It wasn’t pretty, but Bay FC showed grit and determination, turning back multiple Angel City FC attempts on goal to defeat Los Angeles 1-0 in their first-ever NWSL game.
Bay FC came out pressuring the ACFC backline from the start. Its high pressure contributed to a 17th-minute goal from forward Asisat Oshoala. Bay right-back Caprice Dydasco’s pressure forced Angel City’s Mary Alice Vignola to pass the ball back, which Bay’s Tess Boade intercepted. She fed Oshoala near the top of the box with space, who one-time the ball into the goal to finish Bay FC’s best opportunity all game.
In the second half, Bay FC weathered the ACFC storm, which included several saves from goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, two balls saved off the line by defenders, and a shot off the crossbar to earn three points.
“Angel City was very dangerous in both halves and tested us in so many ways,” said Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya after the game. “But what I’m most proud of is the heart and passion the team played with. And as they say, you know, we didn’t, we didn’t break we bent, we’ve bent quite a few times. And it’s just, it’s quite inspiring first win as our franchise, and they wanted it because they just believed in themselves, and they had so much passion and just the desire to come out on top. So credit to the players.”
Here are five things we learned from the game:
1) Asisat Oshoala is the real deal
Bay FC was not shy about signing some of the best strikers in the world for their inaugural season, and it showed in their first game why it is so important to have a forward who can finish when given a moment free. Asisat Oshoala’s 17th-minute strike was opportunistic, but she also was in the right space to take advantage of the turnover.
“Sometimes it takes just one opportunity to win a game, which was exactly what happened today,” said Oshola after the game.
She was also a pest all game, putting pressure on the Angel City backline and giving a premium effort up top. Oshoala paired up well with Tess Boade, and Bay FC’s attack will be even more threatening when Racheal Kundananji comes back from injury.
2) The defense showed their potential
In their first-ever game, the Bay FC defense was tested. After the Bay’s early goal, Angel City controlled most of the rest of the match. ACFC held a 60-40 possession advantage and a 19-8 advantage in shots.
Experienced defenders Emily Menges and Kayla Lynne Sharples formed an effective central back defense and made few mistakes. Out wide, Savy King and Caprice Dydasco contributed to the attack all match while also being able to drop back and cover Angel City’s quick wingers. In particular, Bay FC’s first-ever draft pick, King, impressed Montoya.
“She was world-class,” Bay FC’s head coach said after King’s performance. “That’s the reason we selected her as our number one pick. She has some of these great qualities. She’s got the pace to keep up with anyone in the world. She’s composed on the ball, the ability to play left foot, right foot, get up and down the line. So I just thought she was exceptional today.”
3) Bay FC found a keeper with goalie Lysianne Proulx
The Canadian international was a rock in the back with eight saves in her first-ever NWSL match, a mix of dramatic saves mixed with solid positioning and footwork. Proulx was a bit of an unknown quantity despite playing last season in Australia. She won the starting job in the preseason and, after a stunning debut, looks certain to continue inside the goalposts.
“Lysianne kept us in the game with some of the big epic saves she had. Then she’s also very good with her feet, and she’s calm and composed,” said Montoya. “She reads the game well. She understands when we can play out of a goal kick, which is really what we try to do, but reading the game and the energy that Angel City came out with. She kind of dictated how we played out at the back, and hats off to her. She was excellent today.”
4) Bay FC showed winning mentality in first-ever game
Despite being outplayed for long stretches, Bay FC’s inaugural squad showed that they have the competitive will to compete in every single game and possibly challenge some of the league’s heavyweights in their first season. It takes time to meld a group of accomplished international players with a solid foundation of NWSL talent and some incredibly young, talented players, but it looks like a winning formula.
“So the football side of it will come soon, I hope. But what actually takes a little bit longer is this believing, this passion, and the desire to come out and compete the way they did,” said Montoya. “So I think when we get both things right, we might be all right.”
5) Bay FC will only get better
The most satisfying part of Bay FC’s first-ever victory is the knowledge that the team will only get better as the season progresses and the introduction of Kundananji. Head Coach Albertin Montoya wants to institute a possession-based, high-pressing team on the field and can only be excited at what could possibly lie ahead for the squad.
“That’s why I’ve told our organization, our players, it’s going to take time to play a professional style. Again, we want to dominate the ball, we want to dictate what goes on the field. But that takes time,” noted Montoya.
Next up for Bay FC is another test on the road on Saturday, May 23rd, against the Washington Spirit.
