Bay FC loses expansion showdown on late Utah goal
SAN JOSE – If Bay FC fails to make the playoffs in its inaugural season, it will look back at games like Sunday’s against the Utah Royals as the reason why.
Utah snapped an 11-match winless streak with a goal in the 89th minute to beat Bay FC 1-0 at PayPal Park in a matchup of the NWSL’s two expansion teams.
Bay FC (4-9-0) remained three points back of the eighth and final playoff spot and still hasn’t earned points in consecutive games this season. Bay FC was coming off a 2-1 win over Chicago in front of an NWSL-record 35,038 fans at Wrigley Field.
“Definitely frustrating not getting a win at home after a really good performance we had in Chicago,” coach Albertin Montoya said. “I thought the first half we were in control, but didn’t put our chances away and that’s what happens in this league. You’re playing good teams and we lost our way a bit in the second half.”
Bay FC’s top two players missed golden opportunities in front of the Utah goal in the 15th minute when Asisat Oshoala whiffed on a shot and Racheal Kundananji didn’t get clear contact and sent the ball wide off her shin.
Kundananji eventually found the back of the net in the 85th minute, but she came from an offside position and her goal was disallowed.
Four minutes later, Kate Del Fava headed in a free kick from Ally Sentnor, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, to give the Royals the win.
“You go from a high where you’ve worked hard all day long to get (a goal), and then you let a goal in from a set piece,” Montoya said. “The frustration is definitely there. From the group, we just have to stay calm and composed.”
Utah (2-10-1), which sits at the bottom of the table, hadn’t won since March 22 and hadn’t recorded a point since April 27. The Royals didn’t record a shot on goal until the 56th minute but slowly found their way into the game and controlled possession after halftime. Utah finished with seven shots on goal to Bay FC’s four, and had an 11-9 advantage in shots overall.
“There was a clear momentum shift,” Bay FC defender Emily Menges said. “They had momentum the whole second half, and not that they were dangerous the whole second half but we couldn’t really get out of our half, or if we did they would transition it right back.”
Utah eventually scored its seventh goal of the season to keep Bay FC in 12th place in the 14-team league at the midway point of the season, though only five points separate it and sixth-place Chicago.
Bay FC next hosts Angel City FC on Saturday in a rematch of Bay FC’s first-ever game, which the expansion team won 1-0 in L.A.
Kate Del Fava’s late goal gives @UtahRoyalsFC their first road win!
Bay FC vs. Utah Royals FC Recap presented by @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/Rmrh9W4Fzb
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 17, 2024