San Diego Wave Defeats Chicago Stars 2-0 with Goals from Dudinha and Byars

The San Diego Wave secured a 2-0 victory against the Chicago Stars on Sunday, bolstered by goals from Dudinha and Trinity Byars. This match was part of the National Women’s Soccer League, where Gotham FC edged past the Houston Dash 1-0, and North Carolina triumphed over Angel City with a score of 2-1.

San Diego (8-4-1) quickly established dominance as Lia Godfrey assisted Dudinha in scoring the opening goal just three minutes into the game. However, the match saw some tension when Wave defender Mimi Van Zanten was forced to leave the pitch in the 90th minute following a clash with Stars midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth.

In a dramatic turn during stoppage time, Chicago appeared to have equalized through Jordyn Huitema, but the goal was disallowed after a review confirmed it was offside. Byars, who came on as a substitute in the second half, sealed the match with a goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, ensuring a 2-0 finish for the Wave and propelling them to the top of the NWSL standings as the league enters a summer hiatus. Goalkeeper Didi Haracic contributed significantly with three saves, marking her first clean sheet this season.

In other matches, Gotham FC (6-2-3) achieved a historic milestone by recording their eighth shutout in just 11 games. Defender Tierna Davidson played a crucial role, providing an assist for Jordynn Dudley’s goal in the eighth minute of their match against the Dash. Despite the absence of injured goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, Shelby Hogan stepped in and made three saves to help secure the win.

The North Carolina Courage (5-3-3) also celebrated a win, with Manaka Matsukubo netting a goal and assisting Evelyn Ijeh for the opening score against Angel City FC (4-6-1). After an equalizer from Maiara Niehues, North Carolina regained the lead thanks to a late goal from Matsukubo, marking her fifth of the season.