Bay FC will play its final home match of the season on Friday night, taking on the North Carolina Courage at PayPal Park. It’s sure to be a festive atmosphere as the club celebrates Fan Appreciation Night, presented by PNC Bank, and the action on the pitch features plenty of intrigue. As the season winds down, here are some notes and numbers to get prepared for the match.
Head-to-Head
For the second of three consecutive matches, Bay FC will take on an opponent it has never lost to. Bay FC has faced North Carolina Courage three times in its brief history dating back to 2024, winning twice and drawing once. The only other clubs Bay FC is undefeated against are Seattle (W2 D2), who the club faced last week, and Racing Louisville, who Bay will face in the season finale on Nov. 2.
Should Bay FC win on Friday, North Carolina would be eliminated from playoff contention.
Low-Scoring Affairs
Although Bay FC has never lost to North Carolina, it has also never scored more than one goal against the Courage. Both of Bay’s victories over the East Coast foe have had a final score of 1-0, and the draw was a 1-1 affair.
Due for a Win
Bay FC’s 1-1 draw at Seattle on Friday extended the club’s winless streak to 13 matches (D5 L8). Bay held the lead in six of those 13 matches, leading for a total of 206 minutes of actual game time over the run.
Close Calls
Bay FC’s 32.8 “expected goals” this season ranks seventh in the NWSL, and their -7.8 differential between expected and actual goals (25) is the lowest in the league. Expected Goals is an advanced statistic that measures the quality of a scoring chance based on factors like shot distance, angle and defensive pressure, with each shot being assigned a probability between zero and one, indicating how likely it is to be a goal.
One of One
Racheal Kundananji recorded her fourth assist of the season at Seattle to go along with four goals after posting five goals and four assists in 2024. Kundananji is the only player to post at least four goals and four assists in each of the last two regular seasons.
Top Threats
Kundananji and North Carolina’s Manaka Matsukubo each enter Friday’s match in the NWSL’s top five this season in shots on target. Kundananji is second in the league in overall shots (54), with 25 of those being on target, while Matsukubo has put 27 shots on target this season.
Rookie Production
Speaking of offensive threats, Bay FC rookie midfielder Taylor Huff has scored in consecutive matches. The three-time collegiate All-American has four goals on the season, tied with Kundananji for the second most on the team.
Consistently in the Lineup
Defender Caprice Dydasco and Huff are the only Bay FC players to have started every match for the club. In addition, Dydasco has played every minute of every match this season and is on pace to become the club’s first Ironwoman, having played the full 90 minutes in each of the last 34 matches, a streak that dates back to last season.
Late-Match Dramatics
On eight occasions this season, North Carolina has scored a tying or go-ahead goal in the 80th minute or later, the most by any NWSL team in a single regular season since 2017.
Youth Movement in Carolina
21-year-old Manaka Matsukubo leads the Courage with seven goals this season. Of the club’s 29 goals scored this season, more than half (15) have been scored by players who are 21 years old or younger.
