Kayla Sharples, Alex Loera, Joelle Anderson tally goals in first win at PayPal Park
SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 14, 2024) – Trailing 1-0 after the first half, Bay FC scored three second-half goals to earn their first home win in club history, defeating Seattle Reign FC 3-2 in front of 16,719 fans at PayPal Park on Sunday evening. Kayla Sharples, Alex Loera, and Joelle Anderson all tallied their first goals for Bay FC, while Emily Menges and Savy King each registered their first assists for the club.
Bay FC scored a pair of goals in a 10-minute span in the second half with Sharples leveling the match in the 48th minute before Loera put Bay FC in front with her long-distance strike in the 58th minute. Seattle pulled a goal back through Bethany Balcer in the 83rd minute to even the match a 2-2, but Anderson notched the game-winning goal in the 87th minute.
Goal-Scoring Plays
SEA – Own goal (Kayla Sharples), 27th minute: Bay FC attempted to clear the ball from inside their goal box, but on the attempted clearance by Alyssa Malonson, the ball deflected off Kayla Sharples into the goal.
BAY – Kayla Sharples (Emily Menges), 48th minute: Off a corner kick, Bay FC kept possession inside their box. Emily Menges played a lofted cross back across the face of the goal and Kayla Sharples converted with a header from close range.
BAY – Alex Loera, 58th minute: Seattle cleared the ball just outside the box off a corner kick, and the ball landed at the feet of Alex Loera, who unleashed a swerving left-footed strike into the right side of the goal from 25 yards out.
SEA – Bethany Balcer (Ji So-Yun), 83rd minute: Seattle worked the ball down the left side of the field. Ji So-Yun received a cross in the box and laid it off for Bethany Balcer, who finished with a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
BAY – Joelle Anderson (Savy King), 87th minute: Savy King played a short pass to Joelle Anderson near the edge of the box. Anderson drove toward the left corner and fired a shot on frame that took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net.
Notes:
- Bay FC earned their first home win in club history. It was also the first come-from-behind win in club history
- Bay FC finished the match with 23 shots, which is the second-most shots by a team in a game this season.
- Ther have been six equalizing or go-ahead goals scored after the 80th minute in Bay FC’s first four NWSL games.
- Kayla Sharples scored her second career goal. Her last goal came during the 2023 season with the Chicago Red Stars.
- Bay FC have scored in all four of their games this season, tallying multiple goals in each of their last two matches.
- Alex Loera scored her first goal of the season.
- The goal was the first of Loera’s career in NWSL regular season play. Loera’s has two other career goals that came in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup and the 2022 NWSL Playoffs with Kansas City.
- Two of Loera’s three career goals have come against Seattle.
- Joelle Anderson scored her first career goal for Bay FC. She became the seventh different player to score a goal for Bay FC this season.
- The goal was the third of Anderson’s NWSL career. She has now scored in each of the last three seasons.
- Savy King registered her first career assist.
- Emily Menges recorded her second career assist. It was her first assist since 2021.
- Alyssa Malonson earned her first start with Bay FC. It also marked the first NWSL regular season start of her career.
- Katelyn Rowland made her first appearance for the club, earning her first start.
- Rowland earned her first win as a Bay FC goalkeeper.
- Racheal Kundananji earned her first start for Bay FC.
- Tess Boade, Emily Menges, Asisat Oshoala and Deyna Castellanos have started every match for the team this season.
Next Match
Bay FC heads back out on the road, traveling to take on the Kansas City Current on Saturday, April 20; kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. (Pacific) at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The April 20 match features a national television broadcast on ION.
Bay FC (2-2-0, 6pts) vs. Seattle Reign FC (1-3-0, 3pts) – NWSL Regular Season
April 14, 2024 – PayPal Park (San Jose, Calif.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Bay FC 0 3 3
Seattle Reign FC 1 1 2
Scoring Summary:
SEA: Own goal (Sharples), 27
BAY: Sharples (Menges), 48
BAY: Loera, 58
SEA: Balcer (Ji So-Yun), 83
BAY: Anderson (King), 87
Misconduct Summary:
None
Lineups:
BAY: GK Rowland, D Malonson (King, 63), D Menges, D Sharples, D Dydasco, M Loera, M Bailey (Anderson, 82), M Castellanos, F Kundananji, F Oshoala (Beattie, 90+8), F Boade
Substitutes Not Used: GK Allen, D Moreau, D Brewster, M Shepherd, M Conti, F Princess
TOTAL SHOTS: 23 (Kundananji, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Kundananji, 2); FOULS: 8 (Oshoala, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 2
SEA: GK Dickey (Ivory, 60), D Woodham (McClernon, 72), D Barnes ©, D Cook, D Huerta, M James Turner (Quinn, 72), M Van Der Jagt (Latsko, 72), M Athens (Adames, 83), M Ji So-Yun, M Fishlock, F Balcer
Substitutes Not Used: D Brown, D Holmes, M Stanton, F King
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Balcer, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 5 (Fishlock, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 4
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
Assistant Referees: Stephen McGonagle, Rhett Hammil
Fourth Official: Adam Zarrin
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 61 degrees
Attendance: 16,719
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
