By OkayGoal 
Photo Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images
The San Diego Wave got two goals from forward Trinity Byars, one very early and one very late, to steal a point from Kansas City’s comeback with a 2-2 draw Friday night, keeping them atop the NWSL standings for now. Current midfielder Croix Bethune scored the initial equalizer and assisted forward Temwa Chawinga to take the lead before Byars’ late equalizer.
The Kansas City Current came back from an early deficit at CPKC Stadium, extending their league-record home unbeaten streak to 24 regular season games but ending the home winning streak at 10.
Byars, 23, opened the scoring in the sixth minute, putting the finishing touch on an advanced turnover and nice passing in and around the box.
Bethune hit the crossbar in the first half, but San Diego held onto the slim lead into the break. Less than 10 minutes into the second half, the 25-year-old midfielder connected on a service from Laney Rouse with an impressive volley to even the score. It was Rouse’s first career assist and Bethune’s 10th regular season goal.
Less than 10 minutes after that, Bethune brilliantly played Chawinga in behind the defense for what looked like a game-winning goal. The goal was Chawinga’s ninth on the season, tying her with Ashley Sanchez for second in the Golden Boot race (behind only Barbra Banda’s 12). Before Friday, the Current had won each of the last 23 regular season matches in which Chawinga scored, dating back to Oct. 2024, the longest streak of its kind in NWSL history. Kansas City will be without their goalscorer for the foreseeable future, as Chawinga has been called up to represent Malawi at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), taking place in Morocco from July 26 to Aug. 16.
Moments before the game clock ticked into second-half stoppage time, San Diego scored an equalizer of their own. Defender Kristen McNabb took the initial shot off the volley that goalkeeper Marisa Jordan couldn’t see through the traffic and thus didn’t get down quickly enough to fully stop. Current defender Izzy Rodriguez tried to clear the slowed and deflected shot at the far post but was met by a sliding Byars, who pushed it over the line. Byars now has six goals on the season.
This was the third time during the home unbeaten streak that the opponent has scored in the 90th minute or stoppage time to get the draw, something the Current have not done.
