Category: Bay FC

Tess Boade gets critical goal as Bay FC defeats Angel City 1-0 at Pay Pal

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Angel City FC goalkeeper DiDi Haracic (13) makes a save against Bay FC during the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose Sat June 22, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted Angel City FC on Saturday night. Bay’s first-ever victory came against their California rivals in their first game earlier this season, so Angel City looked to avenge that loss at PayPal Park. Following their last outing against the Utah Royals FC, Bay head coach Albertin Montoya made quite a few changes to his starting eleven for this match as he looks to spark his team. Bay FC’s Tess Boade scored the game’s only goal in the 33rd minute for a 1-0 tally.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, King, Menges, Beattie, Malonson, Bailey, Pickett, Kundananji, Oshoala, Castellanos, Boade

Angel City starting XI: Haracic, Vignola, Gorden, Reid, Spencer, Rodriguez, Nabet, Thompson, Emslie, Le Bihan, Leroux

The first half went Bay FC’s way in almost every category except for possession. Tess Boade gave them a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute off of an assist from Emily Menges. But they also led in shots, shots on target and were earning quite a few set piece opportunities, earning six corner kicks in the first half.

They also were creating quite a few opportunities with crosses, although they weren’t all resulting in scoring chances, getting balls in the box will often be beneficial. At the halfway point, they already had 16 crosses while their opposition only had six. Bay has struggled to play with a lead most of the season though, so now the second half was going to make or break their game.

In stoppage time of the first half Jen Beattie picked up a yellow card, which was Bay’s second of the night. As a result, Bay FC had two defenders on a yellow heading into a key point in the match, as Savy King had picked one up earlier. They needed to be cautious to avoid picking up a red card and spending the rest of the match down a player.

Angel City started the substitutions for the night in the 62nd minute with Hammond, Fuller and Thompson entering the match for Nabet, Vignola, and Le Bihan. Four minutes later, Bay made three of their own bringing on Rachel Hill, Joelle Anderson and Caprice Dydasco for King, Boade, and Deyna Castellanos.

Just a few minutes later, Kayla Sharples would enter the match for Beattie, as Montoya tried to do whatever he could to prevent a late game headache with a red card. In terms of scoring, nothing would change in the second half as Bay FC held on to walk away with their second win against Angel City of the season.

Bay FC has been very clear about their mission to not lose to the same team twice this season, winning against the same team twice is definitely something they’d like to see more often though. This victory also put Bay FC within striking distance of the playoffs as well. They’ve tied Angel City and Louisville in points and only trail North Carolina by a single point. Sixth in the table is undoubtedly within reach for Bay, they just need to string some results together quickly.

They’ll return to action next weekend against Louisville in a very important match, as the winner will move up the standings while the loser can fall down considerably as well. The NWSL is a very tight league, and one result can make a massive difference at this point in the season.

Bay FC loses on heartbreak goal by Utah Royals Kate Del Fava in 1-0 loss

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Bay FC’s Kayla Lynne Sharples (27) fights for the ball against Utah Royals FC’s Kate Del Fava (8) in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–It was a battle of the expansion teams on Sunday night, as Bay FC hosted the Utah Royals for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Utah is off to a difficult start with only four points through their first 12 games, while Bay FC is looking to build off their monumental win against the Chicago Red Stars at Wrigley Field. Bay couldn’t close the deal Sunday at Pay Pal Park in San Jose losing on a 89th minute goal 1-0 by the Royals Kate Del Fava.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Malonson, Sharples, Pickett, Anderson, Boade, Hill, Kundananji, Oshoala

Utah Starting XI: Haught, Flynn, Tejada, Del Fava, Burns, Foederer, Henry, Fraser, Tucker, Sentnor, Mozingo

Bay FC started off in control, getting multiple chances in the opening ten minutes while a majority of Utah’s possession was spent in their defensive half of the pitch attempting to break out and launch an attack.

When the Royals did get an attack set up, Bay was finding a way to get in the shooting lanes and prevent them from putting any pressure on Katelyn Rowland. In the 15th minute, Bay got their best opportunity of the night so far when Asisat Oshoala slipped with the ball inside of the box, it fell to Rachael Kundananji who shot it just wide despite the goalkeeper being a non-factor in the play.

They continued applying pressure to Utah’s defense for the next few minutes, with a couple of more chances coming in short succession. Tess Boade had a phenomenal run that nearly gave her team the lead in the 24th minute, however, she was unable to sneak the ball past Mandy Haught who went down in some discomfort after the play.

Utah made an early substitution in the 26th, taking off Lauren Flynn for Madison Pogarch. Caprice Dydasco had a long shot that hit the crossbar in the 28th minute. It was clear in the first 30 minutes that Oshoala and Kundananji are developing the chemistry that fans have been waiting for, as they kept creating chances for one another, but it still remained a 0-0 tie.

Joelle Anderson got called for the first yellow card of the game in the 37th minute when she tripped up Amandine Henry. Kundananji continued feeding passes into the box as the half progressed, but unfortunately for Bay FC, nobody had been able to get good contact on any of them, otherwise they could’ve easily been leading at this point in the match.

Tess Boade had a solid opportunity of her own in the 42nd, but it was saved by Haught. Dydasco picked up Bay FC’s second yellow card of the night during the 45th minute when she tripped up the ball carrier from behind. The first half came to an end, with the game still tied at 0.

Rowland faced her first real test of the night in the 56th minute when she was forced to extend out completely to tip a ball over the crossbar. Anderson and Oshoala came out in the 60th minute with Deyna Castellanos and Dorian Bailey taking over.

Utah was playing stronger to start the second half, creating more opportunities and not letting Bay get as many attacking chances but still, the game remained 0-0 by the 70th minute. Kundananji continued to create chances though, taking another shot in the 74th minute that sailed just over the goal at this point, Albertin Montoya made another substitution taking out Rachel Hill for Scarlett Camberos.

Kundananji seemed to have gotten her goal in the 85th minute, but it was called a foul as she pushed off of the defender. Utah would get awarded a free kick in the 89th minute when Boade picked up a yellow card, they then went on to score off of the set piece when Kate Del Fava was able to connect with the cross and put it in the back of the goal.

Now, Bay FC only had the nine minutes of stoppage time to find an equalizer. They’d be unable to do so, and Utah would walk away with their second win of the season, defeating Bay FC 1-0.

Bay FC picks up second win in last three games defeat Chicago Red Stars 2-1

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Bay FC celebrates their victory match over the Chicago Red Stars at Wrigley Field in Chicago in NWSL action on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s mission not to lose to a team more than once in their inaugural season continued as they looked for revenge against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday night. It was a historic night for the NWSL, as it was the first game ever to take place in an MLB stadium and it happened to be one of the most famous stadiums in the country, Wrigley Field.

In their only previous meeting, the Red Stars walked away with three points following a 2-1 game at PayPal Park. This night was also very important for one member of Bay FC, Kayla Sharples, who grew up in the Chicago area and spent a considerable amount of time with the Red Stars to start her professional career, returned for the first time since leaving as a free agent in the offseason. Bay would pick up their second win in their last three games with a 2-1 tally at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Sharples, Malonson, Pickett, Anderson, Boade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Chicago Starting XI: Naeher, Malham, Staab, Kuikka, Anderson, Roccaro, Nesbeth, Swanson, Schlegel, Bianchi, Hocking

On a rainy night in Chicago, Bay FC wanted to try to get off to a hot start, getting chances early including one from Tess Boade in the 4th minute. Bay was undoubtedly the stronger team in the first half, and that got reflected on the scoreboard when Kiki Pickett had a phenomenal strike from outside of the box to give her team a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.

She took advantage of the defenders leaving her quite a bit of space, and the end result was her first career NWSL goal. Rachael Kundananji nearly extended the lead in the 36th minute, but Alyssa Naeher was able to get a hand on it and tip the ball over the net.

Set pieces were a big part of Bay FC’s first half, as they set a franchise record with 11 corners in the first half. They also led significantly in possession with 60% and shots with 14. Although the scoreboard was in Bay’s favor, it still didn’t reflect how well they played in the first 45 minutes. Both goalkeepers had been great when called upon though, as both Naeher and Katelyn Rowland got tested a couple of times in the half.

Bay tends to struggle with holding leads into the second half, so with only a single goal separating them from their opposition, they needed a strong start coming out of the break if they were going to walk out with three points.

Meanwhile, if Chicago was going to take advantage of that fact they’d need to find an equalizer quickly so they have enough time to take the lead later in the match. Chicago made a couple of substitutes to start the second half, Tatumn Milazzo and Jenna Bike entered the match for Natalia Kuikka and Julia Bianchi.

The second half started off similar to the first, Boade immediately got a scoring chance then Pickett had another long shot, however, Naeher was able to get in front of this one. The first five minutes of the half were all Bay FC, but a counter-attack led by Penelope Hocking got the Red Stars their first opportunity of the half in the 50th minute but the shot trickled wide.

Rowland made a dangerous mistake in the 54th minute when a pass got picked off by Hocking with no defenders back. Bay was able to recover, however those mistakes have become very common lately. Bay made some substitutions of their own when Scarlett Camberos and Dorian Bailey entered the match in the 62nd minute for Rachel Hill and Asisat Oshoala.

Sharples went down in some clear pain in the 66th minute after taking a ball directly in the face. Meanwhile, Chicago took advantage of the break in play to make a couple of more substitutions with Chardonnay Curran and Shea Groom coming on. In the 72nd, Chicago had a corner kick and Groom collided with Rowland who had possession of the ball.

The play was not called a foul, but Bay was awarded a goal kick. Moments later, Kundananji had a fantastic run following a through ball from Boade that got her behind the defense. She was able to dribble around Naeher however the ball sailed over the empty goal.

Less than a minute later, Kundananji had another chance, this time off of a spinning shot that hit the crossbar. In the 75th minute, the attendance was announced for the game which set the NWSL record and got a massive response from the crowd.

In the 79th minute, Bay was finally able to get their second goal of the night when Bailey’s centering pass went to Curran who attempted to clear the ball and it went directly into Joelle Anderson and into the back of the net. Rocarro nearly broke Bay FC’s clean sheet in the 88th minute, however it rang off of the crossbar and went out of play.

Eventually, Chicago would get on the board with Hocking scoring in stoppage time. It would be too little too late though, as Anderson’s goal would ultimately be the difference. Bay played their best complete game of the season which bodes well for their return home against Utah next weekend. On the biggest stage in NWSL history, Bay FC stepped up and walked away with the three points.

Gotham FC blanks Bay FC 2-0; Fifth loss in last six games for Bay

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Bay FC struggled to get the ball over the goal crease against Gotham FC at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Fri May 24, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC looked to follow up their win against the San Diego Wave with one over the defending NWSL champions, Gotham FC on Friday night. After this game, Bay will have roughly two weeks off before their next game against the Chicago Red Stars at Wrigley Field.

As a result, it was crucial for them to walk away with some points against one of the top teams in the league to build some confidence heading into their break. It wouldn’t be easy though, as Gotham had won three of their last five games entering the night and had gotten at least a single point in each of those matchups. Gotham had a strong defense and Bay couldn’t get offense going in a 2-0 shutout loss at Pay Pal Park. It was Bay’s fifth loss in their last six games.

Bay Starting XI: Rowland, King, Sharples, Menges, Dydasco, Blade, Pickett, Anderson, Kundananji, Camberos, Oshoala

Gotham Starting XI: Berger, NIghswonger, Hiatt, Sonnett, Bell, Sheehan, Martin, Lavelle, Stevens, Ryan, Gonzalez

Bay got an attacking opportunity immediately after kick-off when a breakout pass from their defensive third split through the defense and found Rachael Kundananji.

If she had taken a shot, she may have scored a goal but she stopped and attempted a pass which was broken up. She’s a great team player, there’s no doubt about that but it’s likely Albertin Montoya would’ve preferred her to be a little more selfish in that situation.

Asisat Oshoala was pulled out of the game momentarily for causing an injury delay in the 5th minute but quickly rejoined her team on the pitch. Rose Lavelle had a bit of an injury scare for Gotham in the 12th minute, however, she was able to get up and remain in the game despite some clear discomfort.

Bay was still bringing offensive pressure at this point but had been unable to capitalize despite a few great opportunities. In the 14th minute, Tess Boade and Joelle Anderson tried to pull off a sneaky passing play off of a corner, despite it working pretty well they were unable to get the ball into the goal.

Moments later, Kundananji almost scored off of another corner play when a cross from Emily Menges found her head but it went just wide of the goal post. There was a review initiated by the video assistant referee in the 20th minute for a possible Gotham penalty, it was decided that no foul had occurred though, and play resumed.

Despite playing a standard 4-4-2 formation, Bay FC was rotating players positionally fairly consistently up front. Kundadnanji would occasionally slip from striker to playing the left side of midfield while Boade moved up front and then minutes later they’d swap back.

It left the defense guessing, which is part of the reason it seemed they were able to generate so many chances early in the match. In the 28th, Boade ran out of space when trying to gather a Savy King cross inside the box giving Gotham a goal kick.

If there had just been a couple of more feet, Boade may have been able to get a quality shot off. Early in the 31st minute, Gotham got their best chance of the night when a shot got past Katelyn Rowland but hit the inside of the goalpost.

Moments later though, they’d get an even better one that this time found mesh rather than metal. Ella Stevens slipped through the defense and deflected a centering pass into the goal, although there were initially some concerns of offside from Bay’s defense, the goal didn’t trigger a review.

Less than two minutes later, Rowland was carrying the ball inside the box when she got it taken away from her by an attacking Stevens, who scored her second of the night with an assist to Esther Gonzalez. Despite a strong first 30 minutes for the home team, it just took two strong minutes from Gotham to change the game drastically.

Ann-Katrin Berger required some medical attention in the 36th minute, giving Bay an opportunity to try to recuperate with a sideline talk from Montoya. The home team’s play got a lot sloppier following the two goals against, they weren’t connecting on their passes the same and although they were still working hard, it was clear that the confidence that they started the night with was gone, or at least significantly lessened. They wouldn’t be able to respond before the end of the half, and Gotham went into the break with a 2-0 lead.

Kundananji collided hard with Berger inside the box, the ball was deflected up high and Kundananji was trying to get her team on the board while Berger jumped up to grab the ball. Berger went down hard, and needed medical attention, as a result, Kundananji was shown a yellow card and truthfully may have been lucky that was all that she was given.

Meanwhile, Berger remained down in serious pain and struggled to walk when she got up. In a great show of sportsmanship though, Kundananji walked over and checked on her once Berger got to her feet. Gotham’s goalkeeper remained in the game, although with how much difficulty she was having, it’s a bit surprising that they left her in as we saw earlier in the night, it just takes a few mistakes to change the trajectory of the match.

The first substitutions of the night came in the 61st minute when Tierna Davidson and Crystal Dunn entered the match for Gotham. In the 68th minute, Anderson, King, and Oshoala came out for Dorian Bailey, Deyna Castellanos, and Alyssa Malonson. More changes came for both sides in the 75th minute, Montoya was looking for some help in the attack, bringing in Rachel Hill for Scarlett Camberos.

Boade got a great opportunity with a run through the defense in the 80th minute, but she was denied by Berger, who appeared to aggravate her injury from the collision with Kundananji earlier in the half and once again needed attention. Castellanos had a great chance to add a goal for Bay in the 86th minute, but her strike went just wide of the goal.

At the end of the 90th minute, Bailey was pulled down inside of the box however Bay wasn’t awarded a penalty to the dismay of the crowd in attendance. Montoya was shown a yellow when a few moments later Bay was called for a foul.

Throughout the night, it seemed like nothing was going their way in that regard and it was clear frustration had set in. As it always does, time would eventually run out. Bay FC wasn’t able to break up Berger’s clean sheet and despite a rough night at the office for Gotham’s goalkeeper, she got the best result she could’ve hoped for when all was said and done.

Whenever facing off against the defending champions, you can’t even give them an inch or they’ll take a mile and that’s exactly what happened on this occasion.

Bay FC gets by San Diego Wave 2-1; Bay ends 5 game skid

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Bay FC score goal and later enjoy the thrill of victory defeating the San Diego Wave at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Fri May 17, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC had an opportunity to get revenge on the San Diego Wave on Friday night. Their previous meeting was a 2-1 victory for the Wave, however heading into the night they had yet to win a game on the road which would be some good news for Bay.

Bay FC’s performances lately haven’t been great either though, as they entered the night in the middle of a five-game losing streak which they desperately hoped to end. Prior to the match, Caprice Dydasco was given a shirt commemorating her 150th career NWSL match which she had played a few weeks ago. Bay turned the tables on the Wave on Friday night with a 2-1 win of their own at Pay Pal Park in San Jose.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Sharples, King, Anderson, Pickett, Blade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Camberos

San Diego Starting XI: Sheridan, Lundkvist, Girma, Wesley, Westphal, van Egmond, Colaprico, Sanchez, McCaskill, Jones, Carusa

On the injury front, Bay FC would be without Maddie Moreau, Jordan Brewster, and Maya Doms. Alex Loera and Melissa Lowder remain on the season-ending injury list and will not return until 2025. San Diego on the other hand would be without key player Alex Morgan as well as Jaedyn Shaw and Makenzy Doniak.

An interesting note was that Deyna Castellanos was available off of the bench, which hasn’t been a common occurrence so far this season. After the match, Albertin Montoya said that she had picked up a knock during training and had to be limited as a result.

San Diego did a great job holding possession for the first few minutes of the match, most of the time when Bay touched the ball early it was a simple clearance that would be regathered by San Diego very quickly. Scarlett Camberos got Bay’s first attack going in the fifth minute and earned a corner kick after a fantastic run.

Joelle Anderson kicked it short to Tess Boade who immediately passed it back to Anderson who fired a shot that went just high of the goal. Bay got another strong attacking opportunity when Kailen Sheridan came out of her box to play the ball, the attacking duo of Asisat Oshoala and Rachael Kundananji tried to pass it around to find a shot on the open net, however, were unable to do so.

In the 23rd minute, a scramble in front of the net eventually found its way to the Wave’s striker Kyra Carusa who was able to take advantage and give her team a 1-0 lead halfway through the first half. In the 26th minute, the ball deflected awkwardly off of Katelyn Rowland’s hands and nearly gave the Wave a 2-0 lead, however, Kiki Pickett was able to get back and make a goal-line save to deny a second goal.

Camberos continued to create chances in the offensive third of the pitch through hard work and determination, but at the half-hour mark, they still hadn’t been able to convert on any of the chances. Boade was shown a yellow card during the 35th minute following a play in which she lost possession and made a challenge in an attempt to get it back.

The dynamic duo of Oshoala and Kundananji had another strong chance in the 45h minute, however, the goalkeeper played it almost perfectly and prevented them from getting a shot off. After a single minute of stoppage time, the referee would blow the whistle to mark the end of the first half.

Despite San Diego leading considerably in possession time, shots, and shots on target, the game felt much more even than the numbers indicated at the half. Many of Bay’s opportunities were coming in transition, which didn’t come across on the stat sheet very well.

Albertin Montoya’s squad remained the same to start the second half, while Casey Stoney made one change taking off Naomi Girma for Abby Dahlkemper. Camberos, who had been one of the focal points of the offense all night, finally got herself a goal in the 55th minute.

She was left alone by the back post, and once the ball got to her off of a pass from Pickett, Sheridan had no chance to stop it. It marked Camberos’s first goal with her new team, as although she’d been close on many occasions she hadn’t been able to convert on any of her chances to that point.

After the goal, San Diego would make a couple of substitutions taking off Carusa and Christen Westphal for Kristen McNabb and Elyse Bennett. In the 65th, Stoney would make another substitution taking out Mya Jones for Sofia Jakobsson.

Anderson got a chance in the 67th minute, as she got behind the defense but Sheridan came up big for San Diego and denied the shot. With the game tied up, an already physical game got much more physical. Bay was desperate for a point, although they’d undoubtedly prefer three, and the Wave weren’t going to give it to them without a fight. In the 71st minute, Sheridan required some medical attention but remained in the game after a short delay.

Jakobsson nearly scored a go-ahead goal for San Diego in the 74th minute, but a clutch save by Rowland maintained the tie for the time being. Anderson came out for Dorian Bailey in the 75th minute. Bay FC continued bringing a lot of pressure in their offensive end of the pitch as the match entered the final 15 minutes, however, San Diego was responding with some pressure of their own as well.

It was quite a bit of back and forth at that stage of the game. In the 87th minute, Bailey jumped around a diving Sheridan while maintaining control of the ball. She passed the ball into the center of the box and Rachael Kundananji was able to get to it and give Bay FC a 2-1 lead with minimal time remaining.

Boade and Savy King came out after the goal with Castellanos and Alyssa Malonson taking their place.Camberos came out in the 92nd minute for Jen Beattie as Montoya looked to defend the lead.After an abundance of time wasting and creating even more offensive chances, the referee would blow the whistle in the 98th minute and Bay FC’s losing streak was officially over. They walked away with a 2-1 win.

They’ve played well most of the season so far despite not getting the result on many occasions, it’s possible this could be remembered as a turning point in the season but we’ll have to wait and see.

William Espy is a Bay FC beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Orlando shuts out Bay FC 1-0; Bay FC drops fifth straight match

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Bay Fc fought and battled but came up short for their fifth straight loss at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando City on Sat May 11, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC continued their inaugural season with a road trip to Florida to take on the undefeated Orlando Pride and their star players, Barbra Banda and Marta. However, Marta was out of the starting eleven so if she was going to make an appearance it would be as a substitute.

Meanwhile, the visiting team got two key attackers back in this match as both Rachael Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala were available after missing the previous game due to injury. Maya Doms, who was celebrating her 23rd birthday was unavailable due to injury.

If Bay FC was going to end their losing streak, they’d have to overcome one of the most difficult opponents in the NWSL. Despite not being at the very top of the goal-scoring and not conceding the fewest goals in the league, the Pride were top five in both categories which is a big part of the reason they find themselves joint-top of the table alongside the Kansas City Current. The Pride got by 1-0 shutting out Bay at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando City. It was Bay FC’s fifth straight loss.

Bay FC Starting XI:

Rowland, King, Menges, Sharples, Malonson, Pickett, Boade, Castellanos, Kundananji, Oshoala, Camberos

Orlando Starting XI: Moorhouse, Sams, Rafaelle, Strom, Abello, McCutcheon, Gautrat, Yates, Adriana, Doyle, Banda

The first five minutes were mainly spent in Bay FC’s defensive third and the Pride were getting quite a few scoring opportunities. Alyssa Malonson got booked in the sixth minute for a challenge from behind which would be followed up by Orlando’s first booking on Emily Sams.

Malonson’s yellow card would be very dangerous for Bay, as a defender on a card that early against a team with a very effective attack could easily lead to a second yellow. The first 15 minutes were all Orlando, they were leading in possession, had all the shots, and were thoroughly outplaying Bay FC but the score still didn’t reflect that as it remained a 0-0 tie.

This was a very strange situation for Bay who pride themselves on a possession style of play and to that point, they’d been unable to establish that in this game. When Bay did have the ball though, it was no surprise that

Tess Boade was one of the players most commonly on the ball. She was playing a physical game and had quite a few early collisions leading to free kicks for her team. Bay got their first shot on target of the night in the 23rd minute when Kundananji forced Anna Moorhouse to make the save.

Orlando was bringing heavy offense pressure when Deyna Castellanos fouled Banda inside of the box, giving the Pride a penalty kick in the 29th minute. Adriana took the penalty and scored her first of the season beating Katelyn Rowland low to the left side of the goal.

Over the next few minutes Banda made two similarly dangerous run into the box but Emily Menges broke up the first and Kayla Sharples perfectly defended the second while avoiding fouling her. Scarlett Camberos had a very rough challenge on Kylie Strom but somehow avoided a card despite Strom flipping over her in a dangerous manner.

At the half, Orlando led 1-0 while also controlling possession with 60% and 12 shots on target, 17 shots total. Rowland had played very well for Bay despite the lack of a clean sheet and the defense was doing their best to prevent any high-quality scoring chances despite being stuck in their own box for a big portion of the half.

In the second half, Marta came on for Orlando as did Dydasco for Bay. Oshoala drew a yellow card in the 53rd minute when Rafaelle essentially wrapped around her. Bay started the second half much better, however it was still clear that Orlando was the better team up to that point.

Bay was making progress though, and they were desperately trying to find an equalizer. Bay’s first corner of the night didn’t come until the 61st minute, which was also out of character for them. Castellanos is usually taking corners all night long, but that wasn’t the case this time out.

All Bay needed to do was find a way to score and none of that would matter though, the fact that they had been drastically outplayed on paper would become irrelevant if they could find a way to get a result.

In the 66th minute, Kundananji got a yellow card following appeals from Orlando’s coaching staff following a hard collision with Strom, who did receive some medical attention after the play. Boade and Castellanos would be substituted off after the delay with Joelle Anderson and Dorian Bailey taking their place in an attempt to help maintain possession in midfield.

By the 75th minute, things had evened out a bit with Bay having 43% of the possession at that point. They needed to play with more desperation, however, it also seemed like the Pride were letting off of the gas pedal a bit. Camberos didn’t fully escape a yellow card in the match, picking one up in the 80th minute.

Sharples and Menges certainly had their work cut out for them over the course of the game and it became clear that fatigue was starting to set in, but they were still playing very well. With a final push ahead of them, Princess came on for Camberos in the 88th minute.

Moments later Ally Lemos came on for Banda who had played a great game for Orlando, as you’d expect from her at this point. Savy King would end up coming out late in stoppage time with Maddie Moreau coming into the game for her.

Despite Bay FC’s attempts, they were unable to tie it up and lost 1-0. Although they were statistically outplayed, this game could’ve easily been a 0-0 draw thanks to the defense if it weren’t for the penalty. They’ll look to end their growing losing streak next week at home against San Diego.

Bay FC drop fourth straight game to Chicago 2-1 at Pay Pal Park

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Bay FC fell short to the Chicago Red Stars at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun May 5, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC finished off their hectic three-game week on Sunday when they hosted the Chicago Red Stars for the first time. Due to the intense workload, the Bay saw a massively different lineup once again with quite a few first-time players coming off the bench or in the case of Asisat Oshoala, out of the lineup altogether due to an injury.

Kayla Sharples was back in the starting eleven to face off against her former club and hometown team. The Bay once again failed to get in the win column losing their fourth straight game 2-1 to the Red Stars at Pay Pal Park in San Jose.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, King, Dydasco, Beattie, Sharples, Shepherd, Conti, Anderson, Boade, Princess, Camberos 

Chicago Starting XI: Naeher, Rall, Staab, Kuikka, Milazzo, Roccaro, Nesbeth, Swanson, Schlegel, Joseph, Hocking

Bay started the game off with an instant attack but were unable to convert despite some early pressure. In the fifth minute, Ally Schlegel of the Red Stars took a bit of a knock inside the box while they led an attack when a slide tackle left her in some clear discomfort however she would remain in the match.

Tess Boade gave Bay the lead in the eighth minute under very strange circumstances. The goalkeeper received a pass from the centerback and attempted to clear it out, but it bounced directly off of Boade’s head and she had her second goal of the season.

Chicago attempted to go the other way and tie it up, however Mallory Swanson was stopped by Katelyn Rowland. Entering the night, Chicago was 0-3-1 on the season when conceding the first goal of the night. According to the broadcast, it had been 28 matches since they’d found a way to win after giving up the first goal. In the 18th minute, Jen Beattie went down and received medical attention.

She left the most recent game on Wednesday with a knock, but she jogged off and remained in the match on this occasion. Princess nearly added to the lead in the 17th minute when a cross from Caprice Dydasco found her inside the box, however the header went just wide-left.

Rowland got caught out of position when a ball over the top found Penelope Hocking and Bay’s goalkeeper was just outside of the box making it so she couldn’t play it with her hands, as a result, an easy shot allowed Hocking to tie it up at one in the 31st minute.

A couple of moments later, Tatumn Milazzo went down in considerable pain following a challenge on Scarlett Camberos. She was holding the back of her leg while down on the pitch as the result of an awkward fall following the collision.

After a short delay, she remained in the game. A few minutes later, Camberos found herself in another physical battle this time with Lelanni Nesbeth. It was a similar situation as the collision with Milazzo, however following two physical plays in a row the official gave Camberos a short talking to.

Swanson tried to get her team in the lead in stoppage time, but her shot went wide. She was likely looking for a pass to Jameese Joseph, but she had wandered offside forcing Swanson to go for the goal. The half would end with a corner kick by Chicago, but it would go directly to Rowland and the whistle would immediately blow.

It was 1-1 heading into the break, in a game that Bay could have been winning at this point. They led possession with 53% and were by far the more aggressive team, but it was even where it mattered most. 

To start the second half, Milazzo was substituted out for Chicago with Taylor Malham coming on in her place. The momentum was in Chicago’s favor to start the second half, as Bay was struggling to get it out of their defensive third for more than a few moments.

A throw-in from Staab in the 54th minute gave Chicago a great opportunity, after a header deflected the ball near the goal, an attacker missed a follow-up chance and it went directly to the goalkeeper. In the 56th minute, Beatty came out of the match with Emily Menges coming in off the bench for the first time this season, having started every prior game.

Swanson got medical attention for her knee in the 58th minute, she was able to walk off under her own power and came back on the field. The first yellow card of the game was given to Hocking in the 61st minute following a challenge on Camberos.

In the 63rd, A giveaway from Princess led to a scoring opportunity and Schlegel ended up capitalizing to give the Red Stars a 2-1 lead. In the 66th, Dorian Bailey, Alyssa Malonson, and Deyna Castellanos came in for Princess, Caroline Conti and Jamie Shepherd.

Moments later, Camberos got run into by Nesbeth and went down in some pain but got back up quickly. In the 77th minute, a collision between Hocking and Sharples inside the box was under view as a potential penalty, however, it was difficult to tell if she was onside and if she had possession of the ball.

The penalty was eventually awarded and Sharples was given a yellow card for the play as well. Rowland made the save on a shot to the right side of the net, keeping Bay FC’s hopes of a point alive. In the 90th minute, Dydasco crossed into the box, but the shot from Castellanos went just wide. After a total of ten minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle was blown with a 2-1 scoreline and Bay FC lost their fourth straight game. 

Portland beats Bay FC in close game 3-2 in San Jose; Bay FC suffers fifth loss and third loss in a row

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Try as hard as they can Bay FC couldn’t run away with the ball enough as the Portland Thorns won by one goal in Wed May 1, 2024 match at Pay Pal Park in San Jose (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC returned home to PayPal Park on Wednesday night to take on the Portland Thorns. Bay was looking to end a two-game losing skid while Portland was looking to extend their winning streak to three following a coaching change in the middle of April. Interim Head Coach Rob Gale has been undefeated since taking over the job after the previous coach Mike Norris was reassigned within the organization following a winless start to the season. Bay couldn’t take advantage of home field lost in a razor close game 3-2 to the Thorns.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, Menges, Beattie, Malonson, Moreau, Shepard, Anderson, Bailey, Princess, Castellanos, Kundananji

Thortns Starting XI: Hogan, Klingenberg, Sauerbrunn, Hubly, Reyes, Sugita, Moultrie, Coffey, Linnehan, Beckie, Smith

Given the fact that they’re playing three games in eight days, it’s not surprising that Albertin Montoya went with a much different lineup than we saw on Saturday in San Diego. Jen Beattie, Alyssa Malonson, Maddie Moreau, Jamie Sheppard, and Princess all came into the starting lineup.

Despite some injury concerns at the end of Bay’s last match, Asisat Oshoala was available as a substitute. As were Kayla Sharples, Savy King, Caprice Dydasco, and Tess Boade amongst others. Scarlett Camberos though was not selected either as a starter or as a substitute. Portland’s lineup was also affected by this, as they’re playing a similar schedule, with three games in seven days.

Portland took the lead on their first attack of the match in just the second minute. Payton Linnehan got past the defense and was essentially one-on-one with Lysianne Proulx, the goalkeeper had no chance and it was 1-0 in favor of the visiting team.

After the ball was taken away from Moreau in midfield, a quick pass to Sophia Smith resulted in a second early goal for the Thorns, this time in the seventh minute. Despite the turnover, Moreau was playing well early on. She was heavily involved in the play and had a key takeaway that led to a strong pass upfield and almost led to a scoring chance.

For a 23-year-old playing in her second professional game, she was certainly making an impact. Notably, Joelle Anderson was taking the corners in place of Deyna Castellanos. Typically Anderson would do so once Castellanos had been substituted, but she took them from the beginning on this occasion.

As a result of their early deficit, Bay had to go for a more attacking approach early on. Their wingbacks were playing pretty high up the pitch given the fact that it was less than 20 minutes into the game, however it did lead to some potential scoring opportunities.

In the 31st minute, Bay got their best opportunity of the night so far however a shot by Castellanos would go just wide. In the 35th minute, Rachael Kundananji and Olivia Moultrie collided with one another. Both got some medical attention, causing a short delay in the game but got to their feet fairly quickly Portland nearly extended their lead to three in the 40th minute however the ball sailed just over the crossbar.

A minute later, Bay FC launched an attack down the field, it ultimately fell to Kundananji inside the box, who slipped past a defender and fired a shot that found the netting to get her team on the board before halftime. For the remainder of the half, Bay was relentless in their attack as they attempted to even it up before the break. They were unable to do so though, and at the half, it was still 2-1 with the Thorns leading.

Montoya made a substitution to start the second half, bringing Boade on for Dorian Bailey. Bay got a scoring chance right at the start of the half, however Kundananji’s shot went high and just wide. In the 50th minute, off of a corner kick the ball landed on Kundananji’s head and it went just wide after deflecting off of a defender in front.

The ensuing second corner kick wouldn’t create a strong attack though. Montoya had made a change on the set pieces though, as Castellanos was back to taking corner duties. In the 60th minute, Kundananji and Castellanos got a two-on-two rush, Kundananji carried the ball for quite a bit, into the box before passing it to Castellanos who tied the game at two a piece.

Bay nearly took the lead just a couple minutes later, a shot from Princess went into the box. The ball bounced around and Castellanos fell attempting to knock it into the net. It went out for a corner and the game remained tied for the time being.

A similar situation happened in the 71st when a Boade shot was saved by Shelby Hogan and bobbled in front of the net before a foul was called against Bay FC. After a short delay, Jen Beattie left with an injury being replaced by Kayla Sharples.

Maya Doms also entered the game replacing Anderson. Immediately afterwards, Portland once again took the lead with Smith’s second goal of the night, this time from distance.In an attempt to restore the tie, Asisat Oshoala came into the game in the 82nd minute replacing Princess.

Still trailing by one, Bay FC was given 8 minutes of stoppage time to attempt to tie it up. Following a collision with Proulx, Morgan Weaver had to be carried off the pitch due to an apparent leg injury. Due to the injury, Portland had to finish the game with ten players since they had already made all possible substitutions which gave Bay a chance.

Despite a few quality attacking opportunities, they were unable to tie it up and Bay FC’s losing streak grew to three games. The 3-2 win for Portland also extended their winning streak to three games, continuing to be undefeated since their coaching change.

San Diego edges Bay FC 2-1; Bay FC loses it fourth game of season

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Try as hard as they did including headers Bay FC couldn’t get in the win column and drop their fourth loss of the season to the San Diego Wave at Bashor Field in San Diego on Sat Apr 27, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC finished up their three-game road trip in San Diego to take on the San Diego Wave at Bashor Field on Saturday night to a 2-1 loss. Neither team has had the start to the season they had hoped for and both were without key players for this matchup.

Bay’s first-ever signing Alex Loera is out for the season with a torn ACL, while San Diego is without Alex Morgan, Abby Dahlkemper, Melanie Barcenas, and Sofia Jakobsson. Due to the amount of injuries in their lineup, San Diego’s Kimmi Ascanio made her first career start in the NWSL at just 16 years of age.

On Bay FC’s side of things, Albertin Montoya went with a slightly different approach for tonight’s game with Loera out of the lineup, moving Tess Boade back into a more defensive role alongside Dorian Bailey in the midfield. They did have Scarlett Camberos back in the lineup though which was certainly beneficial for the team’s offense.

San Diego Starting XI: Sheridan, Girma, Lundkvist, Wesley, McNabb, Doniak, Ascanio, Jones, Carusa, McCaskill, Colaprico

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, King, Dydasco, Menges, Sharples, Bailey, Boade, Castellanos, Camberos, Oshoala, Kundananji

San Diego nearly got out to an early lead in the 10th minute, however, Lysianne Proulx was able to disrupt the play and keep the ball out of the net. That wouldn’t last long though, as just three minutes later Makenzy Doniak was able to beat Proulx with a shot just inside of the box after a pass from the aforementioned Ascanio who recorded her first career NWSL assist.

Racheal Kundananji tried to tie it up a couple of minutes later with a long shot, however, it went over the net and it remained 1-0 in favor of San Diego. Boade showed that a more defensive role wouldn’t prevent her from contributing offensively in the 21st minute, as she was able to take the ball away from Ascanio with a considerable amount of pressure and then immediately get a strong scoring opportunity but she was denied by Kailen Sheridan.

A few moments later, Proulx came out of the goal to play the ball near the edge of the box however the ball fell to a member of the Wave with a wide-open goal. Bay FC got bailed out by Emily Menges who blocked the shot and prevented San Diego from getting out to a 2-0 lead.

Bay got another strong scoring chance in the 28th minute, as Kundananji ran down the wing before finding Asisat Oshoala in front of the goal, who passed it back to Deyna Castellanos. Castellanos fired a great shot, however it went just over the crossbar.

In the 33rd minute, Danielle Colaprico collided with Bailey in midfield. Colaprico went down in a considerable amount of pain with an apparent nose injury, as it was a face-to-face collision between the two. Since she caused a delay in the match, Colaprico had to go to the sideline while play restarted.

In a tremendous showing of sportsmanship, Bailey headed to the sideline herself as well to stand with Colaprico preventing either team from getting an advantage as the result of an accidental injury. One of the most noticeable aspects of Bay’s defensive efforts in the first half was Savy King’s improvement in the defensive third of the pitch, she was disrupting plays quite regularly which hadn’t necessarily been the case all season.

She had played well previously, but it was quite a notable improvement. Both teams got a few more opportunities prior to the end of the first half, but neither was able to score and it went to halftime with San Diego holding their 1-0 lead.

Early in the second half, Kayla Sharples nearly scored in her third straight game, however, she hit the crossbar. Luckily for Bay though, the ball fell to Oshoala who was able to put it away to tie the game at 1. In the 51st minute, Kundananji went down after some contact with Mya Jones, after a small amount of attention from the trainer she got back up and continued the game.

San Diego nearly regained the lead in the 56th minute, Doniak received a cross and a perfect header could’ve easily been a goal however Proulx was able to get right in front of it and make a save. Castellanos was down in significant pain in the 60th minute, however, despite a small limp, she was able to carry on.

Oshoala had a tremendous individual effort in the 63rd minute, as a Wave defender was waiting for the ball to go out for a goal kick, Oshoala got past her. She then took the ball, ran past another defender, and got a shot off that was blocked by Hanna Lundkvist.

In the 73rd minute, the Wave got a scoring chance off of a corner when a volley was seemingly going over the net but it had an absurd amount of spin on it, which caused it to bounce off the crossbar and back into play but Bay FC were able to clear the ball. In the 75th, Oshoala went down after being clipped by an opposing player’s leg.

She was waving desperately at the bench from the ground, which is certainly a scary sight for Bay supporters. She walked off the pitch under her own power but did not look comfortable at all. After the match, both Oshoala and Montoya confirmed that she was just cramping and is expected to be available on Wednesday.

The Waves took a 2-1 lead after a FC Barcelona-esque passing play which was finished off by Jaedyn Shaw. After the goal, Montoya substituted Oshoala out in favor of Princess. Just a few moments later, Bailey was fouled by Colaprico who was already on a yellow card, giving Bay FC a dangerous free kick with time starting to run out.

The short passing play between Joelle Anderson and Boade would quickly be broken up, leading to a corner which also would fail to convert. Boade almost tied it up in the 85th minute following a great pass by Princess, however, the shot went well over the goal.

Bay FC was buzzing as 90 minutes came to an end, they had seven minutes of stoppage time to tie it up but so far they’d struggled to beat the keeper despite quite a bit of pressure. Bailey nearly did just that after a shot from Sharples but she was tripped up in the box and the ball trickled out of play for a corner which nothing came out of.

Montoya then sent Sharples up front as a center forward to try to get on the end of headers, certainly an interesting strategy that had the potential to pay off. She created a few chances and nearly scored a couple of times but was unable to convert on those chances.

Bay had quite a few close calls, but they were unable to score a second goal of the night and when the final whistle blew, it was a 2-1 win for San Diego.

KC opens up offense on Bay FC at CPKC Stadium 5-2

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It was a rough evening of football for Bay FC who were outscored by the KC Current at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Sat Apr 20, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC is on the road this weekend, visiting the Kansas City Current at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Lysianne Proulx returned from injury for tonight’s matchup, however, Scarlett Camberos is still out of the lineup with a leg injury.

It was also a milestone night for Caprice Dydasco who was appearing in her 150th regular season match. Alex Loera won the NWSL’s goal of the week award for her goal against the Seattle Reign last week and had the captain’s armband to start tonight’s game. Kansas City is known for their high-powered offense, and Bay FC is near the middle of the table for goals conceded so they’d need a strong defensive effort to walk away with three points in this game.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, King, Sharples, Menges, Dydasco, Loera (C), Bailey, Castellanos, Kundananji, Oshoala, Boade

Kansas City Current Starting XI: Franch, Mace, Wheeler, Chawinga, Ball, Zaneratto, Hutton, DiBernardo, Feist, Robinson, Spaanstra

Kansas City took the lead in just the second minute, a turnover from Emily Menges allowed Bia Zaneratto to get behind the defense and Proulx had no chance to make a save. It wouldn’t take long for them to extend their lead either.

Off of a corner kick, a cross from Alexa Spaanstra was headed in by Bayley Feist to give the Current a 2-0 lead. This marked Feist’s first goal with her new team, and only the second of her NWSL career. She previously scored one with the Washington Spirit in 2019.

Bay FC got on the board during the 17th minute as Kayla Sharples scored her second goal in as many games. Off of a corner kick, Deyna Castellanos crossed it in and Sharples was able to find the back of the net off of a header.

Sharples was called for a yellow card in the 23rd minute following a challenge. She missed the ball entirely and caught the ball carrier’s legs, leaving the official with no choice but to book Bay FC’s goal scorer.

Early in the first half momentum was on Kansas City’s side and they were undoubtedly the better team. Once Sharples scored though, things started to even out a bit. Proulx was getting tested, however not as regularly as she was in the first 20 minutes.

In the 28th minute, Loera made a challenge on Zaneratto and after come contact she went down with an apparent leg injury. Based on her reaction as she went down, it seems like it’s going to be a serious injury. As one of Bay’s most important players was down on the pitch, manager Albertin Montoya attempted to fire up the remainder of his team and get them back in the game.

Eventually, Loera was removed from the game, and Joelle Anderson came into the game in the 32nd minute as the delay ended. With Loera leaving the match, the captain’s armband was passed to Emily Menges. The final 15 minutes of the half were fairly even and Bay FC was unable to tie it up in the first 45 minutes. Kansas City would hold a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

The second half started with a great scoring opportunity for Bay, however, a header from Asisat Oshoala went too high and it remained 2-1. In the 56th minute, Kansas City made it 3-1 when Temwa Chawinga received a breakout pass from Vanessa DiBernardo and toe-poked it past Proulx.

History repeated itself just a few minutes later, as a breakout pass from Dibernardo once again found Chawinga. Prolux was playing forward, and as a result there was no chance to make a save. Chawinga’s shot found an empty net, and Kansas City led 4-1. Immediately after the kickoff, the Current got the ball back and Proulx was out of her net once again, and needed to make a late save to keep it 4-1 for the time being.

In the 66th minute, Kansas City made a trio of substitutions as it seemed that they had the game won at that point. In the 67th, Bay FC countered with a couple of substitutions of their own. Princess came on for Castellanos, while Caroline Conti made her NWSL debut, taking Dorian Bailey’s spot.

In the 69th minute, Zaneratto got a quality scoring chance with Tess Boade attempting to come back and defend but the shot went just wide. In the 73rd minute, Zaneratto got her second of the night as well powering through the debuting Conti before firing it into the back of the net.

Shortly after the second goal though, she went down in some discomfort and was eventually substituted off for 16-year-old Alex Pfeiffer. Boade made it 5-2 after a fantastic solo effort, essentially walking through the entire defense in the 78th minute.

Savy King and Sharples came off for the debuting Maddie Moreau and Jordan Brewster in the 81st minute. In the 87th minute, Princess was shown a yellow card for a foul on Ellis Wheeler. Bay threw everything they had at Kansas City late in the game in an attempt to overcome the odds and claw their way back into the game, but they were unable to do so and the game ended with a final score of 5-2. After the game, Montoya was unable to give an update on Loera’s injury, stating that they were waiting for test results.