Category: National Women’s Soccer League

Bay FC Asisat Oshoala scores gamer defeat Racing Louisville 1-0

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Bay FC’s Asisat Oshoala is thrilled after scoring at the 76th minute from the spot against Racing Louisville FC at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville in what would be the match’s only goal. (photo by Bay FC X)

By William Espy

Bay FC was on the road Saturday, as they visited Louisville, Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville FC in a matinee matchup at Lynn Family Stadium. It was an important game as the winner could walk away 8th in the league standings, while the loser could quickly start trending in the wrong direction.

Entering the night, Bay had won three of their last five matchups, while Louisville had two victories and a draw in the same time frame. Bay was without key player Rachael Kundananji who had been suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Asisat Oshoala scored the match’s only goal in the 76th minute that would defeat Racking Louisville 1-0.

Bay Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Beattie, Menges, Dydasco, Bailey, Pickett, Anderson, Hill, Oshoala, Boade

Louisville Starting XI: Lund, Pickett, Erceg, Jean, Milliet, DeMelo, Howell, Fischer, Sears, Bahr, DiGrande

The game started out with a collision between Kiki Pickett and Savannah DeMelo in midfield in the first minute. DeMelo was a little shaken up, but the physicality toward her continued as she collided with Jen Beattie and Joelle Anderson just a minute later.

Jaelin Howell would get the first strong chance of the night in the 8th minute for Louisville, however, the ball would sail over the goal. Moments later at the other end, Asisat Oshoala had a great run, she had to hold up while she waited for her teammates but there wasn’t enough on the shot and it was grabbed by the goalkeeper Katie Lund.

Rachel Hill created a second strong chance for Bay on the following play, however her shot went through the box and out for a goal kick. Anderson would be shown a yellow card in the 13th minute following another challenge on DeMelo.

The foul resulted in a very dangerous free kick for Louisville, but after the cross into the box, the ball would be headed out of play. Kayla Fischer nearly gave her teammate Emma Sears a fantastic scoring chance in the 16th minute, but the through-ball was just out of reach and went out for a Bay FC goal kick.

Despite some chances for both teams early in the first half, the game was fairly sluggish out of the gate. The main reason would likely be the 94-degree heat, which certainly had an effect on both teams. In the 37th minute, Louisville had their best opportunity of the night so far on a shot by Fischer but Katelyn Rowland was able to track the shot and make the save. Louisville truly came alive in stoppage time, getting multiple scoring opportunities but were unable to convert. The game entered half-time as a 0-0 draw.

Bay FC made a single change heading into the second half, with Anderson coming out for Deyna Castellanos. Hill got Bay’s first shot of the half in the 48th minute, but the defense stood strong once again. In the 58th minute, Elexa Bahr was alone with quite a bit of space inside of the box, however, her shot was off-target and went out of play.

Louisville came out with quite a bit of energy in the second half, as a result they were creating most of the offense early in the half. Reilyn Turner came on for Louisville in the 64th minute replacing Bahr, while Bay made quite a few changes at the same time, with Kayla Sharples, Princess, and Savy King coming on for Beattie, Caprice Dydasco, and Tess Boade. Demelo was involved in another collision in the 67th minute and received some attention from the trainer but she remained in the game.

Louisville made a few changes of their own as Parker Goins and Jordan Baggett came on for Fischer and Marisa DiGrande in the 72nd minute. In the 73rd, Princess was brought down inside of the box. The Video Assistant Referee suggested that the play be reviewed for a potential penalty.

The penalty was ultimately awarded, and Bay FC had a phenomenal opportunity to take the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining. The foul was the result of contact with Baggett inside of the box. Oshoala stepped up to the spot for Bay and she scored to give Bay a 1-0 lead in the 76th minute.

Immediately after the penalty, the game was paused for a hydration break. In the 88th minute, Oshoala found Princess inside of the box who attempted to extend the lead but was unable to finish the chance. Louisville took out Emma Sears for Maddie Pokorny in the 89th minute as they attempted a final push for an equalizer.

As the timer crossed the 90-minute mark, it was announced that Louisville would have nine minutes of stoppage time to attempt to tie things up. Lund would go down in the 92nd minute following a lot of action on the other end of the pitch.

Caroline Conti entered the match for Oshoala in the 94th following the injury delay. Carson Pickett nearly tied it up right before the whistle, but the shot went just wide. Bay FC’s defense held up and they recorded their second straight shutout, and more importantly their second straight 1-0 win.

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 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 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.