KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After watching its one-goal halftime lead disappear in less than 20 minutes, Wave FC found an answer when it mattered most. Trinity Byars scored twice, including a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer, as San Diego rallied for a 2-2 draw against the Kansas City Current Friday night at CPKC Stadium.
The result kept the Wave atop the NWSL standings while ending Kansas City's perfect home record for the 2026 season.
Despite controlling 58% of possession and outshooting Kansas City 12-9, San Diego found itself needing a late response after the Current erased its halftime deficit.
San Diego entered the match looking to rebound from last weekend's rivalry loss to Angel City FC and wasted little time taking control.
Byars, making just her second start of the season after thriving as one of the league's most productive substitutes, opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Gia Corley delivered the assist, giving the Wave an early 1-0 advantage.
The goal continued an encouraging trend for San Diego. Entering Friday, San Diego was 3-0-0 when scoring within the opening 10 minutes of a match.
Kansas City threatened throughout the half but couldn't solve 19-year-old goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo, who made another start after recording a clean sheet in her NWSL debut earlier this month.
Kimmi Ascanio. Credit: Wave FC Media
At halftime, Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall praised his team's execution.
"It's a tough game of fútbol, but we followed the game plan well," Eidevall said. "We broke through their press and created some good opportunities. So all in all a good half from us, but the job is not done yet and we need to have a strong second half."
Kansas City's response came quickly.
Croix Bethune equalized in the 52nd minute with a well-struck volley for her third goal of the season before Temwa Chawinga gave the Current their first lead nine minutes later off a Bethune assist. The assist marked her sixth of the season and moved her into a tie for the league lead. Chawinga's goal marked her team-leading ninth of the season.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, San Diego pushed numbers forward.
Eidevall turned to his bench, bringing on Lia Godfrey before later introducing Melanie Barcenas as the Wave searched for another breakthrough.
Despite controlling possession and creating more chances than the Current, the Wave trailed entering the final minutes. San Diego finished with 12 shots, including six on target, while Kansas City managed nine shots with three on goal.
Agudelo kept San Diego within striking distance with a key save against Chawinga early in the second half, allowing the Wave to remain within one goal.
The pressure finally paid off in stoppage time.
Byars found the back of the net for the second time in the game in the 90th minute, earning San Diego a point while bringing her season total to six goals.
Trinity Byars fights for the ball earlier in the season.
The comeback reflected the resilience San Diego has shown throughout the season. Despite losing leading scorer Dudinha to a season-ending ACL injury earlier this summer, the Wave have continued to rely on contributions from throughout the roster.
Corley believes that chemistry has been a key factor in the team's success.
"We find more and more our identity and our style of playing soccer," Corley said. "Our connections are growing from game to game, so we just enjoy playing with each other and just getting to know each other more and more. So I think it's the fluidity in between us and we just try to enjoy the game."
San Diego continued pressing after Byars' equalizer, nearly completing the comeback when Kimmi Ascanio's close-range attempt was denied by Kansas City goalkeeper Marisa Jordan in the final moments.
The draw was another reminder of how competitive the NWSL table remains. Kansas City entered the match in sixth place but moved up to fifth following the result, with teams continuing to battle for position in the race for the top spots.
For San Diego, earning a point on the road against one of the league's strongest home teams provided a much-needed answer after last week's rivalry defeat. The draw kept the Wave atop the NWSL standings, though several chasers have games in hand. San Diego sits at 29 points from 16 games, the most games played of any team in the league. Gotham FC, Portland, and Washington are each right behind at 27 points, and a win this weekend for any of them would push that team past the Wave.
Website Photo: Trinity Byars. Credit: Wave FC Media
