As she embarked on her professional soccer career, Tatum Wynalda kept an open mind.
The recent Pepperdine University graduate and her agent looked at potential opportunities across the world, from Italy and France to Greece and Mexico.
“I was open to overseas,” Wynalda said.
But it makes sense that the daughter of U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Eric Wynalda, who scored the first goal in the history of Major League Soccer, really wanted to begin her career at home.
“My dream has always been to play in the NWSL,” Wynalda said. “It’s the best league in the world to me.”
She was sitting in a coffee shop with her aunt when the call came. The San Diego Wave had offered her a trial.
“You’re leaving in four days,” her agent said.
Ten appearances into her rookie season, Wynalda is beginning to make a name for herself in the city where both her parents starred in college for San Diego State.
Before playing in three World Cups, Eric Wynalda led the Aztecs to the NCAA national championship game in 1987. Amy Ward played for SDSU after leading Agoura High to four straight CIF-Southern Section titles.
“It feels like a storybook,” Tatum Wynalda said.
After two short-term contracts to replace injured players, Wynalda signed a contract through the rest of the season earlier this month.
“Tatum has been a great addition to our team and has contributed in meaningful ways to the success this season,” said San Diego general manager Camille Ashton in the news release. “She has stepped up and proven she can compete at a high level in this league. We’re excited to continue supporting her development this season.”
An All-West Coast Conference selection in all four seasons at Pepperdine, Wynalda had 23 goals and 17 assists in 79 career matches for the Waves. She had a career-high 10 assists as a senior.
The Star’s 2022 Girls Soccer Player of the Year had 48 goals and 20 assists in just 32 matches at Westlake High.
“Coming into this environment, it’s starting like a freshman all over again,” Wynalda said. “You’re at the bottom of the totem pole and you have to prove yourself all over again.”
Wynalda celebrated the contract extension in the next night’s match, a 2-0 home win over defending NWSL champion Gotham FC at Snapdragon Stadium on July 4.
Wynalda’s pressure created a turnover that San Diego turned into the game-clinching goal in the 93rd minute.
“That was my first Tatum moment,” Wynalda said. “That’s a moment I was proud of. It showcases to the world who I am, my grit and determination.”
Discussing the moment with her father, the elder Wynalda agreed the moment was fitting for a player who began her career as a trialist.
“Making something out of nothing encapsulates your journey,” Eric Wynalda told his daughter.
It was the 21-year-old’s second big moment of the season. She created an equalizer in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw at Houston on May 20, finding Perle Morroni with a long pass over the top.
“Something I’ve grown to learn and appreciate is you can’t always be the goalscorer, the assister,” Wynalda said. “How can I be the best teammate? The best leader? Can I connect all my passes?
“It’s just taping into any role that’s asked for me in the moment.”
Joe Curley covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Tatum Wynalda is making waves with NWSL’s San Diego team
Reporting by Joe Curley, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joe Curley, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
