SAN JOSE — Bay FC still hasn’t cracked the winning code of the first-ever NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
After two Summer Cup matches, the Bay Area’s NWSL squad has scored just one goal. Bay FC has two losses to show for it.
An early Dorian Bailey own goal got Bay FC in a 1-0 hole against Angel City FC on Friday night, and the visitors from Los Angeles added an insurance goal in the second half to win 2-0 in front of 9,766 fans at PayPal Park.
Bay FC has been eliminated from playoff contention in the Summer Cup after Friday’s loss. The club started the midseason Cup competition with a 3-1 loss at San Diego Wave FC on Aug. 20 and will conclude its three-game group-stage run with a fixture against Mexico City-based Club América on Aug. 2 in San Jose.
Bay FC’s Dorian Bailey (19) fights for the ball against Angel City’s Meggie Dougherty Howard (8) in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
An early flurry of shots put Bay FC in good position for an early lead, but the home team could not capitalize. Rachel Hill found a close-range shot on goal in the third minute, and that set up two consecutive corner kicks for Bay FC.
Caroline Conti then fired two quick shots on goal from the right side of the net, but Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson turned them both away to collect two of her six saves.
Fourteen minutes later, Bay FC fell behind when Bailey inadvertently tapped a loose ball into the net on a clearing attempt.
“It’s crazy,” said Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya. “That’s football for you. But with experience and time, you’re able to overcome that, right? Because that’s going to happen from game to game.
Bay FC’s Savy King (2) kicks the ball against Angel City’s Madison Curry (27) in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“But there was a huge change after that. We had those opportunities, and we just didn’t put them away. Then we had an own goal, and for whatever reason — which is something we don’t see very often from this team — we were a little deflated, and all of a sudden they just started running at us. So they kind of rose up, and we dropped the level.”
Angel City dominated the ball for the rest of the game, finishing with 57.2% of the available possession. Claire Emslie doubled the lead in the 52nd minute, sending a low bouncing shot past Bay FC goalie Katelyn Rowland to put the Angelenos up 2-0.
Bay FC generated multiple quality chances down the stretch, especially after forward Princess Marfo entered in the 60th minute. But it never truly recovered from the early gut punch.
“Princess is a very talented player,” Montoya said. “She only played 30 minutes because she was only limited to 30 minutes. She went to Ghana with the national team, came back injured, and this week, she only practiced twice. So we only had her for 30 minutes. I was really excited to give her a lot more minutes. She has that quality. She can beat anyone one-on-one. Now, it’s also her decision-making, because she’ll do some incredible things.”
Bay FC’s Madeline Moreau (24) kicks the ball against Angel City’s Megan Reid (6) in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Bay FC has experimented significantly with its lineup across the two Cup matches, partially out of necessity. Two of its best forwards, Racheal Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala, are in Paris playing for Zambia and Nigeria, respectively, at the Olympics.
Thus, Bay FC is changing its lineup constantly to fill in the gaps. Bay FC played five different lineup combinations on Friday, and the lack of familiarity led to some uncertain moments.
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“It’s difficult,” said defender Kayla Sharples. “It’s definitely difficult. But we’re not the only team that’s dealing with that. Throughout the season and throughout this tournament, it’s happening. So it’s what team can handle that the best and still put out their best performance. It’s not easy.”
Montoya wants to see it anyway.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Montoya said. “Yes, we’re a young team, but I don’t even consider that anymore. We’re halfway through the season. We’re in that eighth (NWSL playoff) spot. No, we belong here. We can play against anyone in this league, and I’ve been saying it. So now we’ve got to find a way. Regardless of what happens if things aren’t going our way, we have to turn the tide and deal with that adversity that’s thrown at us. So we’ll get better.”
Bay FC’s Kayla Sharples (27) kicks the ball against Angel City’s Kennedy Fuller (17) in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Angel City celebrates after scoring against Bay FC in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)