Bay FC finally flipped the script on their early season woes by coming back from an early goal deficit to beat the San Diego Wave. The victory ended a five-game losing streak that severely tested the confidence of the first-year NWSL club’s players.
The game started like many Bay FC games this year, with the opponent grabbing an early lead. During a San Diego corner kick in the 23rd minute, the initial cross was knocked to the ground, but no one on Bay FC could clear it out of the box. San Diego’s Kyra Carusa was able to latch onto the ball and fire it through a bevy of players into the goal for the early 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Bay FC’s Kiki Pickett was able to get free in the midfield and slot a square pass across the box to Scarlett Camberos, who had time to pick out the far post and tie the game 1-1 in the 55th minute.
Bay FC kept up the pressure and was rewarded in the 87th minute when Dorian Bailey crossed a ball into the box that Racheal Kundananji and San Diego defender Hanna Lundkvist reached at the same time. The ball bounced off Lundkvist and into the own goal to give the Bay the lead and eventual 2-1 victory.
Here is what we learned from the game.
Forward’s creative freedom leads Bay FC to victory
Throughout Bay FC’s losing streak, the club’s commitment to playing exciting attacking soccer has never wavered, thanks to their talented front line. On Friday night, Bay lined up a forward trio of Scarlett Camberos, Asisat Oshala, and Rachael Kundamaji, continually pressed and eventually wore down San Diego’s defense.
The threesome also interchanged their positioning on the pitch, which threw doubt into the Wave defense, especially in the second half.
“They’re dangerous forwards, they know how to play the game,” explained Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya. ” And they’re interchanging all game long.”
Bay FC’s equalizer in the 55th minute came after Kundamaji and Camberos switched sides in the second half. Midfielder Kiki Pickett set up Camberos after the switch for Bay FC’s first goal.
“Me and Rudy had a conversation at halftime where we were like, ‘Hey, we should switch sometime in the second half,’ and it happened. And that’s where I scored my goal,” said Camberos after the game. “So yeah, super cool to be able to play with them and have that. I think it’s important to have that dynamic. For us to be able to interchange. It gives us a different look during the game.”
Bay FC’s defensive team effort pays off
Throughout the first two months of the season, Although Bay FC could score goals, their defense was also susceptible to concerning goals at an alarming rate.
However, in the team’s last two games—first against the Orlando Pride last weekend and then on Friday against San Diego—it’s become clear that it will take a committed defensive effort from all eleven Bay FC players on the pitch to pull out the victory over the Wave.
Throughout the game, even forwards Kundamaji and Camberos continually tracked back and sometimes provided a fifth or sixth defender on the back line to snuff out potential San Diego goal-scoring opportunities.
“That’s another step of us getting better. Before, they would just stay forward. It’s like, ‘Hey, let’s just go score goals.’ But now you have to have a little bit more discipline,” explained Montoya. “You have to track back, you have to tuck inside and help us defensively. And obviously, when you do that, your team appreciates it, and everyone is on the same page.”
Kiki Pickett to fill Loera’s spot in midfield?
Alex Loera’s knee injury created a huge hole in the Bay FC midfield that the team’s coaching staff has been attempting to fill for the past month. Lately, converted defender Kiki Pickett has been plugged into a position she never played before professionally, and her passing and all-around soccer knowledge are looking like the answer to solidify Bay’s midfield.
Pickett was responsible for setting up both of Bay FC’s goals. A nifty pullback from Pickett allowed her to get past San Diego’s Emily van Egmond and eventually slot the ball across the box to Camberos for the team’s first goal.
Bay FC’s second goal was started by another dangerous run from Pickett and a pinpoint pass that split the Wave backline. It allowed Bay’s Dorian Bailey to get to the pass and cut the ball back across the goal mouth.
Defensively, Pickett also kept Bay FC in the game when she saved a clear San Diego goal-scoring opportunity in the first half.
“She was making tackles, she was penetrating in the midfield, she was getting us out of trouble,” noted Montoya in the post-game press conference. “She was in the right spot at the right time. I mean, it was, it was massive. So she just brings this positive energy and this winning mentality, and it’s contagious. So a lot of credit to Kiki coming in and playing in the midfield now two games in a row. A little bit of a new position for her, but she’s killing it.”
Bay FC is still very much a work in progress
Although Bay FC played a strong second half on both sides of the pitch to earn a vital three points, several team players coughed up balls or delivered passes easily intercepted by San Diego and immediately put pressure on Bay’s defensive line. Thankfully, in this game, it didn’t cost them the win.
Credit to the Bay FC players: The second half was a much more efficient and effective team effort. They stymied San Diego’s offense and set up multiple goal-scoring opportunities.
“There are doubts. Sometimes that happens when it’s a new group of players, right? So who’s going to really step up who’s going to be that voice? And that takes time, and we’re starting to see that,” said Montoya. “It’s emerging at practices in the locker room. And they’re just the sense of belief and togetherness. And I think that’s what was the difference. They knew they could do it. They had each other’s back, and they’re just driven to get the W.”
After the game, Bay FC defender Savy King also felt that the victory could help turn around the team’s season.
“You know, we’ve been in every single game and I think it’s just, this was the little push over the edge that we needed to have a lot of momentum going into the rest of the season,” King said. “So it’s a huge win for us today. Lots of positive emotions and lots of momentum going into the next game.”
Fan support never wavers despite losing streak
Even with a five-game losing streak, Bay FC played in front of a packed house of 16,930 loud and boisterous fans determined to will their home side to an essential victory.
“It means the world, to be honest, to have a support system like that behind us no matter how we’re doing in the season, and that’s a little edge that we need,” said King. “Especially coming in playing home means the absolute world that we have an insane amount of fans show up for us every single day. Even when we may be down in a game, they’re still cheering and they’re still loud. I think that it helps bring the positive energy back into the team and really helps us get back up on our feet when things may not be going our way.”
Bay FC’s next game is another Friday night home game on May 24th, when they will face Gotham FC.