Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall is a breath of fresh air

To be gracious in defeat does not come easy for most soccer coaches. Take Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta for example. The Gunners boss has built somewhat of a reputation for his creative excuses in post-match interviews.

Unlike his former colleague however, San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was pleasantly positive, proactive and polite as he addressed the media after his side were beaten 2-0 by KC Current on Saturday night.

Wave forward Adriana Leon causes Current defensive headache

Adriana Leon (9) tries to keep the ball in play near the Current goal at Snapdragon Stadium on Sat. April 12, 2025.
Photo: Nate Tubbs/Prost International.

Eidevall was a breath of fresh air.

A rare breed of an affable and amicable head coach. As the old adage goes, actions speak louder than words. This piece wasn’t supposed to be about Eidevall, yet the Swede’s ability to connect with fans on a human level, has thrust the 42-year-old to the center of this post-match feature.

To look humble in front of the cameras is a unique, but well-practiced skill. To display actual generosity when no-one is looking? Well, that’s genuine humility.

The Snapdragon media conference room is more like an observation tank. Press conferences take place behind a large and long clear screen. Journalists can see out, whilst those in corporate hospitality can glance in. So, when the head coach walks towards a cohort of journalists, all heads begin to turn.

Eidevall is not a flashy man. His touchline attire usually comes in the way of a polo shirt and jeans. If it’s your first time watching the Wave, it would be excusable to mistake him for any regular member of staff.

This is what appeared to happen as he made his way over to speak with journalists. The Wave boss was asked by two thirsty fans to grab them water bottles from inside the locker room.

Could you imagine Pep Guardiola or Luis Enrique delaying their post match schedule to serve up and grab water for two fans? Eidevall did so without any second thought. Some professional soccer players struggle to take the time to sign an autograph or take a selfie. This head coach, having just watched his side lose by two goals, went to the effort of quenching the thirst of strangers.

Perhaps you’re completely unimpressed by a man who just did what any decent person would do when asked for water. However, in the realm of professional soccer, where vanity and arrogance can on occasion prevail, Eidevall’s style of leadership was like a fresh lick of paint. Such a basic act of kindness, immediately setting him apart from several of his counterparts.

On the game itself, Eidevall was refreshingly honest when assessing his side’s performance:

“We are disappointed with our performance. We were not good with what we were trying to implement and that led to us losing at half time.

“I don’t think they [KC Current] created so many opportunities, even if they had a lot of control in the first half. But, maybe it was just a goal too much for us to be down.

“In the second half, we were more cohesive in different phases and did things slightly better. Both when defending close to goal and also when higher up the pitch.

“We were more cohesive in the way that we played in possession and off the transitions. We created a lot of opportunities from that.”

Most coaches struggle to even make eye contact with reporters after a home defeat. Take Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglu, for example. The Spurs manager has mastered the art of staring at the ground and hiding facial expressions. Eidevall, however, appears to soak up the media presence surrounding him and was quick to highlight what he can learn from defeat:

“It is a great measuring point for us. We see things that work and things that do don’t. We are able to see different players in different positions and learn how we can get the best out of them.

“We don’t feel as though we are very far from doing things well and that’s a really good feeling. We have not been consistent in both the first and second half this season.

“Obviously, when playing against the top teams, it’s not good enough to only enjoy spells of the game. You need to be able to be consistent in two halves.”

Eidevall, who somehow maintained his smile, even when discussing back-to-back defeats, will continue to surprise fans this season. As well as addressing players by their first names, the Scandinavian demonstrated his desire to hand players their first starts:

“Trinity Armstrong is an athletic player who even dealt with [Temwa] Chawinga’s pace and runs in behind. I think her first start in the league was a valuable experience and she will learn a lot from it.

“Same with Favour Emmanuel who has been training well and looking better and better prepared. I think she has some good qualities both offensively and defensively that we will definitely have use for in central midfield.

“Chiamaka [Okwuchukwu] as a nine has good speed and pace, with a good ability to stretch in behind. We knew that her abilities would be important for us and we used them more – especially when Adriana Leon came on.

“It was a really valuable experience for all three players to get their first start and it was well deserved because they all worked hard to achieve it.”

Given his refreshing attitude towards the press, it felt natural to ask Eidevall about his unique take on addressing the media:

“I try to find solutions. I was frustrated with the first half today, I hope I don’t come across as happy with the first half. But, there were also positives from the game.

“I’m very happy to be here. I think this is an exciting challenge. We need to grow and develop a lot of things long term, but I know that we have strong and ambitious management and ownership who are committed to develop and grow this club.”