Despite Bay FC controlling the first half against fellow expansion side Utah Royals, the home side could not put one of their many chances into the net. In the second half, the Royals emerged from their defensive shell and scored a decisive set-piece goal in the 89th minute to claim a 1-0 victory at PayPal Park in front of a stunned home crowd of 10,367.
Here is what we learned from the game:
Soccer can be the cruelest of sports
After a stirring 2-1 victory last weekend in front of 35,000 spectators at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Red Stars, Bay FC came out of the gates ready to earn another three points against a Utah side anchoring the bottom of the NWSL standings. The Royals had lost its last six games, scoring only two goals in the process.
It was clear from the start that Utah came in with a game plan to secure at least a point and try to steal three points from the home side. The Royals rarely attempted to venture up the field in the first forty-five minutes, looking to absorb the Bay FC’s attacks.
Utah’s defense bent but never broke in the first half. In the 15th minute, Bay’s Joelle Anderson slotted a pass into the box for Asisat Oshoala, who should’ve pushed the ball past Royals keeper Mandy Haught. The goalie was able to deflect the ball, but it fortuitously bounced to Bay’s Racheal Kundananji. However, her attempt went wide of the post.
In the 24th minute, Bay FC’s Tess Boade attempted to sneak a shot on the end line past Haught, but the Utah keeper covered the attempt well. A few minutes later, Caprice Dydasco attempted to loft a ball over Haught into the net, but it bounced off the crossbar.
Just before the half, Bay FC had one more good chance, but Boade’s point-blank shot was saved by Haught.
In the second half, Utah came out of its defensive shell against Bay FC, and the home side appeared a bit surprised by the strategy change and did not adjust well.
“I think we gave up unforced errors,” said Bay FC centerback Emily Menges. “We coughed the ball up when we didn’t in the first half.”
Eventually the Royals took advantage of the opportunities by scoring on a free kick late in the second half when Kate Del Fava got on the end of a free kick from Ally Sentnor to take the lead, which they would not relinquish.
“It’s a tough one; we felt that we should have gotten a win today, but credit to Utah on finding a way,” noted Montoya.
Officiating took the flow out of the second half of the game
Although credit must be given to Utah for attacking in the second half (they ended up with eleven shots, five on target compared to Bay FC’s nine shots and three on target), the flow of the second half of the game was disturbed by constant, unexplained stoppages from referee Anya Voight.
It can be debated whether Voight’s calls were correct, but the best thing to be said about a referee on the pitch is that you don’t notice them. Unfortunately, you couldn’t help but notice Voight throughout the second half.
“They [Utah] had a good run of attack,” said Bay FC defender Alyssa Malonson after the game. “So it [the goal] was kind of bound to happen with the ref making those calls.”
There were several lengthy stoppages in the second half where Voight was seen talking with players for both sides before starting play again. Another play was called dead for an unclear reason when it looked like Kundananji was going to break up the field on goal.
By late in the second half, the Bay FC crowd, annoyed by the seemingly pointless breaks in action, grew even more upset when a number of fifty/fifty calls did not go the way, including a possible penalty kick and then Kundananji’s 85th-minute goal score being called offsides.
Finally, in the 86th and 88th minutes, Bay FC was called for back-to-back fouls outside the box by Voight, leaving the crowd chanting, “Ref, you suck!”
The 88th-minute foul set up Utah’s Del Fava’s winning header a minute later.
“I have to go back and watch the video. I thought some of the calls were questionable, but who’s not going to think that, right, as a coach,” Montoya said after the game. “Especially that last foul that led to a goal seemed a bit soft, especially from my angle and the camera. But, you know, that’s the way this season has been going so far. And we put our chances away in the first half, and maybe that’s not an issue.”
Bay FC forwards attack sputtering
At the beginning of the season, Bay FC was expected to mow down opponents by outscoring them. With an attacking trio of Asisat Oshoala, Racheal Kundananji, and Deyna Castellanos pouring in the goals, the only concern was the defense.
However, over the last three games, the Bay FC forward line has not put any balls into the back of the net. The club’s three big signings are all sitting on two goals and one assist for the season. Oshoala hasn’t scored a goal since April 27, and Kundananji and Castellanos since May 1st.
If the Big 3 don’t start putting the ball into the back of the net with some regularity soon, Bay FC will continue struggle rising up the standings and into a playoff position.
Montoya’s starting 11 is still not nailed down
After a successful game in Chicago, Montoya decided to start the same eleven players again against Utah. It was only the first time this year that Bay FC’s head coach trotted out the same lineup two games in a row. However, despite the starting eleven playing fairly well in the first half, Bay FC did not score any goals before substitutes were called in. Afterward, it didn’t appear as Montoya had yet to figure out who the club’s starters would be, although he noted he feels he is getting closer.
“I’m still probably going to make some changes because as an expansion team, you’re really still trying to figure out which players play well with each other,” Montoya explained.
Next up for Bay FC is another home game on Saturday night against Angel City.
