**Kansas City, Kansas** – The Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave FC dueled to a 2-2 draw at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night as the visiting Wave came back twice from a one-goal deficit to steal a late point on the road, thanks in large part to two goals from forward Alex Morgan.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the 11 ^th minute after a clever set-piece situation led to a header from forward Kristen Hamilton. A corner kick taken short by midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta, the playmaker played a one-two with a teammate to then receive the ball back and head toward the endline. LaBonta then lifted a ball across goal and found the forward Hamilton, who powered a header past San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and in.
However, San Diego was able to find their equalizer before the halftime interval from the penalty spot. The Wave’s Taylor Kornieck had an effort blocked by Kansas City defender Elizabeth Ball following a corner kick, but the referee judged that Ball had instead committed a handball and pointed to the spot. Up stepped forward Alex Morgan, who had already scored three penalties on the year, to try and convert from 12 yards out, which she did as she produced a calm finish with her left foot to the left side of goal and in. The goal brought Morgan’s tally on the season to eight on the year.
At halftime, Kansas City’s hard opening work was ultimately nullified by Morgan’s spot kick, but there was plenty of work to do for both sides as they would attempt to separate in the second half.
Into the final 45 minutes of play, San Diego’s next best look at goal came just before the hour mark when Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch pulled out a quality stop to prevent the visitors from going in front. After an errant pass by a Current defender, midfielder Tegan McGrady picked up the ball and fed teammate Isabella Briede who unleashed from distance. Diving down to her left, though, Franch was able to hold the effort with two hands.
Six minutes later, Kansas City’s persistence paid off as they were able to restore their lead through forward Elyse Bennett. Working a very similar routine as their previous set-piece goal, this time it was Alexis Loera who played a first-time ball into the penalty area for a teammate to seek out. Getting to the ball first was the forward Bennett, who got her right foot to make solid contact with the ball and power past Sheridan for the Current’s second goal of the night.
Not done yet, though, San Diego would not go down without a fight and ended up finding an equalizer in the 90 ^th minute to help rescue a point. Surging forward, San Diego’s Sofia Jakobsson broke into the 18-yard box and played a ball across goal. Not entirely unmarked at the back post, forward Alex Morgan managed to get on the end of the pass and bundle it over the line for her ninth goal of the season to again bring her side level late on.
In the end, Kansas City will be disappointed to have given up the late win, but San Diego’s perseverance rewarded them as it was first Kristen Hamilton’s goal cancelled out by Alex Morgan, then Elyse Bennett’s goal negated by Morgan’s last gasp tally. The draw helps the Current build on their first win of the season from earlier this week, while San Diego bounces back from defeat with a point of their own as they head home.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights