Column: San Diego Wave, Alex Morgan are off to fun start

A sports event that flowed and was done in two hours.

A world-class soccer star showing, at 32, she’s still got it.

A head coach who’s not timid.

Toss in an enthusiastic crowd of 5,158 at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium, whose frontage street affords ocean views, and the package Saturday afternoon was a nice fist-bump for San Diego’s spectator-sport scene and newly formed National Women’s Soccer League club.

The often-said argument against attending sports events in San Diego is there are just too many other things to do here.

Soccer matches represent a do-both alternative.

From first whistle to last whistle, the San Diego Wave’s 4-2 victory before a CBS audience spanned an hour and 54 minutes — by which time the Padres have often not reached the seventh-inning stretch and the football Aztecs have some 90 minutes to go.

If the soccer’s not good, why bother?

The Wave’s top draw, Alex Morgan, is one of the world’s best women players, a two-time World Cup winner who’s scored 115 international goals.

Morgan, able to win with her feet, head and mind, scored two goals and assisted another Saturday, while showing that in this sport, San Diego can handle Los Angeles. The opponent, L.A.-based Angel City, is the Wave’s fellow expansion team in the globally best-in-class NWSL.

Expansion status often denotes insufficient roster depth.

Can the Wave weather a season that doesn’t end until Sept. 30? Based on three preseason games, the Wave, at minimum, should fare much better than the expansionist Padres (52-110) of 1969.

They’re off to a respectable start.

“We’re building from nothing,” Morgan noted. “Some teams have 10 years of training together. So, I would say that we’re putting a pretty good product on the field for only being together two months now.”

Coach Casey Stoney showed a little something, too, Saturday, when she started Morgan at left wing rather than center forward, her primary spot.

Stoney said some soccer pundits likely panned her decision.

“Because you’re always criticized when you don’t play national team players where you’re supposed to play them in their perceived position,” she said. “You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t.”

Here, the coach knew best.

The shuffled front line of Morgan, British import Jodie Taylor and Sofia Jakobsson, a Swedish wing, dominated an injury-impaired back line.

“I will utilize all players where I think they can hurt the opposition,” Stoney said. “And, I identified that we could potentially hurt their outside backs. I thought Alex could. And the way she runs and moves and gets behind could cause real problems there. And, also in transition, getting down the sides of their center backs.”

Apparently, Stoney is a big believer in players being versatile. Though Morgan best embodies that trait, having seemed comfortable all over the offense, Stoney characterized it as a team strength.

“Listen,” she said, “all of that front three can play anywhere. So, if I swap the wingers over, if I play Jodie wide and Alex central, I have that luxury. I’ve also got (thunder-footed German) Marleen Schimmer that can play off left and right. I’ve got (rookie) Amirah Ali that can play off left or right or nine. And I’ve got (USC alum) Katie Johnson that can play across the top three. So, we’ve got adaptability in those top areas. Which is a luxury that some other clubs don’t have.”

The Wave (1-1-1) will resume the preseason at Seattle and Portland, April 14 and 17, before the next home match, April 23, against Seattle-based OL Reign.