Wave newcomer Dudinha could provide scoring punch during playoff push

by Fernando Ramirez

There haven’t been many bright spots for the San Diego Wave since they returned from the National Women’s Soccer League’s international break.

One came in the 10th minute of last Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Orlando Pride. Under pressure from Adriana Leon, Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse misplayed a pass out of her own box.

Wave newcomer Dudinha pounced, stealing the ball and firing a shot from outside the penalty area.

Moorhouse got a hand on her shot, but the strike carried too much power to be stopped. The 20-year-old forward’s first goal was electric.

“I think the goal speaks volumes to her soccer intelligence,” Wave coach Jonas Eidevall said. “She obviously anticipates the situation really quickly that the goalkeeper is far off the line and scores a nice goal as a result of that … I think we can see a lot of fruits from that labor on the pitch.”

San Diego (8-7-7) will travel to the second-place Washington Spirit (11-4-7) on Sunday. The 10 a.m. match will air on ESPN.

“It was a very happy moment,” Dudinha, born Maria Eduarda Rodrigues Silva, said via a translator. “I think we work for this, to score goals and help the team. So I was very happy with the goal.”

After the match, Dudinha’s phone was flooded with congratulatory messages.

“It’s always very gratifying to receive messages from them at such a special moment,” she said.

Dudinha joined the Wave in August, weeks after the club acquired her from São Paulo FC for an undisclosed transfer fee. At the time of the deal, she was playing for Brazil in the Copa América Femenina.

Dudinha scored in her home country’s semifinal win over Uruguay. Brazil went on to win the tournament; the forward finished with a goal and an assist.

“Representing your country is a unique feeling,” Dudinha said. “The feeling of playing in your first official competition for the Brazilian national team was amazing.”

Following the Copa América Femenina win, Dudinha boarded a plane to San Diego to join her new team. She has already bonded with teammate Daniela Arias, a 30-year-old native of Colombia who’s also in her first season with the club.

The Wave defender played for Corinthians in Dudinha’s hometown, making 14 appearances for the club before moving to San Diego.

“Dani is a player who can help more because she has played in Brazil before, and she also understands me,” Dudinha said.

Even though Dudinha and Arias played for rival club teams, they have developed a close relationship.

“I wanted to help her because I know what it feels like to be in a new place and not understand the language. So I wanted to be able to support her through this time,” Arias said. “I recognize her incredible talent and skills and know that the more comfortable she gets, the more success she will have.”

Dudinha made her debut in the Wave’s 2-1 win over Bay FC on Aug. 16, the club’s only victory since the international break ended. She played just four minutes in the match.

Expect her to carve out a larger role as the Wave seek to find their footing down the stretch. San Diego entered the weekend in seventh place in the 14-team NWSL. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

Dudinha said the decision to join the Wave was an easy one, noting how much the NWSL has grown in recent years and how many Brazilian players have already made the move. She is one of 13 Brazilians competing in the league.

She’s especially grateful her journey brought her to San Diego.

“I think it’s really cool,” Dudinha said. “A very beautiful city. Beach. Brazilians like the beach, and it’s quite hot.”

As the regular season winds down, Dudinha said she has one clear objective.

“Qualify for the playoffs,” she said.