SAN DIEGO — August 28, 2026 — San Diego Wave FC turned a difficult first half into a memorable comeback Friday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit to defeat Racing Louisville FC 3-2 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Trinity Byars scored twice in the second half before Kenza Dali delivered the game-winner in the 80th minute, completing an impressive comeback in front of 12,220 fans.
The victory improved San Diego to 12-7-3 with 39 points and completed an unbeaten three-game home stretch in which the Wave went 2-0-1 and scored eight goals.
Louisville came into the match ready to attack and quickly put San Diego under pressure.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Kayla Fischer found Lauren Milliet, who finished the opportunity to give Racing an early 1-0 advantage.
Things became even more difficult for the Wave in the 23rd minute.
Louisville earned a corner, and Arin Wright sent the ball back across the face of goal, where Taylor Flint finished from close range to double Racing’s advantage.
Suddenly, San Diego found itself trailing 2-0 at home.
The Wave began creating more opportunities as the first half progressed, but Louisville held its advantage heading into halftime.
Whatever adjustments San Diego made during the break had an immediate impact.
Just two minutes into the second half, Byars received a pass from Mimi Van Zanten and drove forward before sending a low shot into the bottom-left corner. The 47th-minute goal cut Louisville’s lead to 2-1 and completely changed the energy inside Snapdragon Stadium.
From that point forward, San Diego took control.
The Wave continued creating chances as Kimmi Ascanio nearly found an equalizer in the 52nd minute. Byars then hit the crossbar from distance in the 65th minute, while Ludmila narrowly missed another opportunity.
San Diego kept pushing.
The pressure finally paid off in the 76th minute.
After Ludmila’s attempt following a set piece was blocked, Byars reacted quickly and knocked home the rebound to tie the match at 2-2.
It was Byars’ second goal of the night and her 10th of the season, making her only the second player in Wave history to reach double-digit goals in a single season. Alex Morgan previously accomplished the feat with 15 goals during the 2022 season.
Byars had also scored twice and recorded two assists in San Diego’s 4-2 victory over Utah one week earlier. Her performance against Louisville gave her four goals and two assists across two matches.
With the match tied, San Diego wasn’t satisfied with simply earning a point.
Dali, who entered as a substitute in the 63rd minute after returning from injury, provided the final moment of the comeback.
In the 80th minute, Dali struck from outside the penalty area to put the Wave ahead 3-2.
The goal was Dali’s first of the season and proved to be the game-winner.
After trailing by two goals during the opening 23 minutes, San Diego had scored three unanswered goals in the second half to completely turn the match around.
The statistics reflected San Diego’s dominance.
The Wave finished with 32 shots, tying a club single-game record, compared with 13 for Louisville. San Diego put 10 shots on target while Racing managed three. The Wave also controlled 72 percent of possession and held an 11-6 advantage in corner kicks.
San Diego’s comeback was significant beyond just the three points.
It marked the club’s first home victory in NWSL play after trailing at halftime since October 2022. It was also the second time during the 2026 season that the Wave overcame a two-goal deficit to win.
For Byars, the night continued what has become an impressive run of form. Her back-to-back braces pushed her into double-digit scoring for the season and further established her as one of the most dangerous players in San Diego’s attack.
But the victory was also a complete team response.
San Diego could have allowed an early 2-0 deficit to define the night. Instead, the Wave remained aggressive, continued creating opportunities and controlled the second half.
Byars provided the spark. Dali provided the finishing touch.
When the final whistle sounded, San Diego had completed one of its most dramatic victories of the season and sent the Snapdragon Stadium crowd home celebrating a 3-2 comeback win.
FINAL: San Diego Wave FC 3, Racing Louisville FC 2
Racing Louisville Goals: Lauren Milliet 12′ | Taylor Flint 23′
San Diego Goals: Trinity Byars 47′, 76′ | Kenza Dali 80′
Attendance: 12,220
