What a wacky season it’s been for the Wave.
A year after winning the in-season title, they’re winless in their past 11 matches and have only three wins on the season after Sunday’s night’s tie 1-1 against the Washington Spirit before an announced crowd of 23,541 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Look for them to eke out a playoff spot anyway.
Look no further than Naomi Girma and Kailen Sheridan for why the Wave will be playing a quarterfinals match in November.
Led Sunday by the two stars who form the best defender-goalkeeper tandem in the 14-team National Women’s Soccer League and perhaps any women’s league, the 12th-place Wave showed why this team has no business failing to earn a spot in a postseason that includes more than half the league.
Able to again defuse second-place Washington’s explosive offense that averaged more than two goals per game, the Girma-Sheridan D will allow the Wave extra chances to collect difference-making goals of some sort — such as alert Kristen McNabb kicking home a loose ball Sunday in the 68th minute to tie the match.
Twice now, the Wave have held the Spirit to one goal, earning a point each time.
The only goal they allowed Sunday was a fluke.
Rookie Kennedy Wesley’s clearance caromed off McNabb — whom she didn’t see — for an own-goal in the 30th minute.
Would the Spirit run away? After all, they’d scored four goals a week earlier against third-place Kansas City.
In 12 of 17 matches, they’d tallied two to four times.
They would not, in large because their best player, Trinity Rodman, despite playing very well, never hurt the Wave on the scoreboard.
Crucially in neither match against the Spirit did the Wave permit a goal or an assist by Rodman, a relentless, a fast and skilled player who contributed heavily to the United States winning the recent Olympic Games.
Girma matched up well against her in both games. That’s Girma — seemingly too good for almost every striker she encounters.
With a quick move, she blocked a point-blank shot by Rodman that could’ve otherwise dealt the Wave a brutal 2-1 defeat.
Teaming up with Girma for the first time since the recent Olympic Games, Sheridan made a few terrific saves. The best one: a far-post deflection of a wicked header by Colombian star Leicy Santos.
No other team vying for the final playoff spot has a defensive tandem as good.
With eight matches to go and five points separating the Wave from a pair of California teams sharing eighth place — Angel City and Bay FC — a consistent defense should serve as a sufficient headwind.
With Girma negating the other team’s top scorer and Sheridan erasing tough shots, the Wave’s offensive players will have a greater margin for error.
Odds will improve that established NWSL players headed by Wave forwards Alex Morgan and María Sánchez will each score their first goals of the season.
A recent addition, forward Delphine Cascarino, has upgraded the front line in both of her matches.
Set aside the Wave’s coaching drama and that the Wave actually played a better match against the Spirit two months ago when Casey Stoney was their head coach. Before a club-record crowd in D.C., they led 1-0 for more than a half before allowing a fabulous goal by rookie Croix Bethune in the final minute.
Down the stretch, it’s the stars who tend to decide which teams get into the playoffs.
The Wave have two steady ones in Girma, 24, and Sheridan, 29.
The Wave didn’t expect to be scrambling for the No. 8 seed, but they’re now grateful for the expanded playoff format and a softer late schedule, including a third straight home game Sunday against North Carolina, which is 1-7 on the road.
Stunning as it is for a team whose most recent win was May 8, there’s a terrific opportunity here.
So long, that is, as the back-end stars stay healthy.
Originally Published: