RECAP: KC Current earn hard-fought draw against table leaders San Diego Wave

The Kansas City Current returned to CPKC Stadium to host top-of-the-table San Diego Wave on a warm humid night in the Heartland.

A slow start in the first half was followed by an exciting second act that saw each team find the back of the net. With goals from Croix Bethune and Temwa Chawinga, the draw keeps the Current in position to challenge for the number one seed with the second half of the regular season in full swing.

Defenders Gabby Robinson and Izzy Rodriguez celebrated NWSL regular season appearance milestones with 50 caps and 100 caps, respectively.

The Kansas City Current began the game pressing high and trying to force mistakes out of the San Diego Wave backline. While they were able to succeed in recovering possession in the attacking third, the Current struggled to string together enough passes to create any danger.

Despite KC’s high press, the Wave were able to enjoy spells of possession early and coupled with some lackluster defending early, San Diego struck first.

Gia Corley was found unmarked in the Current’s penalty area and centers an easy ball across Marisa Jordan’s face of goal and Trinity Byars pushes the ball into the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead.

After conceding the early goal, Kansas City continued their gameplan of pressing high and forcing errors, which was successful but had yet to pay off.

It did lead to the game’s first corner which went in KC’s favor. Chawinga found Rodriguez wide on the break and she battled toward the boundary and won the corner kick for the home side.

KC registered their first shot of the game in the 22nd minute on a well-designed free kick play that saw Hopkins unmarked in the box, but her header went well-wide of the Wave’s goal.

Chawinga is able to win her battle and secure the ball on the attack in the 39th, she plays it back to Debinha who crosses again for Hopkins who is unable to get her header on frame. Moments later, Hopkins wins the ball deep in Wave territory and it falls to the feet of Bethune who uses her footwork to get a shot toward goal that hits the crossbar. Debinha tries to head in the rebound, but the ball was too high to control.

Current went into half time down 1-0, but with signs of momentum beginning to grow.

The second half was all Kansas City, and it didn’t take long for the Current to find the equalizer.

The KC Current were once again pressing high up the field and Hopkins was able to force the ball away from the Wave defender near the end line and it made its way to Laney Rouse, who was joining in on the high press. Rouse crosses the ball to an on-running Bethune who rifles home the volley home a shot to make it 1-1.

CPKC Stadium erupted in the 60th minute as they welcomed back midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo who entered the game for Debinha. Rocky Rodriguez also entered in the same window for Bayley Feist.

San Diego made two substitutions in the same window with Lia Godfery and Gabi Portilho coming on for Corley and Ludmila da Silva, respectively.

The eruption returned one minute later as Bethune found Chawinga galloping past San Diego defenders on the left side of the field. The two-time MVP skips past the backline and finishes with her left across the face of Luisa Agudelo’s goal and gives the lead to Kansas City.

With the goal, Chawinga is tied for second in the league in goals with nine. Bethune’s assist also ties her for first in NWSL with six.

Wave midfielder Kenza Dali’s foul in the 75th minute earned her the game’s first yellow card for persistent infringement, just moments after receiving a talking to from the referee for a prior hard foul.

With under 10 minutes to go in regulation, San Diego began to string together some chances, but with limited success until the dying embers of the match.

With seconds to go, San Diego crossed the ball into the box and KC are unable to clear it. It finds the feet of Kristen McNabb who sends a shot on frame that is spilled by Jordan. Though Izzy Rodriguez tried to clear the ball as it slow rolled into the net, Byars ran into to push it home to complete her brace and tie the game 2-2.

Despite giving five minutes of added time, the game went on until halfway through the 98th minute and the official blew the whistle after a literal last second save from Jordan on Kimmi Ascanio’s shot.

The Current now head to the northeast to visit the Boston Legacy on Saturday, July 25th.