No matter how hard they tried San Diego Wave FC played stubborn defense shutting Bay FC out at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun Nov 1, 2026 (Bay FC X photo)
Bay FC Fall 1-0 to San Diego on Decision Day
By William Espy
SAN JOSE–It was NWSL Decision Day on Sunday, and although Bay FC were already eliminated from playoff contention, they were involved in a massively important game. The match was rugged, tough and close as the San Diego Wave FC edged Bay with a 1-0 shutout.
Their opposition, San Diego, entered the night second in the league table, trailing Gotham FC for the Supporters’ Shield. With a win over Bay and a Gotham loss, San Diego would walk away as the regular season champions.
If San Diego dropped a single point, or Gotham picked up a point, they’d finish second. In the ninth minute, Mimi Van Zanten gave San Diego quite a bit of hope. She scored after a perfectly placed pass through the defense from Kenza Dali, giving her side an early 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, the same happened in New Jersey as Gotham also took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.San Diego controlled play in the first half, maintaining 64% of possession and completing nearly twice as many passes as Bay.
As a result, they were able to carry their 1-0 lead into the halftime break. Keira Barry entered the match as Bay FC’s first substitution of the night in the 54th minute, replacing Agostina Holzheier. Barry made herself known to San Diego immediately, firing a shot that forced Sandra Panos to make a diving save.
Claire Hutton entered the game for Bay FC in the 62nd minute, taking the place of Dorian Bailey. Cristiana Girelli and Maddie Moreau entered the game for Kennedy Fuller and Sydney Collins in the 74th minute, as Bay FC pushed for an equalizer.
That equalizer never came, as San Diego controlled the second half just like the first, securing a 1-0 victory to end the season. Unfortunately for them, though, Gotham also picked up their victory and won the Supporters’ Shield, ending San Diego’s hopes of celebrating the trophy at PayPal Park. Bay FC’s season has now come to a close, leaving quite a few questions heading into the offseason; now we just have to wait and see how management approaches the winter.
