Trinity Byars delivers four goal contributions in San Diego Wave's win over Utah

SAN DIEGO — Trinity Byars’ four goal contributions powered San Diego Wave FC to an impressive 4-2 home win over Utah Royals FC at Snapdragon Stadium. Byars delivered a flawless performance against one of the NWSL's top contenders, scoring twice and adding two assists.

Byars, a 23-year-old forward, scored four minutes into the match before assisting Melanie Barcenas ahead of halftime. Utah equalized twice behind goals from Mina Tanaka, but Byars and the Wave attack kept pushing. She scored the go-ahead goal in the 63rd minute on a fast break, then assisted Ludmila's first goal since early April to secure the three points.

“She’s a very, very good finisher, and we saw that today,” Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall said when asked about Byars' performance. He also highlighted her passing skills, versatility, and ability to play 90 minutes week in and week out.

San Diego returned home after a two-game road trip that included matches against two NWSL contenders: the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC. Lia Godfrey scored in the second half against Washington, leading the Wave to a 1-0 victory on Aug. 2. In their next match, Gotham forward Jaedyn Shaw scored against her former team, giving San Diego a loss.

The Wave then returned home and tied 1-1 with Denver Summit FC last week. Young star forward Melanie Barcenas scored an incredible goal in the 35th minute. San Diego started strong, but its momentum faded in the second half. Denver’s Janine Sonis found Yazmeen Ryan for a header to tie.

Heading into Friday night, Kimmi Ascanio (thigh) was listed as questionable. Ascanio was unavailable, along with Gia Corley (lower leg), Kenza Dali (lower leg) and Kiki Pickett (ankle).

With a shorthanded midfield, Eidevall started Godfrey, Laurina Fazer and Laila Harbert. Harbert, who was acquired in late July, made her club debut in the previous match, playing 18 minutes. The 19-year-old English midfielder earned her first start against Utah.

“I’m really grateful to be a part of this team,” Harbert told the media after the game. “When the opportunity came, I was really grateful for that.”

Harbert added that it’s nice to earn the staff's trust, and she hopes to play a big role for the club.

The Royals entered Matchday 21 as the third-best team in the league with 11 wins and 36 points, behind Gotham and Washington. They entered Friday coming off a 3-2 win over Bay FC and had won four of their previous six matches. Cloé Lacasse and Mina Tanaka had formed a dynamic duo, combining for 12 goals and 12 assists this season.

San Diego scored an early goal in front of its home crowd.

Barcenas played a pass from near midfield to a sprinting Trinity Byars in the attacking zone. Byars took advantage of the backline's poor positioning and found herself in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn. She beat McGlynn with a left-footed shot, sending the ball into the back of the net.

Byars leads the team in goals this season. The 23-year-old forward has taken on a bigger role since Dudinha suffered a season-ending knee injury in June. The goal was Byars' first since mid-July, when she scored twice in Kansas City.

Four minutes into the match, the Wave held a one-goal lead.

The visiting team answered back in the 29th minute with a stunning goal.

Cece Delzer received a pass inside the box with her back to goal. She immediately tapped the ball to Tanaka, who launched an incredible curling shot into the top left corner of the net. Wave goalkeeper Sandra Paños had no chance to deny it.

Tanaka now has 11 goal contributions (seven goals and four assists) in 2026. The goal was Delzer’s third assist of the season.

Moments later, Ludmila had a promising fast break, but defender Kate Del Fava made an excellent sliding tackle to stop the San Diego striker. Ludmila has created many scoring opportunities, but hasn’t been able to capitalize on them.

San Diego regained its lead in the 40th minute.

Byars received a long pass from Kristen McNabb, leaving her with another one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper. This time, Byars dribbled around the fallen McGlynn and found an open Barcenas in the middle of the box, who finished to put San Diego back in front.

Byars and Barcenas each had two goal contributions in the first half against Utah. Byars said they’ve built a strong connection on the pitch over the past few months.

The 18-year-old talented forward has scored in back-to-back games, bringing her season total to five goals. This was her first career multi-goal contribution match. The San Diego native continues her breakout season.

After the go-ahead strike, Barcenas ran to the crowd, grabbed a San Diego Wave jersey with her name on it, and held it up in celebration.

The Wave held a 2-1 lead at the break, but Utah responded once again two minutes into the second half.

San Diego defender Perle Morroni lost possession inside the box. The Royals completed four short passes, and Tanaka finished from close range to score her second goal of the night. Utah forward Cloé Lacasse provided the assist to tie the match at 2.

The Wave attack kept pushing—and Byars delivered once again.

Utah has struggled to defend in transition, and the young forward continues to take advantage of their miscues with her speed. Byars received a pass from midfielder Jordan Fusco, who was just subbed on for Harbert. She raced through the middle of the field before firing a powerful shot from the penalty arc to give San Diego a lead.

This was Byars' second brace of the season, bringing her goal total to eight.

Seven minutes later, San Diego extended its lead to two.

The play began with a throw-in by rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten. She found Byars, who nutmegged a Utah defender before sprinting up the right wing. She sent a pass inside the box to Ludmila, who one-timed it past McGlynn.

It was a big moment for Ludmila, who snapped a 14-game scoring drought.

Last week, The Sporting Tribune asked Eidevall about this ongoing streak, and he expressed confidence in his striker, saying she’ll score soon—and she did. Eidevall and the bench were seen jumping up and down in celebration.

“We all knew it was coming; it was just a matter of time,” Byars said about Ludmila’s goal. “Obviously, we’re always excited for our teammates, but I think it was really special for her because we know she can do it. She did great today.”

Ludmila, who joined the Wave this offseason, has 44 shot attempts (16 on target) and two goals in 1,422 minutes played this season. Byars recorded her first two career assists and now has 10 goal contributions in 2026.

Down two goals, the Royals pushed more players into the attack. Narumi Miura scored in the 83rd minute, but VAR overturned the goal due to offside. The Wave hunkered down defensively and secured the win.

Utah outpossessed San Diego 54% to 46% and had only one fewer shot attempt. It was a highly competitive game on both sides. Both teams now stand at 11-3-7 with 36 points, tied for third place.

San Diego will wrap up its three-game homestand next Friday, Aug. 28, against Racing Louisville FC, which enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak. Louisville has defeated Chicago, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle during that stretch and will face Chicago again on Sunday.

Emma Sears leads Louisville with seven goals, while Kayla Fischer has six. The club has been playing some of its best soccer of the season in recent weeks under head coach Beverly Yanez.