Column: Abby Dahlkemper, not out of 2023 World Cup picture, set to rejoin Wave

Much like Fernando Tatis Jr. for the Padres, Abby Dahlkemper looms as a timely midseason addition for her playoff-contending team, the Wave.

“I’ve been practicing and feeling really good; I’m excited to be back on the field,” said Dahlkemper, who’s recovered from two broken ribs and apparently will play in Sunday’s 2 p.m. match against Washington at the University of San Diego.

If she rounds into peak form, which takes weeks if not months, local fans will see up close why the expansion soccer club made Dahlkemper its first player acquisition. Sidelined by the rib fractures, two other injuries and illness, she’s appeared in just two of 10 regular-season games.

Don’t let her lengthy absences fool you into thinking Dahlkemper — who, at 29, is three years younger than Wave star Alex Morgan — can’t make a difference this year.

She anchored the defense of UCLA’s lone national titlist in women’s soccer, three National Women’s Soccer League champions and the World Cup-winning U.S. team three summers ago. A return to full health could yield world-class soccer.

“Abby is one of the best centerbacks in the world and a proven winner at the club and international level,” Wave President Jill Ellis, her former national team coach, said in November after a three-team trade brought Dahlkemper from Houston and sent $190,000 in allocation money and the Wave’s first pick in the 2023 NWSL draft to North Carolina.

Dahlkemper, skilled and powerful, played the most minutes of any U.S. player in the 2019 World Cup in France. At the Tokyo Olympics last summer, she logged every minute through three games before sitting out the final match on a coach’s decision.

Her setbacks this year began with a back injury in February that sidelined her with the national team and the Wave. Beset by illness in April and knocked from the Wave’s home opener in May, she has recorded just 124 minutes this season. What began as a euphoric journey — “I absolutely love San Diego, the community, everyone involved with the Wave, the staff, the fans, the coaches, my teammates,” she said — brought challenges not fully offset by the team dynamic.

“I have been kind of experiencing every emotion possible,” she said. “So, I’ve been sad, frustrated, angry. I’ve been feeling happy and excited. So, it has been a lot this year. It’s kind of crazy listing all of the (setbacks). But, adversity builds character. That’s something that I’ve kind of fallen back on. These are definitely speed bumps in the road. But it’s not going to stop me from getting back on the field and playing soccer and kind of doing what I love.”

For the Wave (5-2-3) and Dahlkemper, there’s a lot riding on the final 12 games. The expansion club, which sat first in points entering this weekend, seeks one of six playoff spots. If she plays well, Dahlkemper stands to bolster an already strong defense that’s third in goals allowed and owns four shutouts, while her long-passing prowess could fuel the team’s improving transition game.

And though the national team that includes Wave rookie defender Naomi Girma (along with Morgan and midfielder Taylor Kornieck) will be playing World Cup qualifiers in Mexico this month, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski will keep an eye on Dahlkemper. Performing up to her standards could lead to her getting the chance to compete for a U.S. roster spot, in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“Obviously the first thing is I need to get back on the field and be able to play and compete,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for Vlatko, and I know he really values performance in the league and your ability to play well on your club team. That’s just important for me. I’m just trying focus on what I can control, and that’s health to a certain extent and being able to give my best to the team here, the Wave.”

During her recent detours, Dahlkemper kept herself busy, beyond rehabbing from injuries. She made bracelets and other jewelry that she sells. The proceeds go to the Black Women’s Players Collective, a group of some 50 athletes who expose Black women and girls to the world of soccer and the opportunities that can come with it. She mentored Wave teammates and cheered their ascent to the top of the 12-team NWSL. She’ll try to keep the ball rolling

“It’s just getting myself back on the field and feeling like myself again and enjoying the game,” she said, “and I feel like when I’m enjoying the game, that’s when I’m at my best. Confidence comes when you’re playing and feeling free and at your best.”