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.
this ain’t a dream.this is san diego. pic.twitter.com/RRNUvldtU6— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) September 18, 2022
this ain’t a dream.this is san diego. pic.twitter.com/RRNUvldtU6
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.
3rd goal in 3 games in front of 32k. Not bad for the 17 year-old @JaedynShaw11 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/H9QK3KD3lf— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 18, 2022
3rd goal in 3 games in front of 32k. Not bad for the 17 year-old @JaedynShaw11 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/H9QK3KD3lf
“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.”