Thanks to a hat-trick by Mexican player María Sánchez, San Diego Wave staged a thrilling comeback to defeat the Portland Thorns 3-2, securing their first home victory in the Women’s Concacaf Champions League.
San Diego Wave hosted Portland Thorns at Snapdragon Stadium in the second matchday of the Concacaf W Champions Cup, clinching the win with a 3-2 scoreline. María Sánchez’s standout performance, including a game-winning hat-trick, was key to their success.
San Diego’s Comeback Powered by María Sánchez
The match saw the home team rally from behind after trailing by two goals, with strikes from Sophia Smith and Reilyn Turner in the 26th and 54th minutes, respectively. However, Wave soon responded.
San Diego’s first goal came in the 67th minute when María Sánchez calmly converted a penalty kick. Just two minutes later, she leveled the score with a perfectly placed header.
The momentum stayed with San Diego, and in the 85th minute, Sánchez once again delivered, confidently scoring another penalty to seal the 3-2 victory, securing all three points for her team.
This triumph brings San Diego Wave to six points after two matches in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, positioning them at the top of Group B.
Who is María Sánchez? The Player Making Waves in the U.S.
María Guadalupe Sánchez Morales is a Mexican-American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She began her professional career with the Chicago Red Stars, where she was drafted.
She later moved to Mexico to join Chivas Femenil for the 2020 Clausura Tournament and then transferred to Tigres UANL, with whom she won a league title in 2021.
Sánchez also played for Idaho State University and the Santa Clara Broncos during her college career.
Internationally, she has represented Mexico in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. In December 2023, after renewing her contract with Houston Dash, Sánchez became the highest-paid player in NWSL history.
