San Diego Wave's title hopes end in 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Utah Royals

Angel Rodriguez

Host · Writer

SAN DIEGO — The Wave's season comes to an end Friday night as the Utah Royals earn a 1-0 quarterfinal victory at Snapdragon Stadium to advance in the NWSL playoffs.

final from Snapdragon

[pic.twitter.com/p34BDZrYA9]— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc)

[November 7, 2026]

Friday’s quarterfinal hosting honors belonged to the 2nd seed San Diego Wave, finishing their regular season on 58 points, with the Utah Royals visiting Snapdragon Stadium as the 7th seed underdogs.

The Wave entered the playoffs looking to build on last year’s campaign, hoping to advance past the quarterfinals after their playoff run ended at that same stage a season ago.

San Diego came into these NWSL playoffs on near-perfect form, finishing their regular season with a seven-match unbeaten streak, including six wins and a draw.

The Wave also had the upper hand over the Royals throughout the 2026 regular season, sweeping both meetings with a 2-1 road victory at America First Field on March 22, followed by a 4-2 win at Snapdragon Stadium on Aug. 21.

Within the first five minutes of the opening whistle, the Wave’s...