all scores

San Diego Wave shatter NWSL attendance record in stadium debut

img
Fans cheer during the first half of an NWSL womens soccer game between the Angel Ctiy FC and the San Diego Wave FC September 17, 2022 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The San Diego Wave made history Saturday night, shattering the single-game NWSL attendance record in their debut fixture at the new Snapdragon Stadium, a 1-0 win over Angel City FC.

A sellout crowd of 32,000 fans descended upon the San Diego venue to watch the Wave take on in-state rivals Angel City FC. The expansion club started its NWSL campaign playing at Torero Stadium, which has a capacity of 6,000.

The Wave’s inaugural outing at their new stadium eclipsed the previous NWSL attendance record of 25,218, set by the Portland Thorn’s 2019 match against the North Carolina Courage at Providence Park. Saturday’s contest also featured the largest crowd for any professional women’s soccer game in the United States since 2001.

The Wave gave the raucous Snapdragon crowd something to cheer for as the club charged to a 1-0 victory behind a first-half goal from Jaedyn Shaw. The game-winner marks the 17-year-old’s third goal in three games.

“It feels incredible to win for our fans, and as someone who has been involved in this game for 30 years, I’ve waited for this moment,” San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney told reporters after the game. “This was such a momentous occasion for women’s soccer, and I’m just so pleased to be a part of it.”