KC Current fall 2-0 as San Diego makes Waves

The Kansas City Current fell 2-0 on the road to the San Diego Wave. Both teams played their styles. San Diego dominated possession, moved the ball well, built out of the back, and dared Kansas City to take it away. The Current pressed the Wave and did turn the ball over, but when they gained control of the ball in transition, they were not clinical enough in taking their chances.

With the loss, the Current risk dropping out of a playoff spot if a pair of results do not go their way the rest of the weekend. If both the Seattle Reign and Angel City win, they will leapfrog over Kansas City.

Coach Chris Armas went with the same lineup from the 2-2 draw at home versus the Orlando Pride.

Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall made one change from the team that started their 2-1 win at home over the North Carolina Courage.

Both teams had their chances in the first half.  While San Diego dominated possession, Kansas City did steal the ball a few times and the key stats were fairly well balanced at halftime. Shots, shots on target, big chances, and XG were all close.

It did not take long in the second half for the most important metric in soccer to change. In the 50th minute, San Diego attacker Melania Barcenas crossed to the back post. Laney Rouse was defending Gia Corley’s run when the ball deflected off her leg and past Lorena for an own goal.

The Current mustered a more energetic attack for a few minutes but were unable to penetrate the Wave goal.

In the 88th minute, referee Jeremy Scheer pointed to the spot when Rouse appeared to trip Gabrielle Portilho just inside the box. VAR intervened and the referee go to monitor to confirm the trip was just outside the box. Instead of being punished with a penalty, San Diego was only awarded a free kick from the edge of the penalty area.

While it may have been a relief for the Current to not face a penalty kick, it was a double-edged sword. Since a PK was not awarded, Rouse could receive a yellow and it was her second yellow card of the night so she then earned a red as well. Rouse will miss the Current’s next match at home versus the Denver Summit.

Kenza Dali took the free kick and sliced the the ball towards Kansas City’s back post. Lorena was positioned to punch it away, but the ball deflected off of Wave defender Kennedy Wesley’s head and just over Lorena’s outstretched arms.

The Current have five remaining matches, three at home and two on the road. 

NWSL Match Report
Match: San Diego Wave FC vs. Kansas City Current
Date: Sept. 18, 2026
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, Calif.

Kickoff: 7:10 p.m. PT/9:10 p.m. CT
Weather: 71 degrees, clear
Attendance: 10,761

Discipline
68’ Kansas City – Rouse (Yellow)

76’ San Diego – Barcenas (Yellow)

84’ San Diego – McNabb (Yellow)

90’ Kansas City – Rouse (Second Yellow, Red)

Scoring
50’ San Diego – Own Goal

90+1’ San Diego – Wesley (Dali)

Scoring Summary
                     1         2          F

San Diego      0          2          2

Kansas City    0          0          0

San Diego Wave FC Lineup: Paños, Wesley, Barcenas, Ascanio, Dali ©, Corley (67’ Portilho), McNabb, Byars (46’ Ludmilla), Van Zanten (80’ Courtnall), Godfrey (80’ Harbert), Morroni
Unused Substitutes: Haracic, Fazer, Wynalda, Harrison

Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, I. Rodriguez, Sharples, Ball, Rouse, DiBernardo (71’ R. Rodríguez), LaBonta ©, Debinha (71’ Hocking), Chawinga (61’ White), Cooper, Cooper, Hopkins (80’ Feist)

Unused Substitutes: Jordan, Williams-Mosier, Suliafu, Gemelli