NWSL Challenge Cup: Alex Morgan hits late as San Diego Wave clip Gotham FC

Alex Morgan scored in the 88th minute and the San Diego Wave won the Challenge Cup in the National Women’s Soccer League with a 1-0 victory over Gotham FC on Friday evening.

Morgan started the second half as a substitute. She broke the deadlock on a header from a corner by Savannah McCaskill, who joined the Wave from rival Angel City in the offseason.

“The ball came straight to me, so I knew I couldn’t mess it up,” Morgan said.

The Challenge Cup match featured the winner of last season’s league championship and the winner of the NWSL Shield. Gotham claimed the title after a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Reign, and the Wave finished with the best record of the season (11-7-4). The regular season of the league starts on Saturday.

The Wave had a good chance in the 33rd minute, but Gotham goalkeeper Cassie Miller got a hand on Jaedyn Shaw’s shot and the ball shot up and away.

After winning the title, Gotham spent the offseason adding high-profile players, including Crystal Dunn from the Portland Thorns, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett from the Seattle Reign, and Tierna Davidson from the Red Stars. All four are regular players on the U.S. national team.

Among those in attendance at the game were Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senator Cory Booker. The number of attendees was announced at 14,241.