NWSL: KC Current edges San Diego, moves to 2-0
Written by I Dig SportsIsabel Rodriguez scored in the 44th minute and Lo'eau LaBonta converted a penalty kick in the 71st minute as the Kansas City Current came back from a goal down to beat the host San Diego Wave FC 2-1 on Saturday.
The Wave, playing their season opener at Snapdragon Stadium, opened the scoring on Sofia Jakobsson's 17th-minute goal off a corner kick. They led throughout much of the first half, until Rodriguez evened it up just before half-time with a strike from the middle of the box.
In the 67th minute, Bia Zaneratto drew a foul on the Wave's Christen Westphal. After a VAR review, the Current were awarded a penalty kick, which LaBonta converted with a shot to the center of the goal to beat a diving Kailen Sheridan.
The win is the second in as many games for Kansas City, which is one of two teams with six points so far this season.
Chicago Red Stars 2-1 Seattle Reign FC
Defender Maximiliane Rall scored off a Taylor Malham cross in the 68th minute to give host Chicago its second win in as many games this season, edging Seattle in Bridgeview, Ill.
Rall, who joined the Red Stars in the offseason after seven seasons with Bayern Munich in her native Germany, scored five minutes after Ji So-Yun put the Reign on the board with a shot from outside the box.
Julia Bianchi opened the scoring for Chicago with a goal in the 42nd minute.
Croix Bethune, the third overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, broke through a crowd in front of the goal and beat Lysianne Proulx in the 95th minute to net her first career goal and give host Washington a stunning win in the nation's capital.
Corralling the ball with her back to the net, Bethune spun, split two defenders and beat a sliding Proulx to complete the comeback for the Spirit, who came back from a goal down for their first win of the season.
Dorian Bailey got Bay FC on the board first, scoring in the 11th minute. Hal Hershfelt evened the score 12 minutes later, scoring off an assist from Trinity Rodman to even the score.
Houston Dash 0-0 Racing Louisville FC
Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell recorded 10 saves while counterpart Katie Lund made four for Racing as the teams played to a scoreless draw in Houston.
It was the 25th clean sheet in Campbell's NWSL career, while Lund picked up her 13th.
It was the second draw in as many games for Louisville, while Houston picked up its first point of the season following a 5-1 loss at North Carolina in the opener on March 16.