Category: Bay FC

Bay FC pick up first home win in franchise history with 3-2 win over Seattle

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Bay FC players were thrilled with their winning goal over the Seattle Reign FC at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun Apr 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC Hosted Seattle Reign FC on Sunday evening on Women’s Empowerment Night and picked up their first home victory of the franchise 3-2 at Pay Pal Park. Bay FC’s most recent game was against the Houston Dash on March 30, a night that marked their first home opener as well as the first sellout in team history. Now, following a couple of weeks of international duty for some of the players, the team was ready to return to action and try to avenge their loss to the Dash.

Seattle Reign Starting XI: Dickey, Huerter, Cook, Barnes (C), Woodham, James-Turner, Van Der Jagt, Athens, Ji, Fishlock, Balcer

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

It’s important to note that Lysianne Proulx was unavailable for this game after picking up a minor injury while playing with Canada, but she has been participating in some training recently and is expected to return in the near future. Scarlett Camberos was also out of the lineup for a similar reason.

The first half started off fairly even, with end-to-end action. Their first big scoring chance came when Alyssa Malonson found quite a bit of space on the left side of the pitch, but the cross went straight to the goalkeeper rather than the intended recipient.

Bay sustained offensive pressure for the next few minutes, with Racheal Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala attempting to create chances. They tested Seattle’s keeper, Claudia Dickey a few times but the game remained 0-0. In the 18th minute, Oshoala got through the defense and shot it just wide of the goal.

Bay also came out of the gate very aggressively, an early slide tackle set the mood for the rest of the half. Alex Loera earned back possession with a hard, but clean tackle. Kundananji had a similar tackle, but was called for a foul as it was a little off-target and caught the attacker’s legs rather than the ball. No card was shown on the play though.

In the 27th minute, Katelyn Rowland showed her sweeper-keeper ability coming into the middle third to clear out a ball despite it being swarmed by other players. It was a dangerous play, but it got the ball to safety. About a minute later though, disaster struck for Bay.

Despite having quite a strong start to the game, an own goal by Kayla Sharples put them down 1-0 on a very unfortunate play. In the 32nd minute, Deyna Castellanos had a strong chance from inside the box, but Dickey was able to tip it over the net and Bay got a corner kick as a result, but nothing would come from it.

In the 40th minute, Seattle got a strong scoring chance when Bethany Balcer nearly got in all alone with the goalkeeper, but a strong defensive effort by Malonson broke up the play and conceded a corner instead.

Shortly after, Bay got an opportunity of their own as Tess Boade got a shot off, that was saved by Dickey in the 41st minute. Despite Bay FC having a strong performance and outplaying their opposition in the first half, they walked out of the first half trailing 1-0.

Bay FC came out with intensity to start the second half, Oshoala had a quality scoring chance from just outside of the box just a minute into the half but it went just wide. In the 48th minute, Bay FC would score what seemed like an inevitable goal.

Sharples made up for her prior own goal, scoring a header off of an assist from Emily Menges. It was a rare situation where the center-backs combined to score a goal, It was Sharples’ second-ever NWSL goal and Menges’ first career assist. In the 54th minute, Seattle tried to answer back but their header went just wide of the goal, and the game remained tied at 1.

In the 57th, Bay FC led another strong attack, but the ball was tipped wide by the defense and it resulted in another corner opportunity. Although the corner itself didn’t lead to a goal, the ball found its way to Alex Loera who scored on a screamer of a shot to make it a quick 2-1 lead for Bay.

It was the first goal Loera had ever scored in the regular season, her only previous goals came during the playoffs. After the goal, Dickey received some attention from the trainer and had to leave the game, Laurel Ivory entered the game to take over in goal.

Bay FC continued their attacking pressure shortly after the goal but were unable to beat the keeper. In the 63rd minute, Malonson would be substituted for Savy King, who was playing her first career game outside of the starting lineup.

It would take until the 67th minute for Rowland to get tested in the second half, Olivia Athens got a shot off, but it was directly to Rowland. That marked Seattle’s first shot on target of the night. In the 71st minute, Rowland went down and required attention from the trainer as well.

During this time, Seattle made three substitutions to attempt to spark their offense. After a short delay, she remained in the game and immediately was forced to make her second save of the night.

In the 78th minute, Bay nearly put the game away as Oshoala found herself all alone with the keeper but the shot went just left of the goal. In the 81st minute, it seemed like Bay FC had put the game away when Boade found the back of the net, but the play was called offside.

A few minutes later, Seattle tied it up with a goal from Balcer and the mood instantly shifted in Paypal Park. It went from Bay FC putting the game away to a tied game over the course of just a couple of minutes.

However, in the 87th minute, things changed once again. Joelle Anderson’s shot was deflected by a defender into the back of the net which gave Bay FC a 3-2 lead with very little time remaining. It seemed like Seattle tied it up just a few moments later, but the play was called offside and it remained 3-2 in favor of the home team.

12 minutes of stoppage time were added, and Bay FC needed to find a way to hold on if they wanted to walk away with their first home win in franchise history. In the 92nd minute, Oshoala went down in the offensive third of the pitch and received some medical attention as well, which certainly added a little more time to the end of the game. She spent a moment on the sideline but quickly returned to action.

In the 94th minute, Oshoala was able to receive a breakout pass, putting her one-on-one with a defender who she got past and seemingly scored a goal but on the breakout it appeared that she grazed the ball with her hand and it was called back.

Eventually, she’d be substituted out as Bay went for a more defensive approach to end the game, and Jen Beattie entered the match. After stoppage time drew to a close, Bay FC walked away with their first ever home win, 3-2. It was an emotional night for the players, coaching staff and of course the fans. They’ll need to carry that energy into their next game as they look to build some momentum.

Bay FC takes tough loss in inaugural home opener to Houston 3-2

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Bay FC kicked off their first home game in franchise history at Pay Pal Park in San Jose against the Houston Dash on Sat Mar 30, 2024 (Bay FC photo from X)

By William Espy

Bay FC hosted the Houston Dash on Saturday for their inaugural game at PayPal Park. They were looking to bounce back following a heartbreaking loss to the Washington Spirit last week. Earlier this week, the team announced that the game was sold out, a major accomplishment for the NWSL’s newest team.

Alex Loera returned the lineup after missing the last game for internal reasons as well which was great news for the team, though it is worth noting she was the captain for the team’s first game against Angel City FC, but today that honor was given to San Jose native, and former member of the Dash, Joelle Anderson.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, Dydasco, Mengers, Sharples, King, Loera, Castellanos, Anderson, Boade, Camberos, Oshoala

Houston Dash Starting XI: Campbell, Sanchez, Peterson, Ordonez, Andressa, Alozie, Van Zanten, Schmidt, West, Puntigam, Rubensson

It was clear from before the match even started, that Houston was going to bring high offensive pressure given that they were running with a 3-1-4-2 formation with quite a few attackers. If Bay FC was going to win with their 4-3-3 formation, they were going to have to absorb some pressure but overall it was a game where it wasn’t a question of if there was going to be a goal, it was clear it wouldn’t be a 0-0 draw.

Bay was running with the same exact lineup that got them the win in their first-ever game, however, they did have a couple of different faces on the bench, who would make a difference later in the night. It took a little bit for the game to start, as they had to wait for the smoke from the opening ceremonies to clear.

Lysianne Proulx got tested early when she faced a point-blank shot in the first minute by rookie Amanda West but made a big save to keep the game scoreless. That’s been a theme of the games so far, Proulx has had to keep her team in it and that was going to be the same in this outing as well.

Early in the season, manager Albertin Montoya talked about the importance of the possession style of game that Bay is playing and it was prevalent early in the match. Bay FC was sustaining pressure and maintaining possession, whether it was in their defensive third of the pitch, or the offensive third.

It would be difficult for rookie manager Fran Alonso’s side to score if they never had the ball, and that was Bay’s objective right out of the gate. Early in the match, Tess Boade was getting quite a bit of attention from the official but nothing ever came of it.

They would get booked early though, as Asisat Oshoala received a yellow card in the 16th minute after an apparent desperate slide tackle, but upon replay, it was clear that she had just slipped and collided with the opposition unintentionally.

Deyna Castellanos would score the team’s first-ever goal at PayPal Park, getting the sell-out crowd on their feet in the 19th minute. After Scarlett Camberos brought it down the wing, it was crossed in for Oshoala whose shot was blocked and bounced to Castellanos, who scored from near the penalty marker.

It also marked the Venezuelan national’s first career NWSL goal, as she had spent the rest of her professional career with Atletico Madrid in Spain and Manchester City in England.

In the second half, things started off a little slowly. The first high-quality chance of the half came in the 58th minute, as Boade got a one-on-one with the Dash goalkeeper, Jane Campbell. Campbell made the save, and after a scramble in front of the net a second shot would be blocked and the ball would sail out of play.

Proulx would get tested once again in the 61st minute, but she made the necessary plays fairly easily. Montoya would make his first substitution of the night at this point, bringing in Zambian national Racheal Kundanaji who was making her debut not only for Bay FC but in the NWSL in general.

The former Madrid CFF forward came in for Oshoala as Bay was looking to extend their lead. However, in the 66th minute, Diana Ordonez scored an equalizer. After a cross from the other side of the box, Ordonez was able to score a header which brought her team back into the game.

In the 68th minute, Houston made a substitution to bring Havana Solaun into the game for Elin Rubensson which will be important to remember later on. Early in the 79th minute, Houston had a very strong attacking opportunity, Proulx dove out to punch the ball away but it bounced directly to an attacker while the goalkeeper was out of position.

Luckily for Bay, the ball bounced just wide of the goal keeping the game tied at 1. In the 84th minute, Houston appealed to the officials saying that a ball hit a Bay FC’s player’s hand inside the penalty area and after review, a penalty was called for a handball.

Proulx made the initial save, but the ball bounced back in front of the net directly to Ordonez who scored her second of the night. In the 79th minute, Bay FC made a couple more substitutions to attempt to tie the game. Dorian Bailey came in for Anderson and shortly after Princess Marfo came in for Camberos.

Due to the lengthy delays during the second half, there were nine minutes of stoppage time added for Bay to attempt to equalize. In the 93rd minute, Kundanaji scored a debut goal to make it 2-2 with very little time remaining. She cut in and fired a shot from the right side of the box, which gave Campbell almost no chance to make a save for the Dash.

However, seven minutes later Solaun scored a goal to give the Dash the lead and Bay FC lost their home opener 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion, very reminiscent of their loss last game to the Washington Spirit. Although it was a loss, Bay FC easily could’ve won this match based on the numbers and their control of the game while the sell-out crowd certainly went home entertaining after a back-and-forth match.

It certainly stings that they’ve lost out on a point in stoppage time two games in a row though, so closing out games when tied needs to be an area they work on moving forward.

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

Bay FC loses in close battle to Washington 2-1 at Audi Field in DC

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Bay FC went all out against the Washington Spirit in a razor close game at Audi Field in Washington DC on Sat Mar 23, 2024 (Bay FC photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC visited the nation’s capital, Washington D.C, to take on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field. It was the home opener for the Spirit, who started their season in Seattle with a loss to the Seattle Reign and were looking to bounce back.

Bay FC on the other hand, started the season with a win against Angel City FC in Los Angeles. Their manager Albertin Montoya stuck with the 4-3-3 which worked well for them last time out, while Washington’s interim manager Adrian Gonzalez Morales countered with a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Spirit bounced back in with a one goal 2-1 win over Bay FC.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, King, Beattie, Menges, Dydasco, Bailey, Anderson, Castellanos, Camberos, Blade, Oshoala

Washington Starting XI: Kingsbury, Krueger, Butel, McKeown, Carle, Hershfelt, Sullivan, Hatch, Bethune, Rodman, Sarr

Washington brought out quite a bit of pressure early, as they got a quality scoring chance less than a minute into the game. Bay FC would open the scoring though, as Dorian Bailey scored from the center of the box off of a pass from last game’s goal scorer Asisat Oshoala in the 11th minute.

Bailey spent five seasons with the Spirit before being acquired by Bay FC during the winter. Despite playing quite a few games with their organization, she was unable to score a goal in each of the last three seasons. Often regarded as a defender by the Spirit, Bailey is playing more of an offensive role with her new team. Oshoala almost scored one of her own in the 13th minute but hit the bar.

The former member of FC Barcelona has been a major contributor for Bay FC so far this season, and although she was unable to score in this game, she’s probably going to find the net more often than she misses this season.

Bay FC continued to apply pressure for the next ten minutes but were unable to extend their lead to two. After Scarlett Camberos was caught offside in the 21st minute, the Spirit started launching an attack which ended with a goal by Hal Hertshfelt from the right side of the box.

Trinity Rodman found her wide open, as she had been able to get behind Bay FC defender Savy King and Lysianne Proulx had no chance of saving the well-placed shot. It was Hershfelt’s first career NWSL goal in only her second career game, as she was selected by the Spirit in the first round of the 2024 draft.

For Bay FC, it was the first goal they had conceded since joining the league as well. Following the goal, momentum swung in Washington’s favor as they were able to maintain possession for the next few minutes and turned it into a couple more scoring chances.

Proulx faced a big test in the 34th minute, as Ouleymata Sarr took the ball from the defense in Washington’s offensive third of the pitch and got a shot off from just outside the box, as she has in most cases this season though, Proulx came through and made the save.

In the 36th minute, Casey Krueger collided with her teammate Hershfelt and went down with an apparent head injury. After a three-minute delay, she left the pitch under her own power and was eventually subbed off, with Anna Heilferty coming into the game. Due to the injury, officials would add six minutes of stoppage time but the game would head to halftime tied 1-1.

Neither team was able to get an advantage early in the second half, there was an occasional scoring chance but a lot of time was spent attempting to break through the defense on both ends. Bay in particular was maintaining considerable possession time, but were unable to get set up in the offensive third and were often regrouping in their own half of the pitch.

In the 58th minute, Deyna Castellanos took a hard foul after making contact with two Spirit players but would remain in the game. Just a few moments later, Rodman would be booked, the second yellow card of the game, the first was given to Camberos in the 48th minute.

Looking to break the tie, Washington took off their striker Sarr for Brittany Ratcliffe who had started in their two previous matches. In the 65th minute, Washington got the best opportunity of the half so far, when Croix Bethune hit the crossbar, if it were slightly lower it would’ve undoubtedly been the go-ahead goal.

In the 68th minute, Bay FC made their first substitution of the night as Jen Beattie was replaced by Alyssa Malonson on defense. At that point, momentum was certainly in the favor of the Spirit and Montoya hoped adding some energy to the backline could help settle things down a bit.

It did help, as Bay maintained possession in the offensive third a little more after the substitution, but the half was still scoreless when Rachel Hill replaced Cambreros in the 76th minute for Montoya’s second substitution of the night.

Injury struck again in the 83rd minute for the Spirit, as Rodman went down with apparent leg cramping and although she wanted to remain in the match, Courtney Brown took her spot for the remainder of the night.

Since Washington had used their three windows, they were done with substitutions for the night after Brown came on. In the 88th minute, Castellanos went down with an injury in the middle of play for Bay FC but she ended up remaining in the game.

The officials granted five minutes of stoppage time, and the game remained tied 1-1 after 90 minutes. That would change in the 95th though, as Bethune scored shortly after a set piece to give the Spirit a 2-1 lead and the victory. It was a heartbreaking first loss for Bay FC who could’ve easily walked away with a point on the road, but now they’ll look to bounce back in their home opener next weekend.

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

Bay FC picks up win in inaugural game against Angel City FC 1-0

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Bay FC battles Angel City FC in the inaugural game at BMO Field in Los Angeles at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles (Bay FC photo on X)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s long-awaited first game is now in the books. They traveled to BMO Field in Los Angeles to take on Angel City FC who finished fifth in the National Women’s Soccer League last season. There are always a lot of unknowns when a new team takes the pitch and Bay FC had a difficult test to make a first impression on the league.

Manager Albertin Montoya went with a 4-3-3 formation for his inaugural lineup which was matched by Angel City’s manager Becki Tweed’s own 4-3-3. Bay FC did have a single player who is unavailable for selection, as goalkeeper Melissa Lowder is out for the season with a knee injury.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, King, Menges, Sharples, Dydasco, Anderson, Loera, Castellanos, Camberos, Oshoala, Boade

Angel City FC Starting XI: Anderson, Gordon, Nielsen, Riley, Vignola, Henry, Dougherty Howard, Fuller, Emslie, Leroux, Thompson

Angel City got some strong scoring opportunities in the sixth minute, but Bay FC’s defense held strong and goalkeeper Lysiane Proulx made some great saves as well to keep the game 0-0. During the scramble inside the box, Alexis Loera was able to get in front of a shot as well and saved what would’ve otherwise been a certain goal for the opposition.

In the sixteenth minute, Tess Boade intercepted an Angel City pass as they attempted to advance the ball outside of their defensive third, a quick pass to Asisat Oshoala resulted in the first goal of the game, and also the first goal in the history of Bay FC on their first shot of the night. Oshoala, who was signed from FC Barcelona, is expected to be one of the team’s top players this season so it was definitely a fitting first-goal scorer.

One of Bay FC’s defensive midfielders, Loera, would be the first player booked in the match after taking down Megan Dougherty Howard in the 31st minute. Shortly after the booking, Loera would be called for a foul on an impressive tackle that looked clean but luckily for Bay FC she avoided a second yellow card.

Proulx was tested with another difficult save, as Dougherty Howard was wide open inside the box and the ball was tipped just wide. As it neared the end of the first half, Angel City brought quite a bit of pressure as they attempted to tie the game before halftime. Despite heavy pressure, Bay FC was able to hold strong and maintain their lead into the half.

In the 50th minute, Angel City got robbed by Menges who was able to knock the ball out of bounds while Dougherty Howard was once again alone in front of the goal, this time with Proulx out of position following a previous save.

This was one of many moments during this game where Angel City should’ve had a goal, but strong positioning by Bay FC kept them in the lead.

They were playing a lot of defensive soccer early in the second half, as Angel City threw numbers forward in an attempt to bring themselves back into the game. In the 66th minute, Bay FC made their first substitutions of the game as Deyna Castellanos and Scarlett Camberos came out for Dorian Bailey and Rachel Hill respectively.

In the 70th minute, Dougherty Howard and Savy King collided at the goal line. Although she started to get up after the collision, King was down for a few moments and left momentarily to get checked out but returned to the game.

She was fouled again during the 76th minute and was once again slow to get up. Madison Hammond and Merritt Mathias would be substituted on for Angel City during the 77th minute, as Dougherty Howard and Ali Riley came off.

As we entered the final ten minutes of the game, desperation got much higher for Angel City while Bay FC ramped up their efforts to run down the clock and slow things down. Loera made a couple more big plays in the box, as she was able to block a few shots and was eventually brought down with a foul in the 81st minute.

Angel City made a couple more substitutions as Alyssa Thompson came off for Gisele Thompson while Messiah Bright took the pitch for Claire Emslie. King’s impressive NWSL debut would end in the 83rd minute as well, coming off for Kiki Pickett.

Montoya was loudly encouraging Bay FC to keep the play in front of them as time winded down, it was key to prevent getting behind the play and giving their opposition an opportunity. At the start of stoppage time, Caprice Dydasco made an incredible goal line stop that saved Proulx’s clean sheet for the time being.

Oshoala was in some difficulty at this point as well, she went down in the box, and Bay FC was left with only 10 players for a short time while Angel City mounted an attack. In the 94th minute, Angel City nearly tied it up once again as they hit the woodwork but the play was offside regardless.

Bay FC would hold on, and win their first game 1-0 in a nail biting affair. Proulx’s phenomenal performance was rewarded with a clean sheet. Although it was a difficult choice, as Proulx could’ve easily taken it as well, Oshoala was named player of the match as the only goal-scorer of the night.

General Takeaways

Although Lowder was in the running to be named starting goalkeeper for Bay FC prior to her injury, Proulx proved that the position is still in good hands. She played an incredible game and it’s clear why she was targeted out of Melbourne City of the Australian A-League.

The Canadian national kept her team in the game on multiple occasions and at only 24 years old, she still has plenty of room to improve. If she continues to play at this level, she could become the long-term goalkeeper for Bay FC.

Bay FC’s defense was strong, specifically when it came to blocking shots during scrambles in front of the net. With that being said, they did struggle to clear the ball when they were under a lot of pressure at times. Overall though, they played a very strong game and certainly didn’t look like the average expansion team. In most sports, you expect a brand-new team to struggle on a nightly basis but that won’t be the case with this team.

The second overall pick from the 2024 NWSL Draft, Savy King made her debut as a part of the team’s inaugural starting eleven and she didn’t look out of place in the slightest. She played a very strong game, making some long passes out of the defensive third to attempt a counter-attack opportunity.

The Santa Monica native won’t be perfect, as every 19-year-old in professional sports will undoubtedly make mistakes, but it’s clear that she has sky-high potential and can become one of the best players in the world if she reaches it. She can certainly become a candidate for the US Women’s National Team sooner rather than later.

Alex Loera’s aggressive play will certainly help create scoring chances for Bay FC this season, however, she needs to be careful once she already has a booking.

Her tackle a minute after getting booked looked clean, but she was given a foul on the play and a second booking could have drastically changed the outcome of the game. Although things worked out this time, it’s certainly going to be important to tone things down early in the game to allow more aggressive plays late in the match.