SAN DIEGO, Calif. (July 3, 2026) - Fresh off capturing the first NWSL Challenge Cup title in club history, Gotham FC returns to regular season action Saturday night with a top-of-the-table showdown against San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 8:45 p.m. ET, with ION carrying the national broadcast.
Gotham FC (6-2-3, 21 points) resumes league play after defeating the Kansas City Current 2-0 in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup on June 26 in Columbus, Ohio. Esther González converted a first-half penalty before rookie Jordynn Dudley sealed the victory in the 79th minute, while goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger produced several key saves to secure the clean sheet and Gotham's first Challenge Cup crown.
The victory secured the first trophy of Gotham FC's 2026 season and extended the club’s recent success against Kansas City following last season's historic NWSL Playoff victory over the Current. Gotham now returns to league play looking to build on that momentum after entering the summer break with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash and sitting fifth in the NWSL standings, level on points with fourth-place Washington, trailing only on goal difference.
San Diego (8-4-1, 25 points) enters the weekend atop the NWSL table after closing the first half of the season with a 2-0 road victory over Chicago Stars FC. Dudinha opened the scoring in the third minute before Trinity Byars added a late insurance goal as the Wave secured their third clean sheet of the campaign. Despite leading the standings with 25 points, San Diego has played two more matches than Gotham heading into the weekend.
Saturday marks the 10th all-time meeting between Gotham FC and San Diego Wave FC in all NWSL competitions, with the Wave holding a 6-2-1 advantage in the series. The clubs split last season's series, with San Diego earning a 1-0 victory at Sports Illustrated Stadium before Gotham responded with a road win at Snapdragon Stadium later in the year – the club's first-ever victory away to the Wave. Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw scored in her Gotham debut against her former club, helping lead the visitors to the milestone result.
Following Saturday's match, Gotham FC will remain on the West Coast to prepare for another matchup against one of the league's top teams, traveling to face the Utah Royals on Friday, July 10 at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
Key Points:
- Forward Esther González scored her 29th goal across all NWSL competitions in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup Final, setting a Gotham FC club record and surpassing Sam Kerr's previous mark of 28.
- Gotham FC is unbeaten in three of its last four matches against the San Diego Wave (2-1-1). Gotham has scored five goals in those three matches after totaling just one goal across its first six all-time losses to San Diego.
- Gotham FC has conceded an NWSL-record low five goals through its first 11 matches of the season while recording eight clean sheets. Gotham also has limited opponents to 93 shot attempts, 10 fewer than any other NWSL club (San Diego, 103).
- Rookie forward Jordynn Dudley has recorded two goals and two assists through her first 11 NWSL matches. Among players with at least 450 minutes played, Dudley ranks second in the league in penalty area touches per 90 minutes (8.3), sixth in shots per 90 (3.2) and third in shots on target per 90 (1.6).
