Bay FC scored two goals early in the second half and stifled the Racing Louisville attack to earn a 2-0 win on Sunday afternoon at PayPal Park. Bay opened up the scoring on a goal from Alex Pfeiffer in the 50th minute. Karlie Lema’s interception goal in the 56th minute gave the home side some breathing space, and Bay’s defense completed the shutout victory.
“Really, really pleased with the win tonight and the clean sheet,” said Bay FC head coach Emma Coates after the game. “I think that does a lot for the team and the confidence.”
Here is what we learned from the match:
Racheal Kundananji sparks Bay FC to victory
During the club’s first three years, whether Bay FC won or lost, fans enjoyed watching Racheal Kundananji display her fearless attacking skills on the pitch. Whenever Kundananji receives the ball, her ability to dribble past her defender and either unleash a shot on goal or cross to a teammate can unlock any team’s stout defense.
However, this season Kundananji has only featured in 16 of Bay FC’s 25 games, starting 12 of them. According to Bay FC head coach Emma Coates, it has been a difficult season for Racheal in many ways, with bereavement leave, injuries, international duty with Zambia, and integrating with her many new teammates and staff this year.
“She’s actually been dealing with a lot, and I think you can start to see the last couple of games. She’s starting to find her flow again and her confidence. We know that when Rudy’s happy, she performs, and she’s such a handful to play against.”
Throughout the first half, Kundananji constantly challenged the Louisville defense. Besides trying her patented move of pushing the ball past her defender and running in behind them with her pace, she also showed another dimension in her play by trying several give-and-gos with her teammates. Twice in the first half, she nearly connected with Claire Hutton. Once, Hutton got the ball into the box to Kundananji, but Louisville keeper Jordyn Bloomer saved her shot. Then, right before the half, a nice combination play between Kundananji and Hutton ended with Hutton missing her shot just wide of the post.
Kundananji’s constant pressure finally gave Bay FC the break they needed in the 50th minute.
Louisville tried to play the ball out of the back, but Kundananji jumped all over it, forcing a turnover from Louisville defender Ellie Jean. Racheal then crossed the ball in front of goal, and Alex Pfeiffer thundered in a close-range shot to finally give Bay the lead.
Bay doubled their lead in the 56th minute once again thanks to Kundananji. She received the ball out wide and unleashed another powerful cross that Bloomer made the initial touch save on before it bounced to Louisville defender Courtney Petersen. The defender then inadvertently bounced the ball off of Bloomer’s back, and it trickled towards the goal. Petersen once again attempted to clear the ball off the goal line, but Bay FC forward Karlie Lema stuck her body in front of the clearance and redirected it into the net for the 2-0 lead.
Coates noted that with Kundananji finally starting to feel comfortable with her teammates, Bay wants her to keep improving, especially on her final shot or pass.
“We all want more final product from her, and we’re doing a lot of work with her on that,” explained Coates. “But I think it’s just nice to see her spark back in the game, and I thought we saw that tonight.”
Alex Pfeiffer’s celebrates goal after difficult season
Right after Alex Pfeiffer’s second-half goal, she ran to the sideline in an exuberant celebration. It seemed like putting the ball in the back of the net was cathartic for the 18-year-old, who stormed out of the gates this season but has also been held back by a knee injury. It was the first goal for the forward since scoring on March 26th against Carolina.
“Obviously, I’ve had a tough season,” said Pfeiffer after the game. “I think obviously I started really well, and I wanted to continue that, and obviously you can’t choose to be injured.”
According to Coates, besides the health setbacks Pfeiffer faced this year, other teams have learned to respect and defend against the young forward.
“What we’re trying to work with Alex on is just adding more variation to a game, recognizing when to take less touches,” said Coates. “When to cross? When to serve other people? When actually to stay on the ball, and I think her decision-making has improved dramatically.”
Pfeiffer also had to deal with the disappointment of not being able to represent the United States in this year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland because the tournament took place outside an international window. She signed a letter, along with her teammate Claire Hutton, asking FIFA to hold future U-20 Women’s World Cups during international breaks so players can leave their club sides. Despite the personal disappointment, she has taken it upon herself to keep learning and growing as a player with her club team.
“I think it’s been hard the last two months. I think obviously I wanted to go represent my country and I love my country, but you know Bay needed me, and I wanted to be here too. So it just was showing up and being the best teammate I can be for Bay while also supporting the girls in Poland,” explained Pfeiffer. “It means a lot to me to score today and, just like you said, put everything in different buckets and find a way to show up and just be where I am.”
Karlie Lema’s growth as a striker
Several times this year, Bay FC have scored an early goal but have been unable to capitalize with a second goal that might have secured a win. Thankfully for the home team against Louisville, forward Karlie Lema delivered that important insurance goal by being in the right place at the right time.
Her 56th-minute strike was Lema’s seventh of the season, tying the most goals scored by a Bay FC player in a season by matching Asisat Oshoala’s total during Bay FC’s inaugural season.
All season long, putting the ball in the back of the net has been Bay FC’s biggest weakness. After Sunday’s victory, Bay have scored 26 goals in 25 games, the second-worst goal-scoring record in the NWSL, only ahead of the last-place Chicago Stars, who have managed 14 goals this season.
Surprisingly, the second-year forward has taken great strides this season. In her rookie campaign, her pace, height, and ability to pressure the opponent’s back line made her an intriguing, but raw, prospect. This year, given the time to grow on the pitch and gain experience as a forward, has helped her to become the most reliable attacking option for a team desperate for a goal scorer.
Lema credits the coaching staff for constantly challenging her, while also learning the intricacies of the game by playing alongside experienced strikers like Christina Girelli during practice.
“I think I’ve grown a ton this season, and I think Emma’s done a good job giving me feedback and helping me on and off the field,” said Lema. “I’m just looking to continue to do whatever I can to help the team and help us win.”
Hopefully for Bay FC, Lema’s continued growth as a forward will help the team address their biggest weakness next year.
‘The Strength of the Wolf Is the Pack’
Though this season has been difficult for Bay FC players and fans alike, and the team is well out of playoff contention, it is clear the coaching staff has been patiently implementing their vision to build a foundation for future success. That has required building trust between the coaching staff and the players throughout the season, despite many setbacks on the pitch, so they can play as one cohesive unit on the field, Coates explained.
“I remember sharing a poem. It’s one of my favorite poems. I’ve actually shared two poems with them. I’m not that clever, but one of them is ‘The Strength of the Wolf Is the Pack and the Strength of the Pack Is the Wolf,'” said Coates. “And I think that’s really important in terms that resonates with me around how do we have a style of play and identity, but then people have freedom and expression within it. I think we’re really starting to see that balance.”
The coaching staff’s lessons were apparent after Bay scored their second goal. Unlike several games this season where Bay FC conceded goals to tie or lose, on Sunday afternoon the team played a controlled, deliberate game plan to see out the victory.
The visitors had several half chances, the best being a free kick just outside the box by Courtney Petersen in the 82nd minute that Bay FC keeper Jordan Silkowitz pushed out of bounds.
That save was Silkowitz’s 100th save of the season. She is only the sixth keeper in league history to have over 100 saves in an NWSL season.
While Silkowitz was solid in goal once again, the story was a complete team effort to kill off the game and earn the three points.
“Early in the season, we were conceding silly goals, it was like superhero defending. It was like one person wanted to make a big play, and they end up overrunning the tackle or something, chopped back inside, and it looks chaotic,” noted Coates. “We’ve done a lot of work around how we’re best when we’re together, and we’re in structure. We play together, and frankly being unstoppable.”
Although Coates added it’s taken most of the season to build trust and rhythm within the squad, she is convinced the team is finally starting to see the work they have put in pay off.
Pfeiffer agreed with her head coach’s assessment after the game.
“We want to show the fans what this club is about. That was a true Bay performance,” said Pfeiffer. “Obviously we’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year, but I think today we came together as one and showed the love and fight we have for one another.”
Next up for Bay FC is another game at PayPal Park next Sunday, Sept. 27th, against the Orlando Pride. Kickoff is at 2 pm.
