María Sánchez scored in the second minute, and the San Diego Wave FC beat Santa Fe FC 2-0 on Tuesday night in Landon Donovan’s debut as interim coach.
The Concacaf W Champions Cup match played at Estadio Rommel Fernández in Panama City, Panama, doesn’t count toward the National Women’s Soccer League standings. The Wave will resume league play on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. match against Angel City FC at Snapdragon Stadium.
Sánchez’s early goal, which came after Santa Fe FC’s goalkeeper Yenith Bailey muffed a shot, set the tone for San Diego’s win.
Kristen McNabb made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute, heading in a pass from Hanna Lundkvist. The goal was McNabb’s first since June 17, 2023.
San Diego will fly back from Panama City for their first NWSL home match since June 28. Saturday’s showdown against rival Angel City will mark a welcome-home celebration for Olympic gold medalists Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw; it’s also Girma bobblehead day and Donovan’s first home match as the Wave’s interim coach.
The club named Donovan, an American soccer legend and the former coach of San Diego Loyal SC of USL Championship, as its interim head coach last week, replacing Paul Buckle. Donovan told the Union-Tribune this week that he is “open to anything” with the club, though he is only guaranteed a job through the end of the 2024 season.
“I could take the job full-time and be fired in two months or I could be here 20 years. I could turn around and say, ‘This is the best job I’ve ever had, so why would I leave?’,” he said. “I don’t know how they’ll feel about it (by the end of the year).”
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