San Diego attacker María Sánchez lit up Snapdragon Stadium last night, leading the Wave to a 3-2 home victory over Portland in Concacaf W Champions Cup play.
Goals from Sophia Smith and rookie Reilyn Turner gave Portland a 2-0 lead entering the 67th minute, but Sánchez’s hat trick — which included two converted penalty kicks — secured San Diego's dramatic comeback win.
Calling Sánchez "an incredible human being...[who's] a pleasure to coach," Wave boss Landon Donovan told the post-match press corps that his entire team was "awesome" last night. "To go down two goals and just continue to believe and keep playing and putting them under pressure was awesome. I'm just really proud of them."
Portland Thorns' team woes continue
Last night's result — though not counted toward the NWSL season — marked Portland's fifth straight loss against league opponents. The sixth-place Thorns have yet to earn a point on the NWSL table since returning from the Olympic break.
When asked about the usually dominant Thorns’ recent downfall, Portland's new permanent head coach Rob Gale said "We need to get healthy bodies available for 90 minutes."
With forward Morgan Weaver on limited minutes as she works back to full form following a May knee surgery, and Smith joining her in being pulled at halftime last night with what Gale called "some lower body problems," Portland's attack suffered in the tilt.
That said, the lopsided affair also saw mental errors, with the Thorns scrambling for possession and excessively fouling — mistakes Portland hopes to eliminate before hosting San Diego in NWSL play in nine days.
Where to watch Concacaf W Champions Cup group play tonight
Halfway through the international club tournament’s four-match group stage, the Wave now leads Group B while Portland sits in third. The top two teams in each group will advance to May’s semifinals.
As for the third NWSL team competing for the inaugural Cup, Group A's Gotham FC will host Liga MX club Monterrey in their second group match at 7 PM ET tonight, with live coverage on the CBS Golazo Network.
While the NWSL doesn't officially return to regular season play until Friday, clubs were nonetheless in full swing this weekend as international matchups took centerstage.
On Saturday, the Current lifted The Women's Cup trophy in Kansas City after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 behind Debinha's first-half goal.
Then in Sunday's friendly action, the Spirit fell 2-1 to the WSL's Arsenal behind Alessia Russo's brace, which one-upped a close-range strike by Washington's Ouleymata Sarr. Meanwhile, Angel City notched a massive friendly win of their own, taking down Liga MX Femenil's FC Juárez 7–0 thanks to a hat trick from Messiah Bright.
Concacaf W Champions Cup adds to international NWSL action
Perhaps the most intriguing moments of the NWSL's internationally tinged Olympic break will come courtesy of the Concacaf W Champions Cup's group stage openers. Similar to the UEFA Champions League, the budding competition's eventual victor will represent the region at FIFA's recently unveiled Club World Cup in 2026.
With Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps already beating Alianza Women FC in the tournament's preliminary round, this week's group stage slate includes Panama club Santa Fe hosting the San Diego Wave, Alajuelense taking on Frazsiers, Club América facing Vancouver, and a intracity clash between Monterey's Rayadas and UANL Tigres.
Other NWSL teams set for next month's Champions Cup group stage action are Portland and Gotham FC, who will face Club América and Alajuelense, respectively.
NWSL schedules more international club play
In another friendly meeting between the NWSL and WSL, Gotham will take on Chelsea in New York tonight at 7 PM ET (streaming on FuboTV) before Arsenal and Chelsea square off next week in Washington, DC.
NWSL newcomer Bay FC is also jumping into European friendly play with a match against UEFA Champions League victors FC Barcelona scheduled for August 27th.