Freaky Fútbol: Wave’s McNabb Scores Both Goals in 1-1 Tie with Washington

The San Diego Wave’s Kristen McNabb scored the tying goal in Sunday’s match against the visiting Washington Spirit.

Ironically, it was 38 minutes after she accidentally put a goal on the scoreboard for the opponents.

In the match’s 30th minute at Snapdragon Stadium, defender McNabb was standing near the San Diego goal when Wave defender Kennedy Wesley attempted to clear the ball.

Instead the ball ricocheted off McNabb’s chest and landed in the back of the net as Wave goalie Kailen Sheridan watched — supposedly the sixth time in league history that a player made an own goal and scored for her club.

The goal put the Spirit (12-4-2, 38 points) in front.

“Yeah, an own goal is never ideal,” McNabb told reporters. “So I think the best way to counteract that is scoring, so I was pretty pumped.”

The announced crowd of 23,541 was excited too — erupting when McNabb punched the ball into the net in the 68th minute.

Attacking a corner kick from midfielder María Sánchez, McNabb beat a defender to the ball and connected on her second touch to place it in the lower corner.

The Spirit — second in NWSL standings — was the favorite, boasting Trinity Rodman, its own Olympic gold medalist.

“I am unbelievably proud of how far they’ve come,” said interim head coach Landon Donovan. “That’s a really good group of players they played against, but Trinity Rodman is like next-level. It was actually really fun to watch her play.”

Donovan praised Naomi Girma — his own Olympic champion — who blocked a rocket off Rodman’s foot to save a goal and wasn’t expected to return to the pitch this quickly.

“Naomi was phenomenal tonight,” Donovan said. “She hasn’t played in 10, 12 days, and she wanted to train all week. I said we can take our time. She said: ‘Nope, I’m in — I want to play.'”

Goalkeeper Sheridan battled 18 Spirit shots on goal, keeping Rodman’s aggressive play at bay.

French international Delphine Cascarino earned her first start for San Diego after making her NWSL debut last weekend for the club. The forward signed with the Wave on July 24 from Olympique Lyonnais.

Donovan said his club is getting better and better.

“So I expect each performance to build on the next and then hopefully … we are up in games and then the pragmatism will come in a bit more,” he said. “but they’re doing exactly what I want them to right now.”

Asked if the club needs to improve psychologically or technically, Donovan said: “All of it.”

Mentally because “losing becomes a habit and winning becomes a habit.”

He cited the league-leading Orlando Pride.

“They expect every time they walk on the field they’re going to win,” Donovan said. “Tonight we kicked the ball off our own player. I could feel the energy in that moment — like ‘Oh my God, here we go again.'”

But he saw his team’s energy pick right up — “and then the ball bounces around and lands on Kristen’s foot, and we scored.”

He added: “So they deserve it now. I would say three weeks ago we didn’t deserve … the ball to fall our way there. Eventually it will change, but we have to earn it.

“And they’re well on their way to it. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting there.”

San Diego hosts North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 8, with kickoff slated for 5 p.m. PT. The match will air live on NWSL+ and streamed locally on FOX 5/KUSI.