By Joel Casillas
San Diego Wave draw 1-1 with Denver Summit and drop valuable points
Since the return of the NWSL, San Diego Wave have struggled to regain their rhythm, with injuries to key players such as Kenza Dali and Trinity Armstrong affecting the team.
The evening began with a special celebration for Kristen McNabb, who reached 100 appearances for San Diego Wave and was honored before kickoff. New signing Laila Harbert, who joined from Arsenal, was also available for her San Diego debut.
The Snapdragon Stadium also featured a Hello Kitty-themed celebration, with special merchandise, giveaways and stadium animations throughout the night.
On the field, San Diego controlled much of the opening half. Denver suffered an early setback when Gaetino was forced off with an injury in the 14th minute.
Wave continued creating chances, with Ludmila missing a one-on-one opportunity in the 26th minute.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 35th minute, when Melanie Barcenas produced an excellent individual play before finishing to give San Diego a 1-0 lead.
Denver responded in the second half. After an error from Abby Smith in the 55th minute, Ludmila had another chance but could not capitalize.
Just two minutes later, Yazmeen Ryan equalized with a header after winning her battle inside the box, making it 1-1.
The score remained unchanged, leaving San Diego with two valuable points dropped in the playoff race. Depending on other results, Wave could fall as low as sixth place, potentially jeopardizing their chances of hosting a playoff match.
One of the night's positives was Laila Harbert's debut. The Arsenal signing entered in the 76th minute and showed promising signs during her first minutes with San Diego Wave.
