San Diego Wave Chase Playoff Silverware Under Jonas Eidevall
San Diego Wave are on a five-game winning streak and sit second in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top women's league in the United States. They are one point behind the leaders, with two matches left before the playoffs.
That run of form is the headline from a Guardian interview with head coach Jonas Eidevall, published on October 21. Eidevall, a former Arsenal head coach, took charge of the Wave in January 2025. He told the paper that winning silverware would "mean everything" to the club, and that the aim is a title run once the playoffs begin.
The climb has been a long one. The Wave clinched their place in the 2026 playoffs with a 2-1 away win over Orlando Pride on October 2. They had a record of 16 wins, 8 defeats and 3 draws, which gave them 51 points. A year earlier, in Eidevall's first season, they finished sixth.
Eidevall's approach is built on possession. Passing out from the back means the goalkeeper and defenders keep the ball and build attacks, rather than hoofing it long. Around four weeks of the club's six-week pre-season in his first year went on that idea. The results are visible in the numbers. Defenders Kristen McNabb and Kennedy Wesley are the league's top two for passes completed this season, meaning passes that reach a teammate.
The squad has also changed shape. Players have left in recent years, including Abby Dahlkemper, who was sold to Bay FC in August 2024, and Jaedyn Shaw, who joined North Carolina Courage. Alex Morgan retired a month after Dahlkemper's move. Eidevall has leaned on younger players, too. Melanie Barcenas and Kimmi Ascanio are both 18.
The club's bigger signings have drawn attention as well. In March 2026, the Guardian reported that USWNT forward Catarina Macario had left Chelsea for San Diego in a record $8m (about £6m) transfer. Records of that size are rare in the women's game, and the move put the Wave in the spotlight during the season.
Eidevall's team has not been free of defeats. The Guardian reported that the Wave have lost almost as many games in the 2026 season as Arsenal did across three English campaigns under him. That is a fair reminder that a good run can sit alongside a fair number of setbacks.
For fans who are new to the league, the next two matches decide whether San Diego finish top or stay second. Both results will shape how the playoffs look for the club. The five-game streak gives them momentum, and Eidevall's stated target is clear: a trophy, not just a place in the bracket.
