three, shuts out Chicago

· Yahoo Sports

Mar 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Stars FC midfielder Manaka Hayashi (16) passes the ball under coverage from San Diego Wave FC midfielder Kenza Dali (10) during the second half at Snapdragon Stadium.

SAN DIEGO — San Diego Wave FC is riding a wave of momentum—three straight wins and a headline signing. Lia Godfrey scored in all three matches, and Melanie Barcenas delivered back-to-back goals off the bench.

On Saturday, March 28, they defeated Chicago Stars FC 2-0 at Snapdragon Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Wave finally broke through to secure much-deserved points. In just six days, they have earned a total of nine points. With four matches played, they are tied for first place in the NWSL alongside Angel City, Seattle Reign, and Portland Thorns.

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“We’ve grown together as a team during these three games, and they’ve all painted a little bit of a different story,” Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall said about the three-game win streak. He also mentioned that his team is physically and mentally tired due to the quick turnarounds.

It all began on Sunday when rookie Lia Godfrey scored a game-winning goal in the 87th minute, securing San Diego’s first points of 2026 with a 2-1 victory over the Utah Royals on the road. Eidevall rewarded Godfrey with her first professional start against Portland Thorns FC, and she delivered once again. Her goal, along with contributions from Dudinha and Melanie Barcenas, helped the team secure a 3-1 win over Portland, the team they lost to in the quarterfinals.

San Diego won back-to-back games and recently announced the signing of Catarina Macario, a star from the U.S. Women’s National Team. The Wave made a splash move by offering the former Chelsea FC forward one of the largest contracts in women's soccer history. She will be under contract until the end of the 2030 NWSL season. The club introduced Cat at halftime. 

Their matchup against Chicago will be its third in seven days. The Wave made one change to its starting XI, with midfielder Laurina Fazer taking the place of Gia Corley. Leah Freeman started again in goal, as DiDi Haračić is sidelined due to a knee injury. Freeman had a strong performance in the previous match against Portland. After the game, Eidevall mentioned that his approach to selecting the goalkeeper is consistent with how he decides on the other positions.

Chicago recently suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Orlando Pride, with all the goals scored in the first half on Wednesday. They upset the Kansas City Current, the back-to-back NWSL Shield winners, on Sunday, thanks to goals from Tessa Dellarose and Jordyn Huitema. In their season opener, the Stars were shut out 4-0 by Angel City FC. After three games, they have struggled to find consistent offensive performance.

As the game kicked off on Saturday evening, the home team had strong attacking momentum but failed to score. Chicago's captain and goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher, faced 12 shot attempts, making four saves. San Diego maintained possession for 60% of the first half and earned four corner kicks.

The first half of the match resembled San Diego's previous game against Houston, where they overwhelmed the defense but struggled to score. San Diego couldn't penetrate the crowded penalty area. Although the Stars didn’t take any shots in the opening half, they can take some comfort in not conceding a goal.

Eidevall echoed this sentiment postgame. “Today, it reminded us a little bit about the game against Houston,” he said. “Where we had a lot of the ball, and we played against an opponent that is quite passive, but also preferred to have a lot of players behind the ball.”

The coach also mentioned that they learned to combat that tight defensive backline by attacking with numbers, and that paid dividends in the second half.

If she hasn’t already, Lia Godfrey has announced her arrival in the NWSL. The 24-year-old rookie has scored a goal in three consecutive games. She put her team ahead in the 56th minute. Receiving a pass from Dudinha on the left wing, Godfrey evaded one defender before firing a shot that slid just under the diving goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

“She’s composed, has good technique, which is important when you're trying to score goals,” Eidevall said about the rookie, adding that he’s not surprised given Godfrey’s preseason and performance in training.

Godfrey’s goal-scoring ability has transferred from the University of Virginia to the NWSL. An exciting start to her young career.

“She can score goals in a number of different ways,” Eidevall said. “Now, she's been scoring goals where she's been coming much closer to the goal, but we also know she has a really good long-range shot.”

Melanie Barcenas scored 10 minutes after being subbed on. Her nifty moves created space outside the box, and her long-distance shot entered the top right corner—an amazing goal from the 18-year-old forward who also scored in the last game off the bench. She’s making the case for more playing time.

“It feels amazing to get two goals in a row,” Barcenas said. “It's always been hard to score goals, but it's finally coming, hopefully.” She added that the most important thing was helping her team secure the win and make an impact when her number is called.

This goal was the 4000th NWSL regular-season goal, and it was a golazo.

Dudinha continues to be one of the top performers. She assisted both goals tonight and leads the league in that category. She has contributed to five goals (two goals and three assists) this season.

Chicago was held to just two shot attempts in San Diego. Freeman secured her first clean sheet—an easy one. The Wave shot the ball 20 times with eight on goal. It was a lopsided night. Godfrey, Dudinha, and Amelia Van Zanten were standouts.

The Sporting Tribune asked Eidevall his thoughts on the Macario signing, and he said with a big smile, “It’s very exciting.” He mentioned that he’s been a longtime fan of Cat and wanted to bring her talents to Arsenal in the past.

When should we expect Macario to make her Wave debut?

“I don't know at the moment,” Eidevall said. “This is important for us to make good decisions. We just started to work together, and everything is progressing really well.”

San Diego will return to action on the road against the new expansion team, Boston Legacy FC, on April 3, which has yet to earn a point.

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