SANDY, Utah (Aug 23, 2024) – Bay FC conceded a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half and were unable to mount a comeback, falling 2-1 on the road to fellow expansion side Utah Royals FC at America First Field on Friday night. Racheal Kundananji pulled a goal back late for Bay FC, tallying her third goal of the season, and Bay FC nearly found the game-tying goal in waning seconds of second-half stoppage time, but had their final shot of the match cleared off the goal line.
Bay FC generated six first-half corner kicks and had a chance to grab an early lead in the 13th minute of the match. Kundananji pounced on a loose ball off a Utah corner kick that started a Bay FC counterattack. Kundananji played Tess Boade into space as she made a run down the right side before she found herself one-on-one with Royals FC Mandy Haught, but Boade’s shot rolled just wide of the left post.
Utah found the go-ahead goal just three minutes into the second half on a long-distance strike from Paige Monaghan and then benefited from an own goal just six minutes later in the 55th minute to double their lead. Bay FC pushed late and found a goal through Kundananji in the 83rd minute to cut their deficit to one goal. With time winding down, Bay FC sent goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland into the box on the final two corner kicks of the match. Utah’s goalkeeper came off her line and left the goal open. Asisat Oshoala sent a volleyed shot toward an open goal, but Royals FC cleared the ball off the line in the 100th minute of the match.
Goal-Scoring Plays
UTAH – Paige Monaghan (Ana Tejada), 48th minute: Paige Monaghan received the ball running down the left side of the field from Ana Tejada. Monaghan fired a shot from the edge of the box into the left corner of the goal past the outstretched fingertips of Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.
UTAH – Own goal (Emily Menges), 55th minute: Mina Tanaka played the ball across the face of the goal from a tight angle at the endline near the right side of the six-yard box. Rowland dove to deflect the ball, but it bounced off Emily Menges into the back of the net.
BAY – Racheal Kundananji (Rachel Hill), 83rd minute: Rachel Hill found space running down the right side of the field. Hill delivered a pinpoint cross to Racheal Kundananji, who came streaking into the box before directing a perfectly placed header inside the right post.
Notes:
- In her first game back after the Olympics, Racheal Kundananji scored her third goal of the season. She is tied with Tess Boade and Asisat Oshoala for the team lead in goals.
- Kundananji’s goal was the 300th goal of the NWSL regular season.
- It was Kundananji’s first road goal and her first headed goal for Bay FC this campaign.
- Rachel Hill tallied her first career assist for Bay FC. She is the ninth player to record an assist for Bay FC in 2024.
- The assist was the fourth of Hill’s NWSL career. It was her first assist in NWSL regular season play since 2019.
- Deyna Castellanos finished with a match-high seven chances created. She is just the fourth player with seven or more chances created in a match this season.
- Bay FC conceded two goals in a road match for the first time since April 27 at San Diego. The loss snapped a stretch of consecutive road wins.
- Dorian Bailey is the only Bay FC player to have appeared in every match across all NWSL competitions this season for the club.
- Katelyn Rowland made her 10th consecutive regular season start in goal for Bay FC.
- Emily Menges and Kiki Pickett both started and played 90 minutes for a ninth straight regular season match.
- Savy King played her last match before departing to join the U.S. U-20s for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. King and the U.S. open group play in the tournament against Spain on Sept. 1.
- Asisat Oshoala appeared in her first game for the club since returning from the Olympics, making an appearance as a second-half substitute. It was just Oshoala’s second appearance as a substitute this season.
Next Match
Facing a quick turnaround, Bay FC will host an international friendly match against FC Barcelona at PayPal Park on Tuesday, Aug. 27; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific) before traveling for a road match on Friday, Aug. 30 against Portland Thorns FC at Providence Park. The Aug. 30 match will be broadcast on Amazon Prime at 7 p.m. (Pacific).
Bay FC (6-11-0, 18pts) vs. Utah Royals FC (3-11-3, 12pts) – NWSL Regular Season
Aug. 23, 2024 – America First Field (Sandy, Utah)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Bay FC 0 1 1
Utah Royals FC 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
UTA: Monaghan (Tejada), 48
UTA: Own Goal (Menges), 55
BAY: Kundananji (Hill), 83
Misconduct Summary:
UTAH: Tejada (caution), 87
Lineups:
BAY: GK Rowland, D King (Malonson, 67), D Beattie (Moreau, 76), D Menges, D Dydasco, M Pickett, M Bailey, M Boade, F Kundananji, F Castellanos (Oshoala, 66), F Hill
Substitutes Not Used: GK Allen, D Sharples, M Anderson, M Conti, M Shepherd, M Doms
TOTAL SHOTS: 19 (Hill, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Kundananji, Hill, 2); FOULS: 10 (Beattie, 3); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 12; SAVES: 2
UTAH: GK Haught, D Pogarch (Burns, 90), D Riehl, D Del Fava, D Griffitts, M Tejada, M Zornoza (Henry, 61), M Sentnor, F Monaghan © (Foederer, 80), F Betfort, F Tanaka (Lacasse, 61)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Roque, D Merrick, M Nyberg, F Tucker, F Vasconcelos
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Sentanor, Betfort, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 11 (Tejada, 4); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3
Referee: Jaclyn Metz
Assistant Referees: Salma Perez, Ben Rigel
Fourth Official: Brad Jensen
Weather: Windy, 86 degrees
Attendance: 14,539
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
