A young Brazilian who stands 5-foot-2 and makes the soccer ball do her bidding has lifted the San Diego Wave back to the ranks of the National Women’s Soccer League’s more-interesting teams.

And none too soon.

Thanks to Maria Eduarda Rodrigues Silva – Dudinha, for short – coming aboard in August and summoning her best Pele down the stretch, the No. 6-seeded Wave have a better shot of upending the third-seeded Portland Thorns in a first-round playoff match Sunday in Portland.

Dudinha is a Portuguese term of endearment for the name Eduarda, which means rich and blessed guard.

On the NWSL pitch Dudinha translates into a rookie outdoing athletes who are bigger, stronger and much more experienced.

With five goals over the team’s final five matches, including the lone tally in a 2-1 road lo

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