Bay FC or the Urawa Red Diamonds were not giving an inch in their friendly battle at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun July 27, 2025 (Bay FC X image)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted the Urawa Red Diamonds on Sunday evening for their final friendly of the summer that ended in a 2-2 draw at Pay Pal Park in San Jose.

Caprice Dydasco overlapped and created an opportunity for Bay in the third minute, but the ball sailed just over the goalpost. Penelope Hocking opened the scoring with a fantastic run in the sixth minute, continuing her hot streak.

Urawa tied it up in the 21st minute, after Caprice Dydasco made a goal-line save, then Joelle Anderson followed it up with one of her own. On the third time of asking, though, Ririka Tanno was able to put it away, making it 1-1.

Jordan Silkowitz made a save to deny Sakakibara Kotono in the 25th minute, tipping the ball just over the bar. Anderson fired a long shot that forced Ikeda Sakiko to make a similar save in the 39th minute, keeping the game even at a goal apiece. In Bay FC’s first substitution of the night, Caroline Conti came in for Karlie Lima, then Tess Boade came out for Catherine Paulson.

After 45 minutes, it remained tied at 1-1. Emmie Allen, Taylor Huff, and Jamie Shepherd entered the match for Silkowitz, Dorian Bailey, and Kiki Pickett to start the second half.

Sakiko was forced to make another save early in the second half, barely getting her hand on a ball she saw at the last moment. Sakiko made a phenomenal play, anticipating a move by Paulson and palming the ball before the Bay FC midfielder was able to get a shot off in the 50th minute.

Hocking was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 59th minute. Maddie Moreau came in for Joelle Anderson around the hour mark. Minutes later, Urawa took a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute when a header by Ena Takatsuka beat Allen.

Paulson nearly got an equalizer in the 69th minute, but the ball went well over the crossbar and out of play.

Penelope Hocking was awarded a penalty in the 91st minute, and Conti stepped up to the spot. She beat the goalkeeper and tied up the game in the closing minutes.

Ultimately, the game would end in a highly contested draw, with the final score of 2-2.