NWSL Results: Current triumph over Wave

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Four overlapping matches took place in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday night.




San Diego Wave 0, Kansas City Current 2



The Skinny: In a battle between two dominant NWSL teams, Kansas City won with confidence and handed San Diego their first home loss in the 2022 regular season.




One Key Moment: Kansas City exerted a comfortable control throughout most of the match, with two goals in the first half and even a chance to score on a penalty kick in the second. But when San Diego fought back in the 88th minute with a goal from Amirah Ali, the home team seemed to be staging a ninth-hour resurgence that could put Kansas City on their toes. But the last minute hype didn’t materialize into a comeback, and an equalizer from San Diego never came. 

Amirah Ali finds the back of the net and gets San Diego on the board!!! Tensions are high over at the water fight #SDvKC | 1-2 | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/36A1TUP8pw
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) August 7, 2022

Inside the Game: The stakes were high at the onset of Sunday night’s match between San Diego and Kansas City, with the former team leading the league’s standings and the latter team coming off an 8-game undefeated streak. But from the start, it was Kansas City’s game to take home. The first half showed that San Diego’s defense, while organized, was no match for the craftiness of Kansas City’s front line, and by the half, the Current led by 2 after goals from CeCe Kizer and Hailie Mace.

And Hailie Mace makes it 2-0 for KC in the 39th!

San Diego hasn't allowed 3 goals in a game in the 2022 regular season. Wonder if that feels like a challenge for KC to accept? #SDvKC | 0-2 | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/rK6HraJ4L1
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) August 7, 2022

The second half of the match followed similar patterns as the first, as Kansas City controlled slightly more possession and limited San Diego’s opportunities to break out of its own back half. Excitement brewed about halfway through the second half, when Kansas City’s Elyse Bennett drew a penalty kick, which was then taken by Lo’eau Labonta, who fought hard for a goal the entire game. The penalty kick was ultimately stopped by Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan, and the match somehow became the third straight game in which the Wave saved a penalty kick. The energy of the save revived San Diego enough to get themselves on the board, but it’s late goal wasn’t enough. Kansas City took home the win and stretched their unbeaten streak to 9 games.




Goals:

1. Kansas City Current – CeCe Kizer, 27’
2. Kansas City Current – Hailie Mace, 39’

San Diego Wave – Amirah Ali, 88’




— Julie Schreiber



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