Angel City midfielder Savannah McCaskill explains rivalry against San Diego Wave
By Alex Windley
Angel City FC midfielder Savannah McCaskill explained the team's rivalry with the San Diego Wave, adding a victory "brings so much emotion and honor to us as players."
Though they’ve only played a handful of times, San Diego has won three of the five matches they've faced against each other, including the two most recent games, where the Wave won 2-0 on April 23rd and 1-0 in September of 2022.
Angel City has only won once in July of 2022 and had one draw in March of 2022. This weekend will mark another chapter in the rivalry between the two teams. The Wave currently sits first in the league on 20 points through 11 games played, while Angel City lingers at the bottom with just nine points through eleven played.
“Going into it, it didn’t feel as much of a rivalry game,” McCaskill said of their inaugural clash in the group stage of the Challenge Cup in March of 2022, where both teams fought out a draw. “How that game unfolded, with us scoring first and then them getting the tying goal, they left us feeling like we really wanted to beat them."
McCaskill was a journeywoman before landing with Angel City, bouncing around from the now defunct Boston Breakers to Gotham FC, then to the Chicago Red Stars and Racing Louisville.
Unfortunately, despite being settled into the squad, McCaskill's Angel City is in poor form, with only one win in their last seven matches. She hopes their upcoming match against the Wave could help them kick their season into gear.
“I think we have got to show up, we have to do the dirty work well, we have to compete, we have to want to get into tackles,” the 26-year-old said. “They really build on the huge rivalry piece and bring so much emotion and honor to us as players. Why we’re competing and why the game really means so much is because it means so much to our supporters and the city of Los Angeles.”
This weekend, McCaskill will have an opportunity to make up for missing the game-tying penalty last season during missed Angel City's 1-0 loss against the Wave in September. “It’s no secret, I missed my [penalty] the last time we were down there this last year,” McCaskill said. “So, I would love to be able to score in that stadium and get that monkey off my back.”
Ultimately, McCaskill says she’s excited about the upcoming match and hopes to create more lasting memories for the fans that will fuel a passionate rivalry for years to come.
“I’m all for a goal that makes the crowd go crazy. And even better, to take it a step further, if your team scores a goal and the other team’s supporters have to clap for you because it was that good, that’s a crazy moment.”