MATCH REPORT: Kansas City Current remain perfect with 2-0 road win over San Diego Wave

The Kansas City Current (4-0-0, 12 pts., 2nd place) continued its torrid start to the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season Saturday night in San Diego, earning a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Wave (1-2-1, 4 pts., 8th place). Midfielder Debinha opened the scoring with a goal in the 16th minute – the 50th of her NWSL regular season career – while fellow midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta converted a penalty kick in the 25th minute to round out the Current’s advantage.

Kansas City’s back line turned in another stellar effort to earn the club’s third consecutive shutout victory as goalkeeper Lorena finished with four saves, her third straight shutout between the posts. The Current’s three-match shutout streak is now tied for the longest in club history. The club also set a new franchise record for consecutive shutout minutes, which extended to 311 minutes following Saturday night’s victory. Additionally, KC has won eight consecutive NWSL regular season contests dating back to last season, tied for the longest streak in league history.

"We showed maturity throughout the game, and we didn't allow the game to get chaotic at any point in time." said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. "We literally just closed it down, very composed. So I was happy with that, and I think the communication was very good because San Diego presented some interesting challenges to us that we had to solve."

For the second consecutive match, an early scoring opportunity for forward Temwa Chawinga jumpstarted the Current’s offense. Following a San Diego corner kick in the ninth minute, Kansas City led a clinical counterattack that culminated with forward Michelle Cooper sliding a through ball for Chawinga. Chawinga had a one-on-one opportunity with Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, but a sprawling save denied Chawinga’s low strike.

Seven minutes later, the Current got on the board with a well-worked team goal. Defender Izzy Rodriguez received the ball on the left flank and served a curled cross into the San Diego penalty area. The cross met Debinha about 12 yards from goal, and she popped the ball up to herself before unleashing a half-volleyed strike into the bottom corner of the net. The assist marked the first of the 2025 campaign for Rodriguez while Debinha’s goal was her third of the year. It was also Debinha’s 50th NWSL regular season goal of her career as she became the eighth player in NWSL history to reach the milestone. Debinha also solidified herself as the fifth player in league history to reach the 50-goal, 25-assist club with her opening strike.

Three minutes later, midfielder Claire Hutton fired a shot from the top of San Diego’s 18-yard box that took a deflection off San Diego defender Kristen McNabb and rolled over the endline for a corner kick. However, before the ball was put back into play, the referee paused to review a potential handling offense on McNabb in the penalty area. A penalty kick was awarded to the Current after VAR review.

LaBonta made no mistake from the spot, hammering the penalty kick into the top left corner of the net to double the Current’s advantage in the 25th minute. The penalty kick marked the second for LaBonta in 2025 and the 11th of her NWSL regular season career. Only four players in NWSL regular season history have converted more penalty kicks than LaBonta.

Kansas City continued to press as the first half wore on. LaBonta, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., nearly capped her homecoming with a brace in the 32nd minute, but her long-range effort sailed just high of goal. The Current ultimately took a two-goal lead into halftime.

The hosts ratcheted up the pressure as the second half began, creating several threatening scoring opportunities through the final 45 minutes of the contest. In the 64th minute, San Diego forward Delphine Cascarino had a long-range effort turned away with a diving save from Lorena. In the 72nd minute, the Wave appeared destined to pull a goal back as San Diego forward Adriana Leon, a second-half substitute, was played through on goal and had a one-on-one opportunity with Lorena from inside the Current’s six-yard box. However, Lorena made a sprawling kick save to preserve the shutout.

San Diego continued to press for a lifeline as the second half progressed but were unable to broach a stout Current back line. Kansas City, which kept the Wave off the scoresheet Saturday, has not conceded a goal since the 2025 regular season opener against the Portland Thorns.

Kansas City ultimately earned the 2-0 victory, marking the club’s fourth consecutive triumph to begin the 2025 season and eighth consecutive NWSL regular season victory dating back to the 2024 season. The Current’s ongoing eight-match winning streak in NWSL regular season play is tied for the longest streak in league history.

Saturday’s contest came and went without a goal from Chawinga, who saw her historic eight-match scoring streak across her last eight NWSL regular season appearances come to an end. Still, the forward is tied with Debinha for the second-most goals of all NWSL players through the first month of the regular season. Chawinga has also scored in a league-record eight consecutive NWSL regular season appearances on two occasions in her burgeoning NWSL career.

The Current are now a perfect 4-0-0 to start 2025, becoming the fifth team in NWSL history to begin a season with four consecutive victories.

Kansas City returns to action at CPKC Stadium next weekend against the Houston Dash on Saturday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast nationally on ION and simulcast locally on KMCI, 38 the Spot.

Limited single-match tickets for 2025 regular season home matches are now on sale to the general public. The best way to ensure you won’t miss a second of the action at CPKC Stadium is by joining the Current Club, the Current’s trailblazing fan membership experience. Focused on ensuring fans continue to be able to access exclusive opportunities, members can unlock special benefits like priority access to single match tickets, members-only gifts and discounts, access to live and virtual events, exclusive content and more. 2025 Season Ticket Member Account Holders are already enrolled in Current Club at no additional cost. Click HERE for more information about the Current Club. 
 

NWSL Match Report 
Match: San Diego Wave vs. Kansas City Current 
Date: April 12, 2025 
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA 
Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. PT/ 9:05 p.m. CT
Weather: 61 degrees, cloudy

Discipline 
34’ San Diego – McCaskill (Yellow) 
48’ San Diego – Emmanuel (Yellow) 

Scoring 
16’ Kansas City – Debinha (Rodriguez)

25’ Kansas City – LaBonta (PK)

Scoring Summary

San Diego Wave Lineup: Sheridan ©, Armstrong (76’ Lundkvist), Sanchez (68’ Barcenas), Okwuchukwu (68’ Leon), Dali, Wesley, McNabb, Cascarino, McCaskill, Emmanuel (68’ Ascanio), Morroni (89’ McMahon)
Unused Substitutes: Corley, Robbe, Fusco, Haračić

Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, Wheeler, Sharples, Cook (76’ Ball), Rodriguez, LaBonta ©, Hutton (76’ DiBernardo), Prince (76’ Mace), Chawinga, Cooper (45+8’ Zaneratto), Debinha (87’ Feist)

Unused Substitutes: Ivory, Long, Hopkins, Lacho