San Diego Wave FC has set a new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) playoff attendance record just weeks after setting a regular-season record during its inaugural campaign.
A crowd of 26,215 at Snapdragon Stadium saw the team’s 2-1 victory against Chicago Red Stars, which secured them a place in the 2022 semi-finals. The previous record was set hours prior by the Houston Dash with 21,284 fans at PNC Stadium.
Despite only entering the NWSL in 2022 – 10 years after the league was formed – San Diego now holds both the playoff attendance record, as well as the NWSL regular-season record of 32,000, which was set on September 17.
Jeanene Valentine, the club’s senior director of ticket sales and premium, paid tribute to the “best ticketing team in the game!”
The team’s average attendance during its inaugural season is 8,729, which is the third highest in the NWSL. Angel City FC has the highest average attendance of 19,105 during 2022, with Portland Thorns second on 15,543.
The NWSL was established in 2012 as the successor to Women’s Professional and Women’s United Soccer Association. The league began play in 2013 with eight teams and now has 12 teams across the US.
Snapdragon Stadium was opened in August 2022, with a capacity of 32,000 for soccer and 35,000 for American football. Its record crowd was set on the day it opened, when 34,000 watched San Diego State Aztecs versus Arizona.