The San Diego Wave reignited their Southern California rivalry with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League on Saturday, powered by a standout performance from midfielder Dudinha.
Dudinha delivered a goal and an assist, showcasing her playmaking prowess. In the 49th minute, she weaved past multiple Angel City defenders before unleashing a shot that deflected off defender Sarah Gorden for the opening goal. Gorden quickly responded, tallying her first career assist in the 54th minute to set up center back Emily Sams for the equalizer.
But the Wave seized control for good in the 81st minute. Dudinha’s pinpoint cross found the head of rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten, who powered it home for the decisive goal. With her fourth assist of the season, Dudinha now shares the league lead with Portland’s Olivia Moultrie.
The win lifts San Diego to 6-3-0, while Angel City (3-4-0) continues to struggle after a promising start. The club opened the 2026 season with three straight wins but has now dropped four consecutive matches. Adding to the intrigue, former Angel City head coach Becki Tweed led the Wave from the sideline, stepping in for suspended head coach Jonas Eidevall, who was red-carded in last weekend’s loss to Bay FC.
Elsewhere in the NWSL, Gotham FC battled to a 1-1 draw with the Boston Legacy in Harrison, New Jersey. Gotham took the lead in the 37th minute when Esther González’s initial shot was denied by Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy, but the rebound found Jaedyn Shaw, who finished coolly. The lead was short-lived, as Bárbara Olivieri set up Alba Caño in the 40th minute to level the score—and snap Gotham’s impressive shutout streak at 341 minutes.
Gotham played without midfielder Rose Lavelle, who sat out with a hamstring injury, while Sarah Schupansky stepped into the starting role. The draw extends Gotham’s unbeaten run to four games (4-2-3), while Boston (1-5-2) remains winless but has now gone three matches without a loss.
In Houston, the Denver Summit dominated the Dash 4-1 in a match delayed more than 90 minutes by inclement weather. Janine Sonis was the star, scoring twice in her landmark 100th NWSL start. She opened the scoring in the 15th minute after a clever pass from Yazmeen Ryan, setting the tone for a commanding performance that keeps the Summit rolling.