Tag: NWSL

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.

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.

Despite 5-2 loss Bay FC hung with formable foe Barcelona at Pay Pal

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Bay FC’s Tess Boade (12) kicks the ball against FC Barcelona in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted an international friendly match against FC Barcelona at PayPal Park on Tuesday night. After a disappointing loss against Utah on Friday, it gave Bay an opportunity to bounce back prior to their next NWSL match against the Portland Thorns in three days time.

With that being said, that opportunity was coming against the best women’s soccer team in the world. It also marked the first time that Asisat Oshoala faced off against her former team following her transfer to Bay FC. Bay FC hung tight with Barcelona in the match despite the three goal loss 5-2.

Bay FC also made a couple of transfers the day before the match, sending Lysianne Proulx to Italian side Juventus and acquiring Bay-Area native Abby Dahlkemper from the San Diego Wave. Dahlkemper was in Albertin Montoya’s starting lineup for this matchup, so she was debuting against a very strong opponent.

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

Barcelona Starting XI: Gemma, Leon, Fernandez, Graham Hansen, Rolfo, Pajor, Nazareth, Walsh, Engen, Cano, Schertenleib

Oshoala nearly got on the board early, she got past the defense and had only the keeper left to beat but she was at a tight angle and was unable to get it into the net. Rachael Kundananji took a ball to the fact in the 7th minute, after a little difficulty she got back to her feet and continued on.

In the 11th minute, Barcelona got a dangerous ball into the box but nobody was there to get on the end of it and it went out of play for a goal kick. Overall, Bay FC was doing a phenomenal job limiting chances for Barcelona and creating their own.

Oshoala got her goal after intercepting a pass from Gemma to her defense, giving Oshoala a wide-open net. Barcelona evened it up in the 22nd minute with a goal by Kika Nazareth that ricocheted off of the goalpost and in, giving Katelyn Rowland no chance to make the save.

Oshoala nearly got a second one in the 30th minute, but her shot went wide right. In the 32nd minute, Tess Boade fired a shot from distance, which was saved by Gemma but bounced right to Kundananji who put it away to make it 2-1 in favor of Bay FC.

Kundananji and Rachel Hill were substituted for Deyna Castellanos and Caroline Conti, following the goal. Barcelona once again evened the game up, this time Caroline Graham Hansen put it away to make it 2-2.

That score would hold until the break, and it would head into halftime tied. Despite the tied score, the game already seemed like a victory for Bay FC as they had proven they could hang with the best team in the world. Now, it was a matter of getting the actual result as well.

Bay FC made a multitude of changes for the second half, having a majority of their bench enter the match. Barcelona made a few substitutions of their own but most of their stars remained on the bench. Catherine Paulson who was signed to fill Savy King’s roster spot while she’s representing the United States U20 team came into the match making her debut with the team.

In the 51st minute, Ewa Pajor got a shot off inside the box that had potential to give Barcelona the lead, but it went just wide. Barcelona’s sensational passing nearly gave them the lead in the 64th minute, but a great save by Emmie Allen followed by a blocked shot and another great save by Allen kept the game a 2-2 tie.

Barcelona took the lead off of a corner kick and from there, they brought on quite a few of their top players including Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. Bay FC had already substituted off all of their starting eleven, as a result, the remainder of the game seemed like it should go in Barcelona’s favor.

Alyssa Malonson had a great run in the 78th minute, but she went down off of a bit of a push and was unable to get a shot away. Bonmati showed tremendous sportsmanship when Allen went down with an apparent leg injury and she helped the opposing goalkeeper stretch out.

Allen made another fantastic save in the 85th minute. Allen really shined, making a couple of other saves late in the game. She made a few mistakes but overall played really well for the majority of the second half.

A long shot by Claudia Pina after a corner gave Barcelona a 4-2 lead in stoppage time. Patri Guijarro added another in the 93rd minute to make it 5-2 and that would end up being the final score. Although Bay FC lost, they proved that they could hang with any competition in the world on any given night.

Bay FC podcast with William Espy: Bay needs to jell to stay in playoff hunt

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Bay FC Asisat Oshoala is expected to be one of the big star players in the NWSL (Punchng.com file photos)

On the Bay FC podcast with William Espy:

#1 Bay FC is playing Barcelona on Tuesday and it marks Asisat Oshoala’s first game against her former team. How important will that game be for her future performances? 

#2 Maddie Moreau had a strong performance in the Summer Cup, how should Bay FC proceed with her development?

#3 Bay FC has lost to Utah twice so far this season, considering the Royals have only won three games in total this season, what went wrong?

#4 Savy King is leaving the team to play for the United States at the U-20 World Cup in Colombia, how can they fill that gap for the time being? 

#5 Bay FC is currently in the final playoff spot, with just 9 regular season games left how can they hold off teams like San Diego and Angel City?

#6 The NWSL and the union have come to an agreement for a new CBA on Thu Aug 22. Could you please discuss some of the player benefits.

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

Bay FC falls short against Utah Royals 2-1; Four loss for Bay in last 5 games

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Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji takes off down field against the Utah Royals at America First Field in Sandy UT on Fri Aug 23, 2024 (photo from Bay FC X)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s inaugural regular season continued after the Olympic break and Summer Cup with a match against the Utah Royals on Friday night. Entering the match, Bay FC found themselves sitting in the final playoff spot for the time being, while Utah was last in the league. It turned out to be another tough night for Bay losing their fourth in their last five games 2-1 at America First Field in Sandy Utah.

After a strong Summer Cup though, the Royals were looking to get things on the right track for the remainder of the season. It was another battle of the top two picks in the 2024 NWSL Draft, which will now be known as the final draft in league history as Ally Sentnor and Savy King took the field against one another just days before they become teammates for the United States U20 team.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, King, Beattie, Menges, Dydasco, Bailey, Pickett, Castellanos, Kundananji, Boade, Hill

Utah Starting XI: Haught, Griffitts, Del Fava, Riehl, Pogarch, Tejeda, Zornoza, Tanaka, Sentnor, Monaghan, Betfort

Just 30 seconds into the game, Rachael Kundananji went down in considerable pain after getting her toes stepped on and received medical attention just moments into the match. She would remain in the game though after a short delay.

In the sixth minute, she’d get Bay FC their first opportunity of the night after a strong run into the box which ultimately ended with a shot by Dorian Bailey. Katelyn Rowland got tested for the first time in the 10th minute when Hannah Betfort took the ball from her own end of the pitch into Bay FC’s box and fired a shot on the Bay FC goalkeeper who made the save.

Jen Beattie made a few mistakes in the opening minutes of the match, but seemed to get stronger as the game went on denying Sentnor of a scoring chance in the 12th minute. Tess Boade got her first chance in the 13th minute after a phenomenal run that resulted from a perfect through-ball from Kundananji, however the shot would go just wide.

Kundananji seemingly gave Bay FC the lead in the 18th minute, however, Mandy Haught’s clearance attempt hit her in the hand and it was ruled a handball so the game remained 0-0. Rachel Hill nearly got on the board in the 23rd minute, but the long shot was deflected out for a corner.

Overall, Bay FC was clearly the better team in the first 25 minutes, maintaining 65% of possession but the game was still scoreless. Betfort and Beattie collided at midfield around the half-hour mark, leaving Betfort in major discomfort but she remained in the game. It remained a 0-0 heading into the break, as neither team had been able to break the deadlock.

Paige Monaghan gave Utah the lead just moments into the 48th minute, with a shot just outside of the box. Rowland nearly got a hand on it, but her reflexes were just a millisecond too late. Once again, Utah was leading over Bay FC who for whatever reason had been unable to score against the Royals up to this point in the season.

Emily Menges’s own goal gave Utah a 2-0 lead. It was a disastrous opening to the second half for Bay FC, and now they had a major uphill battle to get back into the match. Bay nearly got on board in the 58th minute but Mina Tanaka swept it away on the goal line.

Tanaka exited her NWSL debut for Cloe LaCasse to make her Utah debut in the 60th minute while Amandine Henry entered for Zornoza. Alyssa Malonson and Asisat Oshoala entered the match for Deyna Castellanos and King in the 66th minute.

Betfort got behind the defense in the 69th minute, but Rowland came well out of the box to beat her to the ball and clear it out for a throw-in. The surging Maddie Moreau entered the match in the 76th minute for Jen Beattie.

Kundananji finally got her goal in the 83rd minute off of a great cross from Rachel Hill, making it 2-1 in favor of Utah with very limited time remaining. Ten minutes of stoppage time were awarded after the 90 minutes were completed, giving Bay FC a significant amount of time to get an equalizer.

Oshoala nearly got an equalizer in the final minute off of a corner kick, but Utah got another goal line clearance to maintain their lead and walk away with a 2-1 victory. Utah swept the season series, and as a result, Bay FC dropped important points to the team at the bottom of the table on two separate occasions.

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.