Wave open second half of NWSL season with sights set on a strong finish

The San Diego Wave return from their month-long international break on Saturday.

Their goal: Pick up where they left off.

San Diego is 7-3-3, good for third place in the NWSL standings. The second half of their season begins Saturday afternoon in Cary, N.C., where they will take on former Wave star Jaedyn Shaw and the North Carolina Courage (5-5-3).

“We looked a little bit back, but it was even more important to look forward and to see what we think that we need to work on in the last half of the season,” Wave coach Jonas Eidevall said.

There was a lot of adapting in the first half of the season. Eidevall was new, as were more than 10 players on the Wave roster. It was also San Diego’s first season without superstar Alex Morgan, who retired at the end of last season; Shaw, who asked to be traded; and defender Naomi Girma, who was sold to England’s Chelsea FC.

“We try to build something with this new team and after a lot of training, a lot of adaptation, we worked good,” Wave winger Delphine Cascarino said. “So, it was really nice to see the achievement for the first half of the season.”

The team has also leaned on three 17-year-olds: center back Trinity Armstrong, forward Melanie Barcenas, and midfielder Kimmi Ascanio. Ascanio is tied for second on the team with three goals, while Armstrong and Barcenas have one apiece.

“We don’t care if they are young,” Cascarino said. “If they can play, they play.”

Cascarino will be counted on in the season’s second. The native of Saint-Priest, France tallied three goals and a league-high five assists through the first 13 games. She spent the international break playing for France at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland.

France had a strong showing in the group stage, outscoring their three opponents 11-4. Their final group match against the Netherlands was where Cascarino stood out.

France trailed 2-1 at halftime when coach Laurent Bonadei turned to Cascarino and told her she needed to step up. She began calling for the ball and controlling the game, similar to what she does with the Wave.

The score was tied in the 64th minute when Cascarino accelerated past defenders and moved toward her right outside the box. She fired a shot toward the left side, catching Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar off guard. The ball hit the back of the net, giving France a 3-2 lead.

Cascarino ran toward the bench with a stone-cold expression.

“It was revenge,” Cascarino said. “I was angry. So, when I’m angry, sometimes I shoot like that.”

She wasn’t done.

Three minutes later, French forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto fired a shot that hit the left post, then the right, and bounced away. The ball rolled toward Grace Geyoro, but seeing Cascarino charging in, she stepped aside. Cascarino took the shot and buried her second goal of the game.

“I think what was really nice to see in the Euros was that she was playing with all that confidence,” Eidevall said. “She was playing with a lot of creativity, a lot of flair, a lot of bravery in the attacking third, and she contributed massively to her national team.”

Cascarino was the only player on the French national team not playing club soccer in Europe. She finished the tournament with two goals, two assists, and an 86% pass accuracy. France lost to Germany in the quarterfinals.

“It was important for me to show that it’s possible to play far from Europe,” she said, “and I try to bring something else from America.”

Cascarino’s international break wasn’t much of one. There’s a double-edged sword, she said, when it comes to playing in a tournament versus taking time to recover.

“I have a good rhythm, because I didn’t stop a lot,” she said. “But sometimes stop, it’s good for the body and for the mind. So I will see, but for the moment, I can manage it.”

Cascarino won’t have much downtime, if any.

“It will be very important to start with a strong game against North Carolina,” Cascarino said. “To keep going. To be good on the field, and to have a good connection with all the players and with the new players.”

San Diego Wave (7-3-3) vs. North Carolina Courage (5-5-3)

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Cary, N.C.

TV: ION