One momentary lapse of focus for Bay FC led to an Orlando Pride goal and a loss at PayPal Park on Friday evening in front of 12,127 fans.
Here is what we learned from the game.
Bay FC’s game plan upended by one mistake
Bay faced a difficult test on Friday night, squaring off against the Orlando Pride, the defending NWSL champions currently in second place in the league. Fielding a defensive lineup in the first half, it was clear that Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya was intent on getting at least a point from the game.
The home side allowed Orlando to have the majority of the possession but clogged up the box whenever they got close to the goal, especially making sure to mark out the dynamic Pride attack led by Marta and Barbra Banda. When the opportunity arose, Bay planned to counter the Pride defense.
The best chance in the first half for either team was in the 35th minute, when Banda finally got free of the defense in the box and unleashed a shot that Bay FC goalkeeper Emmie Allen, in her first professional appearance, pushed over the post and out of bounds.
At halftime, Orlando had 63 percent of the possession to Bay’s 37 percent, but were limited to only taking four shot attempts.
Against the run of play, Bay FC almost took the lead in the 57th minute on a corner kick. Orlando initially cleared the ball, which fell to Caprice Dydasco, who fired in a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced back out. The ball eventually reached Asisat Oshoala, but her shot went just wide of the right post.
Just after Bay almost took the lead, one lapse in focus led to Orlando’s decisive goal.
The Pride’s Summer Yates was fouled at the midline by Dydasco. Orlando’s Carson Pickett quickly took the free kick and got it to Banda, who had snuck in wide left unmarked. She ran in on goal, and her shot deflected off a Bay FC defender, past the goalkeeper, and into the far net for the 1-0 lead.
“It was really shitty. I’m not gonna lie, because I feel like they didn’t really break us down,” said Bay FC defender Kelli Hubly after the game. “So that goal, hurt really badly.”
Bay FC’s dynamic attack once again can’t score
Behind by a goal, Bay was forced to open up and start attacking. For the final thirty minutes of the game, Orlando had to withstand wave after wave of Bay FC attacks.
Bay almost tied the game in the 64th minute. Rachel Kundananji dribbled her way through the Orlando defense and unleashed a shot that Pride keeper Anna Moorhouse pushed over the crossbar.
In the 74th minute, Bay FC’s Penelope Hocking earned a corner kick and was able to swing it in to an open Kundananji. Her header went directly at Moorehouse, however.
Two minutes later, Kundananji was able to get free out wide. She got into the box, and the ball made its way to Hocking, whose shot again went directly at the well-positioned Moorehouse for the save.
On a Bay FC corner kick in the 78th minute, the home side almost got a gift when Moorehouse spilled the ball at Hocking’s feet. Orlando’s Kylie Nadaner deflected Hocking’s point-blank shot, and Kundananji could not get her rebound shot on target.
Three minutes later, Bay’s Caroline Conti had a shot from just outside the box that Moorehouse tipped over the bar.
On the ensuing play, Kundananji earned a foul just outside the box, but Conti’s free kick skied well over the bar.
Bay’s futile comeback continued a familiar refrain in the team’s first two years of existence. They can play absolutely beautiful attacking soccer, but cannot score that decisive goal to tie or win the game.
Part of the issue is that Bay FC forwards have not been producing. Asisat Oshoala has no goals, and Kundananji only one. Substitute Penelope Hocking leads the team with three. Meanwhile, Orlando’s Banda has seven goals, tied with Esther González of Gotham FC and Temwa Chawinga of Kansas City.
As he has for a season and a half, Montoya sounded positive about the attack. “We’re seeing the progress because of the quality of the chances,” he noted in the postgame press conference.
However, without more production from the team’s goal scorers putting the ball into the back of the net, it will be tough for Bay to move up the standings.
Bay FC’s goal: to be the host side of the NWSL final at PayPal Park.
Earlier in the day, NWSL announced that PayPal Park would host the 2025 Championship game. Word spread through the team that they could host the game on their home field if they make the playoffs and win two games.
“I think it just pushed us a little bit to be, okay, we need to start implementing ourselves, moving up in the table. It’s just another fuel to our fire,” said Bay FC’s Hannah Bebar upon hearing the news.
The championship game will take place on November 22nd.
“If we happen to be in that final in front of our fans, anything can happen,” added Montoya.
