The San Diego Wave have transformed themselves into frequent practitioners of the beautiful game.
Able to and dribble better than many opponents, they’ve effected a style that’s far more entertaining than the disted soccer they often rolled out in last year’s miserable season.
An influx of skillful athleticism from newcomers such as Trinity Armstrong and Kenza Dali has made a big difference.
Armstrong, from Texas, is barely half the age of Dali, one of three sharp French players in the regular lineup.
The two combined on the winning goal in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Bay FC before a wet crowd of about 6,000 in Mission Valley.
A 17-year-old defender with offensive skills, Armstrong headed in a perfect corner kick from Dali, 33, late in stoppage time to set up San Diego’s third consecutive victory, all of which featured multiple goals by the third-place Wave (4-2-1).
Before Dali right-footed the ball, the teenager asked her to loft it to the far post. Dali put it there, and Armstong headed the 7-yard attempt downward.
The ball bounced over Bay FC’s 6-foot goalkeeper for Armstrong’s first career goal, touching off a celebration by players and fans.
“I was like, thank goodness, because I knew we were working so hard to get this win,” Armstrong said.
The Wave scarcely resemble last year’s team that was rocked by the firing of head coach Casey Stoney in June, and other setbacks.
General manager Camille Ashton, who was hired in June, and the coach she hired after the season, Jonas Eidevall, have created a template for a ball-control approach that allows for more expressive soccer.
It wasn’t by accident that both goals Sunday were scored by defenders who headed precise corner kicks.
The first goal, by Kennedy Wesley, a second-year center defender, came off a pinpointed crosser by Maria Sanchez.
For three years, the Wave had a world-class defender in Naomi Girma who did great things for them. The franchise’s defense-first style under Stoney was critical to producing two playoff berths.
But that soccer seldom shouted “beautiful game.”
Under the new leadership, defenders are much more involved in advancing the ball. There’s much more skill and confidence on display.
“We’ve obviously had so many new great additions not only from the technical staff but players as well,” said Wesley, whose goal Sunday exceeded Girma’s total in 48 regular-season matches with the Wave. “We have a lot of creative, aggressive, attacking-minded players and it’s showing in our play. We like to go forward and create chances and score goals. That’s one of the biggest differences. We’re just on the front foot, both with or without the ball.”
Armstrong showed she, too, is more than a defender.
Helping set up the corner kick that led to a goal, she drove into the box and made a good that resulted in forward Adriana Leon’s shot off the post.
Armstrong, a mature teen who scored a big goal for the University of North Carolina’s national championship-winning team last year, has played forward and midfielder, rounding out her game.
In heading the ball downward, she applied the advice of Anson Dorrance, who was North Carolina’s coach for 45 seasons. High headers can sail over the goal, Dorrance noted. Low headers provide more options.
Armstrong said, likewise, she’s grateful for the confidence-building of Eidevall, under whom English club Arsenal was 242-97.
She called the Wave’s liberating style truly amazing.
“It’s so beautiful to see and so amazing that we’re able to build each other up with our ing,” she said.
Led by clever playmaker Delphine Cascarino, the San Diego-loving French forward who ed the team last August, and French left fullback Perle Morroni, who had a team-high three successful take-ons Sunday, the Wave won the possession game by 34 percentage points. They kept fans involved.
Soccer is fun again for the Wave, who are scoring twice as many goals per game as last year. It’s truly a whole new ballgame.
