Ludmila nets first San Diego Wave goal in Boston, extends win streak to four

Ludmila’s first goal for San Diego Wave FC proved to be the game-winner in Boston, defeating Legacy FC 1-0 on Friday night at Gillette Stadium. The veteran Brazilian striker had been knocking on the door the past couple of games, and she finally found the back of the net.

Jonas Eidevall’s squad continues its hot streak, winning four consecutive games, and has yet to lose a game on the road in 2026. The Wave enters the international break with four wins and one loss.

San Diego entered Friday night with three consecutive wins, defeating the Utah Royals, Portland Thorns, and Chicago Stars over a dominant week. Rookie midfielder Lia Godfrey scored in all three matches and was named Rookie of the Month for March. Godfrey, along with Kenza Dali, Kennedy Wesley, and Dudinha, were on the NWSL’s Best XI for the opening month of the season. The club also bolstered its attack with the addition of U.S. Women’s National Team star Catarina Macario.

The rookie has wasted no time translating her finishing touch from the University of Virginia to the professional level. After netting the game-winner in Utah, she earned consecutive starts and continued to deliver in front of the goal.

Dali has brought control and composure to the midfield, logging a full 360 minutes through four matches. Wesley played every minute of each match and has anchored the backline. Dudinha has been the Wave’s best player, tallying five goal contributions and leading the league with three assists.

San Diego’s only setback remains its 1–0 opening loss to the Houston Dash, but it has not dropped points since. Eidevall kept faith in his group, rolling out an unchanged starting XI, while Leah Freeman earned her third straight start in goal. Midfielder Gia Corley (Lower Leg), goalkeeper Didi Haracic (Knee), and forwards Adriana Leon (Back) and Macario (Heel) were unavailable tonight.

On the other side, Boston continues to navigate the challenges of an inaugural season. Alongside fellow expansion side Denver Summit FC, Boston is still searching for its first point after losses to Gotham FC, Houston, and Utah. Aïssata Traoré provided a bright spot, scoring the club’s first-ever goal in the 72nd minute against Utah.

Before their home match against San Diego, the NWSL Disciplinary Committee suspended forward Ella Stevens after determining her incident in the 36th minute of their last match was red-card worthy, and not the yellow she received.

San Diego striker Ludmila is still searching for her first goal with the club. The Brazilian international joined the Wave from Chicago in the offseason, having previously scored 10 goals in 2025. The 31-year-old entered Friday's match with 15 shot attempts. In the 15th minute, Ludmila finally managed to put the ball in the net but was ruled offside, and her quest for a goal continues.

Neither team posed a significant challenge in the first half, as the statistics reflect. The possession was split 52% to 48% in favor of the Wave, and Boston had two more shot attempts than the visiting team.

San Diego settled in toward the end of the half, and their attacking momentum increased. Kristen McNabb and Wesley made some crucial stops to keep the game scoreless.

The attacking momentum shifted in San Diego’s direction toward the end of the half.

Eidevall inserted Gabi Portilho for Laurina Fazer to begin the second half, applying extra pressure in the attacking third. Portilho had the first shot on goal on the night in the 53rd minute.

The long-awaited goal for Ludmila happened in the 63rd minute. Kimmi Ascanio took the ball away at midfield and instantly began the transition. As she sprinted up the seam, Ascanio found Ludmila on the left wing with open space. She took one, corralled the ball with one touch, and her right-footed shot went just past the outstretched arm of Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy. 

San Diego flipped the switch in the second half, firing off eight shot attempts with three of them on goal. Mimi Van Zanten, Wesley, and McNabb played great, alleviating pressure off Freeman. The backline has earned back-to-back clean sheets. Dali continued to be a force in the middle, and Ludmila secured the three points.

The Wave has 12 league points through five matches, and the looming debut of Cat makes them an exciting team to watch week in and week out.

With the April international break, there will be no games played for the next three weeks. As of now, 11 San Diego players will represent their national team. The Wave will have back-to-back road matches at Denver on April 25 and a mid-week match in Portland on April 29. They will return to Snapdragon Stadium on May 3 against Bay FC.