Wave FC erased a two-goal halftime deficit Friday night, scoring three times in the second half to defeat Racing Louisville 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium and earn three points at home.

San Diego (12W, 7L, 3D) controlled much of the match from the opening whistle, but two defensive mistakes allowed Louisville (7W, 13L, 2D) to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Wave responded with a dominant second-half performance, eventually finding the goals needed to turn the match around and secure three points at home.

Louisville opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Lauren Milliet finished a breakaway following a San Diego defensive mistake. Kayla Fischer provided the assist as Louisville capitalized on the opportunity to take an early 1-0 lead.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute. After Mimi Van Zanten committed a foul just outside the box, Louisville earned a free kick that was sent into the area. Former Wave player Taylor Flint finished the opportunity to score her fifth goal of the season, with captain Arin Wright providing the assist.

The two goals came despite San Diego controlling the majority of possession. At halftime, the Wave held 73% possession and had completed 330 passes compared to Louisville's 120. San Diego also recorded 11 shots, although only two were on target, while Louisville had six shots with three on target.

The Wave's inability to convert their chances continued to be a familiar problem. The team controlled the ball and created opportunities but entered halftime scoreless, while Louisville took advantage of the mistakes that gave it opportunities despite spending much of the half without possession.

Head coach Jonas Eidevall said the halftime message focused on making adjustments, reinforcing the team's approach and creating belief after falling behind.

“To come in there and shout for ten minutes is maybe not that great,” said Eidevall. “It's really important to give the team the messages, the things we need to change because there were some things that we clearly needed to change and do better in the second half. That was to reiterate those messages about what we needed to do as a team, to create belief, and there is a real power when everyone is around the same ideas and we saw that today.”

San Diego came out of halftime with a different level of urgency.

Trinity Byars put the ball in the back of the net in the 47th minute, finding space at the top of the box and using her footwork to maneuver between two defenders before finishing the chance. The goal was Byars' ninth of the season and immediately shifted the momentum of the match.

The goal sparked a wave of San Diego chances. Just minutes later, Kimmi Ascanio nearly scored after coming on at halftime for Laurina Fazer. Ludmila's cross bounced around the box before Ascanio's effort narrowly missed the target.

Less than a minute later, Ludmila nearly found the back of the net herself when a ball intended as a cross drifted dangerously toward goal.

Ludmila continued to threaten throughout the second half. In the 66th minute, she came within inches of scoring before nearly finding the net again a minute later, forcing Louisville goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer into an important save that resulted in a corner kick.

San Diego's pressure continued to build as the Wave regained three players who had recently been unavailable. Kenza Dali entered in the 63rd minute for Laila Harbert, receiving a loud ovation from the Snapdragon Stadium crowd, while Gia Corley entered for Lia Godfrey in the 74th minute.

Byars found the equalizer in the 76th minute to complete her brace and reach double digits in goals for the season. The play began with Corley immediately making an impact, earning a corner after taking a shot. Dali and Kennedy Wesley both contributed efforts during the ensuing sequence before the ball eventually fell to Byars, who finished to make it 2-2.

Reaching double digits marked an important milestone for Byars, who credited her teammates for helping her reach the mark.

“It's really special, honestly this is my kind of first season, so just being surrounded by great teammates and players, ultimately they helped me get to this point so I'm just really grateful.”

San Diego completed the comeback just four minutes later. Dali scored in the 80th minute for her first goal of the season, giving the Wave a 3-2 lead. The goal marked an important moment in her return to the lineup and capped a second half in which San Diego's pressure finally began to produce results.

Dali also praised Byars for the work behind her breakout season and the difference she has made for San Diego.

“She's really important for us,” said Dali. “Being able to make the difference for us is really massive and I'm really happy for her because I saw the work behind that, I see it everyday.”

Dali's return to the field carried significance beyond the goal. After spending several matches on the sideline while recovering from injury, she said being able to contribute from the bench gave her a different perspective as a captain.

“It's really difficult. When you go through injuries ... you really feel lonely, you really feel like you need to be off of the team, so that's why it's important to connect everyday,” Dali said. “Actually I had a great view from the past few games when you can see so much more and at half time I try to give a lot of information individually, I try to help them as much as I can.”

Returning to Snapdragon Stadium made the moment even more meaningful for Dali, who said the crowd's support helped fuel her return.

“It was incredible, I'm so grateful to have the support of people around the stadium, I always felt love,” Dail said. “It's massive for me and I'm a player that plays on the emotions, and San Diego is definitely my home.”

The Wave continued to threaten late. Louisville received its third yellow card in the 88th minute when Macey Hodge fouled Ludmila during another potential breakaway. Melanie Barcenas was also shown a yellow card in the 88th minute before being replaced by Gabi Portilho in stoppage time.

Adriana Leon replaced Byars in the 90th minute as the Wave protected their lead.

Even then, San Diego continued to create chances. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Ludmila broke away, rounded Bloomer and struck the post, coming inches away from adding a fourth goal.

The final numbers reflected San Diego's control of the match. The Wave finished with 72% possession compared to Louisville's 28%, while recording 32 shots and 10 shots on target. Louisville managed 13 shots with only three on target. San Diego also completed 580 passes with an 86% accuracy rate, compared to Louisville's 215 passes at 64% accuracy.

The victory moved San Diego into second place in the NWSL standings with 39 points, giving the Wave another important result at home. After entering halftime down 2-0, San Diego responded with three second-half goals, including two from Byars and Dali's first of the season, to complete the comeback and secure all three points. That's the story of this Wave team right now, and it's a fun one to watch unfold.