San Jose, Calif. (May 1, 2024) – Playing their first game of a two-game homestand, Bay FC fell behind 2-0 early in the first half against Portland Thorns FC. Bay FC answered with a goal at the end of the first half to make it a 2-1 scoreline and leveled the match in the 60th minute, but Portland found the game-winning goal in the 78th minute to sneak past Bay FC 3-2 at PayPal Park on Wednesday night.
Portland scored goals in the second and seventh minute of the match to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Bay FC answered back to make it 2-1 with a late first-half goal through Racheal Kundananji as Joelle Anderson notched her team-leading second assist of the 2024 season. The goal was the second of Kundananji’s Bay FC career.
Continuing to push, Bay FC leveled the match in the 60th minute as Kundananji became the first player in Bay FC history to register a goal and an assist in the same match. Making a mazy run down the right side of the field, Kundananji delivered the finishing pass to Deyna Castellanos, who leveled the score at 2-2 with her second goal of the 2024 season. Bay FC searched to find the game winner, outshooting Portland by a margin of 12-4 in the second half, while also controlling the game with 63 percent of the possession, but Thorns FC found a late winner through Sophia Smith in the 78th minute.
Goal-Scoring Plays
POR – Payton Linnehan (Sophia Smith), 2nd minute: Sophia Smith picked up the ball just outside the box and dribbled toward goal. She played the ball out on the left wing to Payton Linnehan who found space inside the box on the left side and fired a shot from a tight angle inside the near post.
POR – Sophia Smith (Payton Linnehan), 7th minute: Against the run of play, Linnehan slotted a through ball into space behind the Bay FC backline. Smith made a run into space, finding herself in a one-on-one situation with Bay FC goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx just outside the box. Smith dribbled around Proulx and scored from close range.
BAY – Racheal Kundananji (Joelle Anderson), 41st minute: Joelle Anderson dribbled down the left wing and played a well-weighted pass into the box. Racheal Kundananji received the ball just outside the six-yard box, cut back toward the center of goal and sent a curling strike into the right side of the net.
BAY – Deyna Castellanos (Racheal Kundananji), 61st minute: Kundananji lead the break for Bay FC down the right side of the field. Kundananji cut back twice, beating Thorns FC defender Kelli Hubly before sliding a pass across the front of the goal. Deyna Castellanos came sliding in for the finish at the back post.
POR – Sophia Smith (Marisa Sheva), 78th minute: Smith received the ball outside the box on the right side. Smith found herself at the edge of the box and sent a dipping strike into the back of the net off the outstretched fingertips of Proulx into the goal.
Notes:
- Bay FC have scored in all seven of their matches this season.
- Bay FC have scored multiple goals in all three of their home matches this season.
- Bay FC have four players with multiple goals this season. Only the Washington Spirit have more players (5) with multiple goals.
- Bay FC allowed just nine shots in the match. The lowest total for Portland in a match this season.
- Deyna Castellanos and Racheal Kundananji joined Kayla Sharples and Asisat Oshoala as players with multiple goals for Bay FC this season.
- Racheal Kundananji is the first Bay FC player to register a goal and an assist in the same match.
- Kundananji scored her second goal of the season.
- Both of Kundananji’s goals have been scored in home matches.
- Kundananji tallied her first career NWSL assist in the match.
- Deyna Castellanos tallied her second goal of the season.
- Both of Castellanos’ goals have come in home matches this season.
- Joelle Anderson recorded her second assist of the season.
- Anderson has two assists in her last three matches for Bay FC.
- Anderson leads the team with two assists this campaign.
- Anderson has a goal contribution (1G, 1A) in each of her last two home matches.
- Princess, Jamie Shepherd and Maddie Moreau earned their first professional starts in tonight’s match.
- Shepherd made her professional debut, starting and logging 90 minutes.
- Maya Doms made her professional debut as a second-half sub.
- Emily Menges is the only player to start every match for Bay FC this season.
Next Match
Concluding a two-game homestand, Bay FC will play host to the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, May 5, at PayPal Park. The May 5 match kicks off at 5 p.m. (Pacific) with streaming available on NWSL+ and a local television broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Bay FC (2-5-0, 6pts) vs. Portland Thorns FC (3-3-1, 10pts) – NWSL Regular Season
May 1, 2024 – PayPal Park (San Jose, Calif.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Bay FC 1 1 2
Portland Thorns FC 2 1 3
Scoring Summary:
POR: Linnehan (Smith), 2
POR: Smith (Linnehan), 7
BAY: Kundananji (Anderson), 41
BAY: Castellanos (Kundananji), 60
POR: Smith (Sheva), 78
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Linnehan (caution), 45+6
POR: Dias (caution), 90+1
Lineups:
BAY: GK Proulx, D Malonson (King, 90+6), D Beattie (Sharples, 76), D Menges ©, D Moreau, M Shepherd, M Bailey (Boade, 46), M Anderson (Doms, 76), F Kundananji, F Castellanos, F Princess (Oshoala, 83)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Rowland, D Dydasco, M Conti, D Pickett
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Kundananji, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Boade, Kundananji, 2); FOULS: 10 (Moreau, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: 2
POR: GK Hogan, D Klingenberg (Müller, 46), D Sauerbrunn © (Obaze, 61), D Hubly, D Reyes, M Coffey, M Sugita (Sheva, 76), M Moultrie, F Linnehan (Weaver, 61), F Smith, F Beckie (Dias, 76)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Alvarado, D Nally, M Wade-Katoa, M Sinclair
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Smith, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Smith, 2); FOULS: 10 (Three players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3
Referee: Greg Dopka
Assistant Referees: Matthew Schwartz, Christian Clerc
Fourth Official: Jaclyn Metz
Weather: Sunny, 70 degrees
Attendance: 10,611
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
