Tag: Bay FC

Bay FC eliminated in first ever playoff game 2-1 by Washington

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Bay FC defender Abby Dahlkemper (13) takes the ball down field against the Washington Spirit’s forward Trinity Rodman (2) at Audi Field in Washington DC on Sun Nov 10, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC played their first-ever playoff game on Sunday morning against the Washington Spirit in the Nation’s capital at Audi Field. As the underdogs, Bay FC had the freedom to go out and play their own game with little pressure on them. Meanwhile, as the second seed there was an abundance of pressure on the Spirit in front of their home crowd. With that being said though, it was win or go home for both teams.

Bay FC couldn’t win big so they had to take their marbles and head back to San Jose after getting edged by the Washington Spirit 2-1.

Bay FC did have quite a few ties to the Spirit as well. Albertin Montoya was previously interim head coach in Washington, and midfielder Dorian Bailey won her only NWSL Championship to date with them in 2021.

The game started with both teams getting chances, but Washington controlled possession. As the Kansas City Current’s victory over the North Carolina Courage on Saturday proved though, possession doesn’t guarantee a win.

Casey Krueger blocked a shot from Rachael Kundananji in the 13th minute that otherwise would’ve tested Aubrey Kingsbury. A foul by Makenna Morris on Alyssa Malonson in the 21st minute led to a dangerous free-kick. The set-piece resulted in a scramble in front of the goal, but ultimately Washington was able to clear their defensive third.

Less than two minutes later Ashley Hatch was fouled by Kiki Pickett and got the Spirit a dangerous set-piece roughly 25 yards from goal. It was a call that Bay FC certainly wasn’t happy about, but it did not matter.

The shot hit the wall in front, bouncing to Trinity Rodman whose shot was saved by Katelyn Rowland. Caprice Dydasco blocked another Rodman shot moments later after a pass by Bailey missed Abby Dahlkemper and launched a Spirit attack.

Malonson intercepted quite a few of Washington’s passes and turned them into scoring chances early in the first half, doing exactly that in the 29th minute. Defense was key for both sides in the first half-hour of play. Each team had been pinned in their defensive third for long periods of time, but had yet to concede a goal.

Tess Boade was fouled in the 34th minute, and the free-kick led to a Rachel Hill shot that forced Kingsbury to tip it over the bar. In the 37th, Morris had a chance but ended up running the ball out of play. Rachael Kundananji accidentally hit herself in the face with the ball in the 38th, ending a dangerous attack for Washington as play was called due to a head injury. She got up and remained in the game after a momentary delay.

There weren’t many stoppages during the first half, so only a single minute of stoppage time was added to the end of the half. The majority of that minute was spent with the Spirit controlling play in their offensive third, but near the end Bay FC launched a counterattack that ended in a controversial foul on Asisat Oshoala. The game went into the break tied 0-0.

Courtney Brown came out for Leicy Santos to start the second half for Washington. Hal Hershfelt got a yellow card right after the start of the half when her cleat hit the ankle of Kundananji. A collision between Trinity Rodman and Oshoala caused Rodman to go down in difficulty as Oshoala had landed on her head.

Meanwhile, Oshoala was shown a yellow card as well. Rodman was evaluated but ended up remaining in the game. Rodman drew another foul that resulted in a yellow card in the 59th minute when she was taken down by Malonson.

Hershfelt fired a shot that sailed well over the goal in the 72nd minute. Penelope Hocking entered the game for Hill in the 73rd minute. Moments later, Emily Menges gave the ball away to Santos which allowed the Spirit to earn a corner. Heather Stainbrook came out for Kate Weisner in the 79th minute.

Oshoala gave her team a late lead in the 82nd minute, making it 1-0 off of the assist by Hocking. Washington tied it up in the 86th minute, with a goal by Tara McKeown. The Spirit maintained quite a bit of pressure during stoppage time, with Hal Hershfelt having the best chance in the 99th minute when she hit the crossbar.

In extra time, Washington took the lead off of a Caprice Dydasco own goal in the 95th minute. Pickett was shown a yellow card for pulling down Rodman by the arm in the 99th minute. Bailey came off in the 101st minute, with Deyna Castellanos entering the match.

A strong attack by the Spirit in the 104th minute nearly gave them a 3-1 lead, but nobody was able to get on the end of the cross and it remained 2-1 in favor of the home side. Maddie Moreau entered the game for Bay FC, taking Dydasco’s place, in the second half of extra time.

Bay FC would be unable to find an equalizer, and Dydasco’s own goal would end up being enough for Washington to advance with a final score of 2-1. Despite the result, Bay FC had a massively successful inaugural season and will look to build on it in the spring.

Bay FC headed to NWSL Playoffs; Big 3-2 win against Houston clinches it

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Racheal Kundananji of Bay FC scores the first of two goals this one at 21st minute against the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Sat Nov 2, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC had a crucial game on their final night of the season. It was do or die, as a single point against the Houston Dash would send the expansion side into the playoffs. A loss on the other hand, would put Bay’s fate in the hands of Racing Louisville. Saturday’s game was delayed due to inclement weather, and the game started with a wet pitch.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Menges, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Pickett, Bailey, Blade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Houston Starting XI: Hinz, Chapman, Jacobs, Nielsen, Schmidt, Yuki, Olivieri, Punigam, Gareis, Patterson, Harris

The Dash were without their starting goalkeeper, Jane Campbell, who was injured during international duty. As a result, Heather Hinz made her first career regular season start. The ball was able to beat Hinz in the 10th off of a set piece.

Paige Nielsen deflected the free kick past her goalkeeper, making it 1-0 early on for the visiting side. Bay FC had been 8-3-1 entering the night when they scored first, meaning a playoff berth seemed heavily in their favor. It didn’t take long for Houston to tie it up, as Barbara Olivieri extended her goal streak to three games in the 13th minute.

Shortly after Rachael Kundananji hit the inside of the goal post, she scored off of a corner. She shot it off of a volley in the 21st minute and Hinz had no chance of getting in front of it. While it would’ve been easy to deflate after giving up an equalizer so quickly, Bay FC bounced back and restored their lead.

A majority of Houston’s offense was going through Olivieri, which certainly a logical approach considering her recent form. Kundananji hit the crossbar late in the half, nearly extending Bay’s lead. Tess Boade had a shot blocked by Jyllissa Harris in the 45th minute.

Had the shot gotten through, it seemed like it was heading for the netting. Nielsen’s rough night continued, when she was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Dorian Bailey. Bay FC maintained their 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

Bay FC made a couple of substitutions heading into the second half. Savy King and Penelope Hocking started the half in place of Alyssa Malonson and Asisat Oshoala.

Houston didn’t trail for long in the half, Avery Patterson beat Katelyn Rowland in the 46th minute, making it 2-2. While all Bay FC needed was a draw to guarantee a playoff spot, conceding that early in the half is dangerous considering the home team now had an entire half to get the lead.

Kundananji wouldn’t wait long to restore the lead, as she weaved through the defense in the 54th minute before beating Hinz to make it 3-2. Momentum was firmly in favor of Bay FC following the goal, as they immediately launched another attack.

Bailey forced Hinz to make a save early in the 57th minute. Kundananji went down after getting kicked in the face while making a late slide tackle, she was also shown a yellow card for the play. In the 63rd minute, Houston got the ball right in front of the goal but Caprice Dydasco was able to clear it out to save the lead.

Kundananji returned to the game after getting some attention on the sideline. She set up Hocking with a great opportunity in front of goal, but her first shot was saved and she ran out of space on the rebound. Momentum slowly started to head towards the Dash, as they had a few attacks of their own as the half progressed. In the 85th minute, King was taken out for Maddie Moreau. Kundananji hit the crossbar once again in the 86th.

Bay FC carried their 3-2 lead into stoppage time. All they needed to do to make the playoffs was not concede two goals in the final seven minutes of added time. Moreau had an important block in the 93rd minute.

Kundananji fired another shot in the 94th minute that forced Hinz to make another save. Caroline Conti came in for Kundananji late in stoppage time. Unfortunately, moments after coming into the game she took a ball to the side of the head and had to get attention from the training staff.

Ultimately, Bay FC held on to win 3-2. As a result, they became the second expansion side to earn a playoff berth, as the San Diego Wave did it previously.

Dalhkemper’s goal at 83rd minute gets Bay FC 1-0 win over North Carolina

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Bay FC’s Abby Dalhkemper’s kick at the 83rd minute is the match’s only goal which stood up defeating the North Carolina Courage in NWSL action on Sat Oct 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC played their final home game of their inaugural season on Saturday night, when they hosted the North Carolina Courage in a game with massive playoff implications for the home side. With Racing Louisville defeating the Portland Thorns with a last-minute goal, playoffs went from looking likely for Bay FC to them being in the middle of an intense fight.

As a result, Saturday’s game was a must win for the home team. Bay FC got the wining and only goal of the match when Abby Dahlkemper scored at the 83rd minute that defeated North Carolina 1-0.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Dahlkemper, Menges, Malonson, Pickett, Bailey, Hocking, Oshoala, Boade, Kundananji Courage Starting XI: Murphy, Williams, Kurtz, Sanchez, Berkely, Weatherholt, Jackson, O’Sullivan, Matsukobo, Wingate

Bay FC came out fighting right out of the gate. Considering their current predicament with the playoffs, this needed to be one of their strongest performances of the season and it seemed like they were up for the task early in the night.

Due to their desperation though, they were making some big mistakes as well. Costly turnovers in the defensive and middle thirds were giving possession back to their opposition and occasionally helping them create attacks of their own.

Katelyn Rowland had to make her first save of the night in the 15th minute, denying a long shot that nearly gave the Courage a 1-0 lead. Off of the ensuing corner, North Carolina hit the crossbar off of a header again nearly taking the lead.

Heading into the 18th minute, Bay launched a massive attack that led to multiple opportunities inside of the box but strong defending by the opposition eventually knocked it out for a corner kick. Ultimately, North Carolina would regain possession and get the ball out of the dangerous areas.

Despite Bay’s early attacks, they still struggled in the same way they have for a majority of the season: they couldn’t find the back of the net. They were generating quite a few chances, and nearly took the lead multiple times but weren’t able to.

In the 34th minute, Rowland gave the ball to an attacker right outside of the box but luckily for Bay FC, Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Menges were able to recover defensively and disrupt the play. Olivia Wingate had a scoring opportunity in the 39th minute for North Carolina but ended up putting the ball in the side-netting next to a diving Rowland.

Both Kerolin and Asisat Oshoala got a talking-to from referee Elijio Arreguin after an altercation along the sideline, but neither was shown a card. Oshoala was denied on a fantastic scoring opportunity in the 43rd minute, as Casey Murphy had to stretch out her body fully to get a hand on the shot and send it out for a corner.

Moments later, Tess Boade was taken down inside the box but no penalty was awarded to the dismay of the crowd at PayPal Park. After a single minute of stoppage time, the game would head to halftime tied 0-0.

Kiki Pickett would be shown the first yellow card of the game in the 61st minute which drew protest from both Boade and Oshoala. Oshoala was taken off for Rachel Hill in the 66th minute. Niarumi Miura and Meredith Speck were brought on in the 67th minute for North Carolina replacing Ashley Sanchez and Riley Jackson.

Boade created a strong scoring chance in the 72nd minute, but rather than shooting passed it to Kundananji. It resulted in a scramble, ultimately falling to Hill who shot it wide. Alyssa Malonson, who was recently named to the US Women’s National Team camp, got a header on target in the 75th minute but it was saved by Murphy.

Bay FC got a very dangerous free-kick in the 77th minute, but it was cleared out by the Courage who immediately went on a counter-attack with only two defenders back. Bay FC was able to take away space from the attackers and force the ball out for a goal-kick.

Even though a draw would keep Bay above Racing Louisville in the standings, they were desperately fighting to take the lead and walk away with the three points, rather than one. In the 82nd minute, Bay FC got another free-kick.

This one ended up on the boot of Dahlkemper who put it past Murphy, giving the home side a late 1-0 lead at the 83rd minute. In the 87th minute, Ryan Williams and Kundananji collided heads, leaving Bay FC’s striker on the ground in considerable discomfort.

She got up and walked off a few moments later, remaining in the game. Maddie Moreau came on in the 90th minute for Pickett, who high-fived fans as she walked off the pitch. With six minutes of stoppage time, Bay FC just needed to hold on a little longer to walk away with three points and put themselves in control of their own destiny in their final game in two weeks. Rowland made a save in the 95th minute, keeping her team ahead. Moments later, the final whistle would blow, and Bay FC walked away victorious, 1-0.

Bay FC conclude their season against the Houston Dash on Sat Nov 2 a 6:30pm PT kick off at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston

KC Current’s Chawinga finds back of net with match’s only score in 1-0 shutout over Bay FC

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Kansas City Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult (1) grabs the ball as Bay FC forward Rachel Hill (21) drops to the ground during a goal attempt during the second half of their match at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2024. Kansas City Current defeated Bay FC 1-0. (photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted the Kansas City Current in a game that will be crucial to their playoff fight. Kansas City’s lineup had a name that will be very familiar for Bay FC fans, as Kayla Sharples returned to PayPal Park for the first time since being traded. The NWSL’s most dangerous goal-scorer, Temwa Chawinga was also in the building and she was undoubtedly going to make it a difficult night for Bay.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Menges, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Pickett, Bailey, Hill, Castellanos, Hocking, Oshoala Current Starting XI: Schult, Wheeler, Sharples, Cook, Mace, Hutton, Labonta, Chawinga, Debinha, Cooper, Prince

Sharples came up big for Kansas City in the opening minutes, preventing the Bay FC attack from creating strong scoring chances. Deyna Castellanos had a corner kick in the fifth minute that would’ve easily ended up in the back of the net if anyone was able to get a foot on it, but a Kansas City defender deflected it for another corner. On the following corner, Bay FC once again got a strong chance off of the set piece but none other than Sharples would make a goal-line clear to keep it scoreless.

After some strong scoring chances at both ends, the game was still tied 0-0 at the half-hour mark. Penelope Hocking was shown a yellow card in the 34th minute. Moments later, Chawinga broke the tie making it 1-0 in favor of the visitors with a cannon of a shot from outside of the box.

Chawinga’s 19th of the season became the new NWSL record for goals in a single season, breaking the previous record which belonged to Sam Kerr. Asisat Oshoala was then shown a yellow card in the 36th minute. In the 42nd minute, Hailie Mace was shown a yellow card.

Eventually, it was reviewed for a potential red card, as it could be considered the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. For the second time of the night though, the review didn’t go Bay FC’s way. Earlier in the game, there had been a review for a potential handball inside of the box. At the end of the half, Kansas City led 1-0.

The second half had quite a bit of back-and-forth action. Early in the half, there was another play that Bay FC thought was a handball inside of the box, but this time the video assistant referee didn’t call for a review by referee Danielle Chesky.

The first substitutions of the match, which included Savy King entering for Castellanos, came in the 71st minute while there was a delay for Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland. In the 87th minute, Caroline Conti would enter the match for Dorian Bailey.

The second half was much less eventful than the first, as both teams were struggling to generate consistent offensive chances. Eventually, Bay FC ran out of time and were unable to get themselves on the scoresheet as Kansas City recorded a 1-0, shutout victory over the hosting side.

With Racing Louisville closely trailing them in the standings, Bay FC couldn’t afford to drop points against the Current but unfortunately, they walked away with nothing. With only two games remaining for Bay, the end of their season will be an intense push for the playoffs.

Moving forward, every point is massively significant as they’re going to need to win out if they’re going to make it. More so, it’s not entirely in their own hands either. If Louisville is able to defeat the Washington Spirit on Sunday, it will essentially put the fate of both teams’ season in their hands.

Bay FC can’t find the Bat Signal against Gotham FC get clobbered 5-1 at Red Bull Arena

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Bay FC’s forward Asisat Oshoala (below) scored Bay FC’s only goal at the 18th minute she celebrated with Rachel Kundananji (9) against the Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison NJ on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (photo from Bay FC X)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s push for the playoffs continued as they went on the road to take on Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Gotham had only lost once so far this season at home, meaning Bay was going to have a difficult fight to walk away with three points. Difficult indeed as the Bay were defeated 5-1 by Gotham FC.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Menges, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Boade, Pickett, Bailey, Oshoala, Kundananji, Hill

Gotham Starting XI: Berger, Nighswonger, Sonnett, Williams, Stevens, Martin, Davidson, Lavelle, Sheehan, Ryan, Carter

In the 7th minute, Gotham appealed for a potential handball inside the box. As a result, the video assistant referee advised the official to review the play. Upon review, it was clear that the ball hit the extended arm of Asisat Oshoala and Gotham was awarded an early penalty.

Jenna Nighswonger stepped up to take the penalty, and scored after hitting the post as the ball bounced into the net. Katelyn Rowland went the wrong way, giving her no chance to make a save. After the goal, Bay FC was clearly frustrated causing them to play overly aggressively.

Gotham meanwhile was creating more chances offensively looking to extend their lead. Ann-Katrin Berger saw her first action of the night when Dorian Bailey attempted a chip pass to Rachael Kundananji, but the Gotham goalkeeper came out to play the ball.

Oshoala got the equalizer in the 18th minute when a perfectly timed through ball from Kundananji got her behind the defense, leaving her with only Berger to beat. Oshoala had now scored Bay’s last four goals, and had four in five games.

Gotham’s dangerous attack immediately started generating more offensive opportunities, but Bay FC was able to contain them for the most part. Bay had another strong scoring chance in the 32nd minute, but a bit of a broken play led to confusion resulting in Bailey not firing a shot on what would’ve likely been a clear goal.

Around that point in the match, Bay was bringing more offensive pressure than they had all night. Kundananji in particular was creating a lot of chances, but her runs weren’t being finished off by her teammates. In the 38th and 39th minutes, Gotham was trying to overload the box which led to chaos in front of Bay FC’s goal.

Although they weren’t able to score on the sequence, it definitely caused some scary moments for the defense. Ella Stevens and Oshoala collided in extra time, but after a short delay both would get back up with no issues.

Tess Boade immediately started the second half with an attack for Bay FC, but her centering pass didn’t find anyone in front of goal. The first 15 minutes of the half would feature quite a bit of end-to-end action, highlighted by Bailey nearly giving Bay a 2-1 lead when her shot went just over the crossbar.

Oshoala went down in some discomfort around the 60th minute. After getting some attention from the training staff, she remained in the game. Bailey had another chance from in close in the 67th minute, but once again got a little too much on the shot.

Stevens and Caprice Dydasco got tied up in the 68th minute, giving Bay FC a very dangerous free-kick opportunity. They were unable to convert, and Gotham gained possession launching an attack of their own. The ball would end up on the head of Rose Lavelle who gave the home team a 2-1 lead.

In the 72nd minute, Gotham would score another making it 3-1. This time, it was Esther Gonzalez who put it away. Esther got a second less than two minutes later, extending the lead to 4-1. It took less than five minutes for things to completely fall apart for Bay FC in a game that had otherwise been even.

It was very reminiscent of a few games from earlier in the season, and with a playoff push in full swing, these types of mistakes cannot happen. CeCe Kizer would add a fifth goal in the 84th minute. Kundananji left the game in the 88th minute and she was clearly upset and went directly to the locker room rather than remaining on the bench with her teammates. The game would ultimately end in a 5-1 defeat for Bay FC.

Oshoala come through again for Bay FC defeat Seattle in 1-0 shutout at Pay Pal Park

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“There she is” as Bay FC’s defender Abbey Dahlkemper (13) presents forward Asisat Oshoala (8) who scored the match’s only goal against the Seattle Reign at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun Sep 29, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC is back on the road, this time they were in the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Reign who have massively underperformed this season after making it to the NWSL Final last season. Meanwhile Bay FC is currently sitting in 9th place in the NWSL, even on points with Racing Louisville but outside of the final playoff spot due to goal differential.

A win would make them the sole team in eighth place. With Alyssa Malonson out with injury, Maddie Moreau started at left-back while Penelope Hocking took Rachel Hill’s spot in the starting line up for her first start with Bay FC. Asisat Oshoala scored the game’s only goal in the 27th minute to help defeat the Seattle Reign at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sunday.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Moreau, Dahlkemper, Menges, Dydasco, Boade, Bailey, Pickett, Oshoala, Kundananji, Hocking

Seattle Starting XI: Dickey, Latsko, McClernon, Barnes, Glas, Athens, Quinn, So-Yun, Crnogorcevic, Huitema, King

The game started off with back-and-forth end-to-end action but neither team was able to generate quality scoring chances. Seattle got a couple of corners early in the first half, but were unable to create anything from the set pieces.

Afterwards, Bay FC had a couple of corners of their own but they weren’t able to take advantage either. Lauren Barnes went down for Seattle in the 22nd minute and Seattle initially signaled for a substitution, but waited to see if Barnes could continue. Moments later Asisat Oshoala was taken out inside of the box by Phoebe McClernon.

Oshoala was awarded a penalty, and despite some protests of offside by Seattle, the call remained the same. She’d convert on the penalty, scoring her sixth of the season and making it 1-0 for Bay. Quinn nearly tied it around the half hour mark, but Katelyn Rowland made a save, tipping it over the crossbar.

McClernon gave away the ball to Rachael Kundananji in her own box, handing Bay FC a dangerous opportunity but she was unable to convert. Kundananji did go down following the play with an apparent knee injury, but remained in the game.

Kundananji took another knock in the 42nd minute when her and a Reign player both went up for a header and both made contact with one another’s heads. She quickly returned to the game. Kundananji had another quality chance off of a pass from Oshoala in stoppage time, but Dickey made the save.

Tess Boade was involved heavily in the play as well, starting the whole process. Maddie Moreau fired a late shot as well, it was saved right before the final whistle blew to end the first half.

Barnes was taken off for Jordyn Bugg to start the second half for Seattle. The Reign appealed for a penalty when a shot deflected off of Abby Dahlkemper’s arm, but her hands were clasped behind her back, making it impossible for her to do any more to prevent a handball.

A few minutes later, Kundananji had an opportunity to make it 2-0. A pass to Hocking would’ve allowed for an easy tap-in, but instead Kundananji took a shot which went wide of the goal. After that play, Hocking was replaced by Hill. Caprice Dydasco was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 58th minute.

Oshoala went down momentarily after that, but remained in the match. Dahlkemper was having a fantastic game defensively, blocking quite a few shots over the course of the night. Even though Seattle had a dominant lead in possession, they weren’t getting any quality chances as they were spending a majority of their time in the defensive zone since Bay FC didn’t allow them to create any offense.

Besides the one chance early, Rowland didn’t have much action over the course of the match, at least not until late. Seattle got their second shot on target of the night in the 85th minute, but it went directly to the goalkeeper.

They applied a bit more pressure on Bay FC’s defense heading into extra time. Oshoala got behind the defense in the 95th minute, but she was taken down inside the ball and not awarded a penalty. Despite a late push by Seattle, Bay FC was able to hang on to win 1-0.

Orlando’s Banda scores matches’ only goal in 1-0 shutout over Bay FC

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Racheal Kundananji, right, and Bay FC nearly earned a surprising point against undefeated Orlando Pride on Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose but came up short in a 1-0 loss (San Francisco Chronicle photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC had a massive hill to climb on Friday night when they hosted the unbeaten Orlando Pride in a crucial game. The night marked the first meeting between two key members of the Zambia national team in the NWSL, as Barbra Banda was facing off against Bay FC’s Rachael Kundananji.

Banda currently finds herself second in the NWSL goal-scoring race with 12, behind only Temwa Chawinga of the Kansas City Current who has an outstanding 15 goals. It also marked the return of Marta to the Bay Area, who previously played for FC Gold Pride that participated in the Women’s Professional Soccer league in the early 2010s.

Bay couldn’t afford to drop points despite their opponent’s dominant play this season, as they had just a three point buffer over Racing Louisville for the final playoff spot entering the night. Bay couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net and Banda would score the match’s only goal for a 1-0 win.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Dahlkemper, Malonson, Bailey, Pickett, Boade, Hill, Kundananji, Oshoala

Orlando Starting XI: Moorhouse, Abello, Sams, Dyke, Pickett, Gautrat, Angelina, Marta, Adriana, Banda, Doyle

Asisat Oshoala had the first real attacking opportunity for Bay FC in the third minute, but as she attempted to pass it across the box it went directly to a defender. Bay continued sustaining pressure on Orlando for the next minute straight, getting a couple of more chances they were unable to capitalize on before the Pride attempted to launch a counterattack that was also unsuccessful.

Rachel Hill got her first shot of the night in the eighth minute following a fantastic effort to maintain possession after she nearly lost it inside of the box. Hill found Oshoala behind the defense in the 11th minute, but the shot went directly at Orlando’s goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.

Bay FC was desperately trying to get out to an early lead, but the Pride were doing a great job of fending them off. Angelina went down in some difficulty for Orlando around the 16th minute, with an apparent leg cramp but remained in the game after some attention from the trainers.

Katelyn Rowland made a massive save in the 20th minute and a follow-up shot was blocked by Caprice Dydasco using her face to prevent a goal. Dorian Bailey was tripped up outside of the box in the 26th minute, which gave Bay FC a dangerous free-kick. After a few passes, Emily Menges slipped while running after the ball, turning over possession to Orlando.

Bay was doing a phenomenal job pressuring and frustrating the Pride in the first half. They were regaining possession by force, which was clearly frustrating Orlando’s top players like Marta. It was generating quite a few chances, even though they weren’t able to finish them off.

It was just a matter of time though. This matchup didn’t feel like an unbeaten team against a team barely in the playoff spot, the intensity and competition level felt like two teams at the top of the table against one another.

Banda was getting a few shots off as the game progressed, but they were often rushed due to strong defending by the home side. Moorhouse made another diving save in the 41st minute to keep it scoreless. Despite Bay generating the most chances, it would all be meaningless if the teams went into halftime scoreless.

Oshoala had another great chance in the 44th minute, but Orlando was able to break up the play and prevent her from getting a quality shot off. Neither team would be able to break the deadlock in stoppage time, and they’d head into the break tied at 0. Officially, the statistics from the first half showed that Orlando had been the better team but the eye test showed differently.

The second half started with Orlando taking over control. While Bay FC were getting a few chances, they weren’t getting near as many or as high-quality of ones as they did in the first half. Banda got her most dangerous chance of the night so far in the 58th minute, but a perfect tackle by Abby Dahlkemper was able to knock the ball out of play for a corner kick.

Albertin Montoya made his first change at the hour mark, bringing in Maddie Moreau for Alyssa Malonson. A collision between Kundananji and Cori Dyke ended with Kundananji accidentally stepping on the back of Dyke’s calf, and she went down in some difficulty before being helped off the field by the training staff. Due to the injury, Orlando was forced to make a substitution bringing on Carrie Lawrence in her place, along with a couple of other substitutions.

Around the 70th minute, Moreau was brought down inside the box for what seemed to be a penalty however the referee ruled it a goal kick and play resumed to the dismay of Bay FC. Moreau was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Marta in the 77th minute.

At that point, Oshoala came out for Penelope Hocking. Dahlkemper saved a goal in the 78th minute when Rowland parried the ball, but it landed right in the middle of the box and the defender was able to clear it out.

Bailey was denied on a point-blank shot that Moorhouse saved with her leg while spinning before she landed on top of it. A phenomenal run by Kundananji in the 83rd minute nearly helped Bay take a late lead, unfortunately, once she passed it to Hill, Hill missed the shot just wide.

Banda got Orlando on the board in the 84th minute, Rowland wasn’t able to stretch out far enough to block the shot and the Pride led 1-0 with minimal time remaining. With stoppage time nearly at its end, Bay FC got one final free kick in the 96th minute. Bailey crossed it in, and Orlando cleared it out.

Orlando would ultimately hold on and maintain their lead until they walked away with a 1-0 victory on the road. It was a game that Bay FC could’ve won, but a few mistakes led to defeat. Importantly though, they proved that they have what it takes to hang with the best team in the NWSL which will certainly build confidence for their playoff push.

Bay FC and North Carolina play to a 1-1 draw at WakeMed Park in Cary NC

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Bay FC were happy to come away with a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage in NWSL action at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary NC on Fri Sep 13, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC was back on the road Friday night as they visited WakeMed Soccer Park to take on the North Carolina Courage who currently sit fifth in the NWSL. Bay’s victory over Racing Louisville last week allowed them to climb into 7th in the league, but the teams trailing weren’t far behind.

As a result, points were a must for them. A loss would put them directly in the clutches of the Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC, which a tie or win would help them stick with both North Carolina and the Portland Thorns in the standings. Solid performance by Bay FC in a 1-1 draw against North Carolina.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Dahlkemper, Malonson, Pickett, Bailey, Boade, Hill, Oshoala, Kundananji Courage Starting XI: Murphy, Berkely, Kurtz, Rauch, Williams, O’Sullivan, Narumi, Sanchez, Lussi, St-Georges, Hopkins

Bay FC got out to an early lead as the surging Asisat Oshoala scored in the ninth minute off of an assist from Tess Boade. The 29-year-old striker has been on fire since the friendly against her former team FC Barcelona, scoring both against Louisville and in this game.

It’s no coincidence that the team has been winning quite a few games now that Oshoala and Rachael Kundananji are seemingly much more comfortable following the Olympic break. Ashley Sanchez tied it up for the Courage in the 28th minute from a difficult angle. The 1-1 tie would be maintained into halftime.

In the 84th minute, Oshoala nearly set up a game-winning goal for Kundananji but she was able to get to the ball with a diving kick attempt and got called for a handball in the process. Caprice Dydasco had a strong run a few minutes later, getting the ball to Oshoala inside the box but her shot sailed well over the goal.

North Carolina were unbeaten at home entering this game, with a home record of 8-0-1 and they were desperately trying to make sure their unbeaten streak continued. A diving header from Feli Rauch nearly gave the Courage the lead in stoppage time, but the aim was just off and it went wide left.

Bay FC got one final attempt with a throw-in in the 96th minute, but were unable to do anything with it. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, which was a phenomenal outcome for the Courage. It marked Bay FC’s first draw of the season, so it’s hard to be upset with a result that at least got them a crucial point.

North Carolina dominated in terms of possession, leading 59% to 41% for Bay FC. In most other areas though, Bay was doing a great chance of producing chances throughout the game. They had a total of 12 shots, six of which were on target compared to the Courage who had seven total, with only two on target.

Although it wasn’t the result Bay FC was undoubtedly hoping for, keeping a top-five team in the league to a draw certainly shows that they have what it takes to make the playoffs interesting if they’re able to secure a spot.

Their next game isn’t going to be much easier either, as they’ll face the so-far unbeaten Orlando Pride at PayPal Park. Luckily for Bay, they’ll have the home field advantage in that matchup, but it hasn’t mattered much to Orlando so far this season.

Asisat Oshoala scores match’s lone goal in Bay FC 1-0 shutout over Racing Louisville at Pay Pal Park

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Bay FC forward Asisat Oshola (8) who scored the match’s only goal is congratulated by defender Caprice Dydasco (3) after Bay FC defeated Racing Louisville at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sat Sep 7, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC’s inaugural season is starting to wind down, and on Saturday night they played a game that will undoubtedly be crucial for the intense race for the playoffs.

They entered the night sitting in eighth, tied with Angel City for the final playoff spot and took on Racing Louisville FC, the team currently in tenth who would move into sole possession of the final spot if they walked away victorious.

Recently acquired forward Penelope Hocking was starting on the bench for Bay FC, considering the impact Abby Dahlkemper made in her competitive club debut, it would be interesting to see if Hocking could contribute immediately right away if given the chance. Bay FC’s Asisat Oashola scored the match’s only goal in defeating Racing Louisville FC 1-0 Saturday night.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Dahlkemper, Malonson, Pickett, Bailey, Boade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Louisville Starting XI: Lund, Milliet, Wright, Jean, Borges, Sears, Digrande, Beckie, Erceg, Flint, Balcer

Bay FC came right out of the gates with pressure, in the third minute they got a solid opportunity on the counter attack but Rachael Kundananji’s pass into the box was just out of Tess Boade’s reach.

In the 13th minute, Louisville’s goalkeeper, Katie Lund made a phenomenal save to deny Kundananji, then a follow-up opportunity by Dahlkemper was cleared out by a defender in front.

Louisville was starting to create some offense of their own as the half progressed, including one attack that was disrupted by a perfect slide tackle on the edge of the area by Dahlkemper. Bay FC’s new centerback pairing of Emily Menges and Dahlkemper seem to compliment one another perfectly and it’s helping the team significantly.

Lund was forced to make another great diving save in the 22nd minute when she tipped a shot from Rachel Hill over the goal. With neither Deyna Castellanos or Joelle Anderson in the starting eleven, Dorian Bailey took over on corner kicks and seemed to be fairly effective with it.

A hard but clean slide tackle by Kiki Pickett saw Taylor Flint go down in some discomfort in the 24th minute. After some delay, she was able to walk off the field under her own power and ultimately remained in the game.

Hill got her second shot on target of the night in the 28th minute, but it was a fairly easy save for Lund. Menges and Bethany Balcer had an awkward collision in the 29th minute, Menges was initially shaken up a bit but quickly got back to her feet and played on.

Kundananji had a strong run in the 33rd minute, but her chip pass toward Asisat Oshoala was broken up by the defender and got knocked just wide of the goal. A Kundananji pass finally got through to Oshoala moments later after the corner, but Oshoala’s shot hit the side-netting.

Balcers had an opportunity to give Louisville the lead in the 38th minute, but her header went just over the crossbar for a goal kick. Alyssa Malonson showed off her speed in stoppage time, with a phenomenal run from her own half but ultimately nothing came of it. The half came to an end with the game still in a 0-0 deadlock heading into the break.

Bay FC entered the second half with quite a bit of physicality, which was definitely frustrating Louisville. One incident in particular saw a collision between Bailey and Laurent Milliet along the touch line, ultimately resulting in Milliet flipping over the advertisement boards. Hill came off in the 60th minute for the debuting Hocking who got a strong ovation from the crowd at PayPal Park.

Malonson continued to make her mark when it came to get involve offensively, earning a dangerous free-kick in the 65th. Oshoala broke the deadlock in the 76th minute after a great run by Hocking found her in front of the goal, making it 1-0 for the home side. Tess Boade came out after the goal for Deyna Castellanos.

Oshoala was shown the first yellow card of the game following a desperation tackle on Ary Borges, that was quite frankly a reckless play. Oshoala was taken out moments later, with Maddie Moreau entering the match in her place.

Bay absorbed quite a bit of pressure from Lousville in stoppage time, but the defense was holding up well and the offensive players were wasting a lot of time when the ball found their feet.

They would maintain their composure through the seven minutes of stoppage time, and walk away victorious with a final score of 1-0. It moved Bay FC up to seventh in the league table for the time being, and extended their lead over the teams right on their tail.

Dahlkemper, Hill, and Anderson with a goal each in Bay FC win over Portland 3-1

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Bay FC celebrated a road win against the Portland Thorns in NWSL action at Providence Park on Fri Aug 30, 2024 (Bay FC photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s inaugural season continued against the Portland Thorns on Friday night as they made their first appearance at Providence Park. It marked the return of Emily Menges to her former stomping grounds for the first time since she was traded to Bay FC in December.

Abby Dahlkemper made her proper Bay FC debut, as her previous appearance against Barcelona was just a friendly. Meanwhile, Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was making her debut for the Thorns. In the two teams’ only previous meeting, Portland walked away with a 3-2 win at PayPal Park on May 1.

With Savy King out of the lineup as she represents her country in the U20 World Cup in Colombia, Alyssa Malonson who recently signed a three-year contract extension was in the starting eleven for Albertin Montoya. Bay FC got scoring from Dalhkemper, Rachel Hill and Joelle Anderson to defeat the Thorns 3-1.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Dahlkemper, Malonson, Bailey, Pickett, Boade, Hill, Oshoala, Kundananji

Thorns Starting XI: Arnold, Reyes, Obaze, Hubly, Payne, Sugita, Coffey, Fleming, Spaanstra, Smith, Moultrie

Dahlkemper made an instant impact with her hometown team, giving them the lead off of a header just eight minutes into the match. She had a strong performance against Barcelona, and it’s clear she’s ready to push Bay FC to the next level and help them make a run toward the playoffs.

It was a night of firsts for Bay FC, as Rachel Hill extended the lead with her first goal with the club in the 17th minute. Menges was disrupting plays consistently defensively, helping prevent Portland’s dangerous offense from creating any high-quality chances.

A terrible play by Katelyn Rowland led to Sophia Smith getting Portland on the board. After some passing back and forth with Dahlkemper, Rowland passed it directly to the Thorns’ striker who put it away to make it 2-1.

Dorian Bailey would get shown a yellow card moments later, giving the Thorns a free kick right outside of the box. Smith’s shot went directly to Rowland who made the save. Portland seemed to score an equalizer in the 42nd minute, but it went to the video assistant referee as Smith was offside and the call was overturned.

Bay FC would maintain their 2-1 lead heading into halftime. They had a strong start to the match, but momentum had swung heavily in Portland’s favor after their goal. Bay was going to need to come out with another strong start in the second half to fend off one of the most dangerous teams in the NWSL.

Bay FC gave Portland another dangerous chance just moments into the second half, when a scramble in front of the goal could’ve easily resulted in a goal but they were able to keep it out of the net. Nicole Payne hit the inside of the goal post in the 48th minute, despite her appeal to the officials that it entered the net, it bounced off the post and out without crossing the line.

Bay were being their own worst enemy since Smith’s goal, and they needed to settle down and maintain composure to prevent handing the opposition more chances. Arnold denied a phenomenal shot by Rachael Kundananji in the 57th minute, preventing Bay from taking a two-goal lead.

Smith came off for Reilyn Turner in the 57th minute as well, a move that Rob Gale certainly didn’t want to make while behind a goal, but he was left with no choice. Joelle Anderson came into the game in the 65th minute for Bailey, which was a wise decision in a physical game when Bailey already had a card.

Rowland made a big save in the 68th minute when Alexa Spaanstra shot it from outside of the box. In the 70th minute, Anderson netted her third of the season to extend Bay’s lead to 3-1 off of a turnover by Kelli Hubly.

Hill recorded her second goal contribution on the night, assisting on the goal. Becky Sauerbrunn, Marie Muller and Payton Linnehan entered the game for Portland in the 75th minute for Obaze, Spaanstra and Coffey. Kundananji came off in the 89th minute for Maddie Moreau.

Caroline Conti entered the game in the 99th minute for Tess Boade, and a couple of minutes later the final whistle was blown. Bay FC entered one of the most difficult stadiums to play as a visitor in the NWSL and walked away with a decisive 3-1 win.

It was a crucial three points for Bay FC as they look to continue to hold off quite a few strong teams who are chasing them for the final playoff spot.