Bay FC could not convert several near chances against top-of-the-table Orlando, which opened the door for the Pride’s Barbara Banda’s 84th-minute header to be the deciding strike in a taught, exciting contest of wills at PayPal Park on Friday night.
Here is what we learned from Bay FC’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride:
Bay FC can play toe-to-toe against the league’s top sides
Coming into a game against the undefeated Orlando Pride, it would’ve been understandable if Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya had decided to play defensively to attempt to secure a positive result. But true to the team’s character, the home side was on the attack from the start.
Racheal Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala were dynamic, pressuring the Pride defense while contributing four shots in the first 30 minutes. Kundananji also almost set up Rachel Hill for a goal-scoring opportunity in the eighth minute. However, Hill’s initial shot was blocked by an Orlando defender, and her second attempt went over the bar.
“[Orlando] couldn’t even get out of their half in the first 30 minutes,” said Montoya after the game. “Our movement off the ball, we were creating so many chances, and we were really playing our type of football.”
Although the game evened out after the first thirty minutes, and Orlando had more chances in the second half, the start of the game set the tone for the match and, ideally, for the rest of Bay FC’s season.
“For us to come in here and get points. We knew we could, and we felt that and the way we’ve been playing, the way we believe, so we’re, but we know we’re this close,” said Montoya.
Bay FC’s lack of clinical finishing costs them once again
Bay FC has attempted to play attacking soccer all season long and create numerous chances to score goals. However, all season long, Bay FC has had trouble connecting their final pass and shot in front of the goal and scorning.
Perhaps the best chance for Bay came in the 79th minute when substitute Maddie Moreau crossed the ball to Dorian Bailey. Her shot was saved by the foot of Orlando keeper Anna Moorhouse.
Four minutes later, Kundananji twice wrong-footed Orlando defender Emily Sams and crossed the ball into the box for Rachel Hill. Unfortunately, Hill pushed her shot wide of the far post.
When Orlando got their one good chance in the 84th minute, they converted.
Pride winger Carson Pickett lofted a pass into the box that went just over the head of Bay defender Emily Menges and cleanly to Orlando’s Barbara Banda, who headed the ball just outside the reach of Bay goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland and into the net.
“You know, soccer is a game of chances, and they only had that chance which they used, and they’ve won one-zero, but we’ve learned something from it,” said Kundananji afterward.
Montoya also remained optimistic, noting that the goals will come as long as Bay keeps their attacking pressure up.
“My message to them is you’ve got to believe now, because the way we’ve been playing of late and this performance that we had,” noted Montoya. “If I’m any other team in this league, they’re not going to want to face us because of what we’re able to do. And then now it’s just that, that belief and desire of putting the ball in the back of the net.”
Kundananji now playing with joy, not the pressure of her record transfer fee
During the post-game press conference, Kundananji opened up about how she put a lot of pressure on herself during the first half of the season to live up to her record-setting $787,000 transfer from Madrid CFF to Bay FC, the largest-ever fee in women’s professional soccer.
When NWSL went on the break for the Olympics and Kundananji went to Paris to play for Zambia, the time away from the club helped her refocus on enjoying playing soccer and not letting the pressure of living up to her fee become a burden anymore.
“And when I came back, I was just a new person because I forgot about everything that’s for the past and right now, I need to focus about the future, the games that we are remaining with,” explained Kundananji.
She added that her focus is solely on playing at the top of her skill level and putting all her effort into the field for the remainder of Bay FC’s season. A joyful and focused Kundananji should keep the other NWSL team’s defenses on alert.
Montoya notes team and staff are locked in after early-season distractions
Towards the end of the press conference, Montoya was asked if, knowing where the team is now, he wished he could’ve re-played the first half of the season and if he would’ve coached differently.
Montoya took a moment to reflect and then noted how difficult it was to get the team where he wanted it to be during the first several months of Bay FC’s inaugural season because of many distractions for the coach and the players.
Below is Montoya’s complete response to the question.
“That’s a good question. I’m going to touch on something, and just because I’m always honest, and I spoke to our staff about this this week. The first three or four months, I will say that I wasn’t necessarily thinking that much about the team. There was so much going on behind the scenes, and it makes it very difficult.
“This last couple months, every day, every minute, I’m thinking about the players, the team, how we can get better. I told our staff I was driving to practice on Monday morning, and all I was thinking was who I needed to speak with in the individual meetings. How I needed to connect to a certain player. Okay, how were we going to play them? Just, it’s all about the football [soccer], which is what I enjoy.
“So the fact that we’re there, that just says a lot, instead of worrying about so many other outside distractions to a certain extent, which then carries over to the team. The team now is in the spot, though, that they understand the type of football that we want to play, but not only understand, they believe in it. And they believe in themselves, and they trust this process now. So it’s all coming together really well.
“They’re getting it, and the coaching staff is really in a place where we’re doing what we love. We’re teaching football and having them come out here and have a performance like they did. So that’s why we’re in a good place right now.
“All the energy is spent on them and what they do on the field. It’s a big difference than what was going on before, trust me.”
Orlando and Bay FC could clash once more in playoffs
Coming into the game, Orlando was in first place in the standings, and Bay FC resided in the eighth and final playoff spot. When asked about the possibility that the two clubs could face off again next in the first round of the playoffs Montoya looked forward to the challenge.
“After this performance tonight, I said, Let’s go. Let’s bring them on,” he said.
Bay FC’s head coach noted he would rather move the club into sixth or seventh place in the standings, but he doubts that Orlando or any other NWSL club would like to play Bay FC in their current form.
“I don’t think they want to face us as much as we want to face them,” he said.
