Boston Legacy FC vs San Diego Wave: 3 Thoughts

Boston Legacy FC fell 1-0 to the San Diego Wave on Friday in one of the tamest games it has had.

The fourth consecutive loss keeps the team at the bottom of the standings with zero points.

Head Coach Filipa Patão went with a 3-4-3 diamond formation and employed nearly the same lineup as last week.

Casey Murphy remained in the goal with Jorelyn Carabalí, Laurel Ansbrow, and Bianca St-Georges in the back. Bárbara Olivieri, Annie Karich, and Alba Caño made up the midfield with Amanda Gutierres in the No. 10 role. Aïssata Traore took her usual striker position, flanked by Sammy Smith on her left and Nichelle Prince on her right.

Prince and Gutierres were the only players who were not in the previous starting lineup. The first half was a stalemate with the teams having nearly equal possession, and the Wave took control of the second, occasionally broken up by Boston’s offense. San Diego’s Ludmila found the back of the net in the 63rd minute. Each team took a total of eight shots, the least Boston has taken thus far.

Here are three thoughts from the game… which are starting to get repetitive.

No Gutigoals

Friday was the first time Gutierres and Traoré started together.

Their performance was disjointed, and Gutierres spent less time in the final third than usual. She only took one shot in the game, combining with Traoré for a total of four shots.

Amanda Gutierres heat map vs. San Diego Wave

The Brazilian’s efforts at helping out her teammates often led to her playing deep. Though well-intentioned, Patão needs her to be closer to Traoré and the box. Gutierres poses the most danger when she’s aligned with the opposition’s defense, and having her in the midfield during buildup is wasted opportunity.

“When we go to the creation phase, we don't need Amanda so dropped,” the coach said postgame. “She needs to understand … sometimes the best help that you can give is to stay there. You stay between the lines, but more close to the last line.”

They’re working on it, said the coach.

Trust the Process

Patão and her players have been repeating that they’re trusting the process and focusing on improvement rather than results, but Friday’s loss left several players frustrated.

Traoré quickly became a fan favorite due to the pure passion she shows every game. She said during media availability on Wednesday that she will do her best to put her team in the best position, and that has been evidenced by the chances she creates and all her solo runs into the final third.

After the final whistle on Friday, she took a minute to lie on the field. None of the shots she took were on target, and though she often found herself near the box, nothing came of it. Several teammates comforted her on her way off the pitch, where she was met by General Manager Domè Guasch, and later by BLFC co-owner Stephanie Connaughton. Even after the pep talks and assurances that she did well, it was clear how much this means to the 28-year-old.

The emotions showed for other players as well. Karich and Olivieri both commented on the officiating after the game. The Legacy racked up 19 fouls and two yellow cards, while San Diego had 13 fouls and one yellow.

Like her coach, Karich said the team has to be smarter in its decision-making and recognize the kind of calls the referees are making during the game. She later referred to the red scratch on her neck.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t a foul,” she quipped.

Olivieri seemed to be holding herself back when speaking about all the fouls that have been called on the team.

“We're an aggressive team, but it's not anything that is crazy,” she said in the postgame conference. “But, yeah, I guess that's how we're playing and reffing the league this year.”

A Star on the Pitch

Nicki Hernandez and Ella Stevens, who were both unavailable Friday, watched warmups on the field and were joined by Chicago Stars defender Sam Angel, whose team had a game the same night. Angel signed a two-year contract with Chicago in June 2025 and was listed on the team’s 2026 roster. She has not made any appearances this season, but has been in training and was named as a substitute in the Stars’ week three match.

The team declined to comment when asked whether the player had been traded or signed to a roster relief contract.

Three Legacy defenders (Laís Araújo, Kaká, and Hernandez) have been out due to injury. If only they could sign another defender…