​Aug 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Wave midfielder Lia Godfrey (22), left, celebrates with forward Trinity Byars (15) after scoring a goal in the second half against the Washington Spirit at Audi Field.San Diego Wave FC weathered the storm in Washington, D.C., as rookie standout Lia Godfrey scored the match’s lone goal in a 1-0 victory over the Spirit. After the final whistle at Audi Field, a jubilant Jonas Eidevall was seen on the sideline after earning a tough three points on the road.The Wave head coach was asked about his passionate postgame celebration and pointed to last year’s heartbreaking defeat in Washington, when San Diego conceded in the closing moments.Eidevall said the loss had stayed with him, and he promised himself that the next time the Wave returned to Audi Field, they would be the ones celebrating at the final whistle.Godfrey’s strike in the 60th minute proved to be the difference, bringing her season total to nine goal contributions (five goals and four assists). This was her fourth game-winning goal of the season, a club record. The statement victory extended San Diego’s unbeaten run away from home to five matches while ending Washington’s impressive 13-match unbeaten streak.In her second start for the San Diego Wave, goalkeeper Sandra Paños secured a clean sheet with two saves—a much better performance than her previous outing against the Seattle Reign, where she allowed two goals.The Wave now sit on 32 points through 18 matches, compiling a 10-2-6 record. They remain fourth in the standings, trailing Gotham FC, Washington and the Utah Royals FC. Sunday afternoon was a clash between two of the top teams in the NWSL.FINAL WHISTLE FIRE US UP JONAS pic.twitter.com/25pYT97qWk— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) August 2, 2026Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos headline the dynamic Washington squad. Rodman, a potential MVP candidate this season, has scored eight goals and added five assists thus far. Santos has similar numbers with five goals and four assists. The relentless rain in the nation’s capital certainly played a role. You can hear the rain fall on the broadcast for the full 90 minutes of play. The weather made it difficult to dribble, pass, and shoot, which often led to sloppy play on the pitch.Washington goalkeeper Sandy MacIver turned in a strong first-half performance, making several impressive saves, including back-to-back stops on Ludmila before denying Melanie Barcenas from distance. She finished the match with five saves and has only conceded 13 goals this season.After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, San Diego capitalized on a bad pass. Following the takeaway, Trinity Byars, who was just subbed on in the 57th minute, sprinted into the attacking third and passed to Godfrey inside the box. She chipped the ball over a sliding MacIver and into the net.“It was a great transition opportunity from us,” Godfrey said about her goal. “The ball was bouncing in the box, and I saw an oppor