The Wave finished the regular season second in the NWSL. The next time they play at Snapdragon Stadium, it’s win or go home.

San Diego Wave FC is playoff bound for the fourth time in five seasons, and the road starts at home. A 2-1 win at North Carolina on October 17 locked up a top-four finish and a quarterfinal at Snapdragon. The home finale on October 25 ended in a 2-2 draw with Boston Legacy FC in front of 15,701.

If you’re used to the MLS postseason, forget the best-of-3 safety net. NWSL playoffs are one game, every round.

Final Standings: Wave Are the No. 2 Seed

The Wave beat Bay FC 1-0 on Decision Day, with rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten scoring in the ninth minute. They finish second at 18-8-4, behind Shield winner Gotham FC, and the top-two finish also puts them in next year’s Concacaf W Champions Cup.

The quarterfinal opponent is the No. 7 Utah Royals, in the first playoff match in their history. Everything you need for that night is in the quarterfinal game guide.

Why This Wave Team Is Different

This is the best regular season in club history by the numbers: club records for wins (18), points (58) and road wins (10).

The first goal tells the story. When the Wave score first, they’re 15-0-3. When they concede first, they’re 2-8-1. That’s the Boston draw in a nutshell: Boston scored in the 48th minute, and the Wave spent the rest of the night chasing.

Players to know:

• Trinity Byars: 11 goals, the most by a Wave player in a season since Alex Morgan in 2022.
• Melanie Barcenas: 7 goals, one of the top teenage scorers in the league.
• Lia Godfrey: 6 assists, most among NWSL rookies this season.

Get to your seat early. The Wave have scored five goals inside the opening five minutes of matches this season, the most in the NWSL. If you’re still in the security line at kickoff, you might miss the only goal you need.

Snapdragon Does Playoffs Loud

San Diego shows up for playoff soccer. The Wave’s first home playoff match, the 2022 quarterfinal, drew 26,215. The 2023 home semifinal drew 32,262, the biggest crowd in NWSL playoff history. Snapdragon also hosted the 2023 NWSL Championship.

Regular-season crowds in the 15,000 range leave room to spread out. A playoff crowd doesn’t. Plan for fuller lots, longer lines and a louder building.

If you want to be in the middle of it, The Cove behind the north goal (sections 136-140) is home to the San Diego Sirens, the drums and the chants. If you want to wear it, the Wave released a 2026 playoff collection.

2026 NWSL Playoff Format

The top eight teams from the regular season make the playoffs. Single elimination the whole way.

Quarterfinals (Nov 6-8): #1 hosts #8, #2 hosts #7, #3 hosts #6, #4 hosts #5
Semifinals (Nov 14-15): Higher seeds host when venues allow
NWSL Championship (Saturday, Nov 21, 5:00 PM PT): Audi Field, Washington, D.C.

Tied after 90 minutes? Two 15-minute extra time periods, then a penalty shootout if it’s still level. Budget extra time for your night.

Can the Wave Host a Semifinal Too?

You’d think a No. 2 seed that wins its quarterfinal automatically gets a home semifinal. Not this year.

Beat Utah, and the Wave face the winner of No. 3 Washington vs. No. 6 Portland as the higher seed. But the semifinals are locked into network TV slots: Saturday, November 14 on CBS at 9:00 AM PT, and Sunday, November 15 on ABC at noon PT. Snapdragon has San Diego State football against Utah State on the night of the 14th, and Gotham’s stadium has a conflict that night too. Only one of them can take Sunday, and the top seed usually gets first pick.

Playoff Tickets

Quarterfinal tickets are on sale now. Don’t wait for the opponent to be announced. By then, everyone else is shopping too.

Season Ticket Members get first access to their seats for every home playoff round. Joining for 2027 now is the only way to guarantee a seat for a possible semifinal too. Details in the Wave Season Ticket Guide.

Quarterfinal Tickets
2027 Season Tickets

Game Day at Snapdragon

Playoff crowds mean busier lots and longer lines than a typical Wave match. Pre-pay for parking, or skip the car and take the Green Line Trolley to SDSU Stadium Station. Check the bag policy before you leave home. Everything else is in the quarterfinal game guide.

How to Watch

The Wave quarterfinal streams on Prime Video. Check sandiegowavefc.com for the TV channel and official watch parties for road matches.

Wave Playoff History

• 2022: Beat the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in extra time in a home quarterfinal, then lost 2-1 at Portland in the semifinal on a stoppage-time goal.
• 2023: Won the NWSL Shield as the top seed, earned a bye, and fell 1-0 to OL Reign in a home semifinal.
• 2024: Missed the playoffs.
• 2025: Entered as the No. 6 seed and lost 1-0 to the Portland Thorns in extra time in the quarterfinal at Providence Park, despite controlling most of the possession.

The Wave have never reached the NWSL Championship. This year’s team gets to start the attempt at home.