Racheal Kundananji tallies club’s first brace as Bay FC registers NWSL-record 11th win of 2024 season
HOUSTON (Nov. 2, 2024) – Behind the first brace in club history from Racheal Kundananji, Bay FC earned a 3-2 road win against the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium. With the victory, Bay FC secured a postseason berth, becoming just the second expansion team in league history to qualify for the playoffs in their first season. The victory also marked Bay FC’s 11th of the regular season – setting a new NWSL record for wins by an expansion club in its debut campaign.
Playoffs Clinched
With the win, Bay FC secured a playoff berth in their first NWSL season. The club’s final position in the standings will be determined by tomorrow’s match between the Chicago Red Stars and Kansas City Current – a draw or loss for Chicago will secure seventh place for the club and a quarterfinal matchup with the Washington Spirit on Sunday, Nov. 10. Should Chicago defeat Kansas City, Bay FC will claim eighth place and visit the Orlando Pride in the quarterfinal round on Friday, Nov. 8.
Road Warriors
Bay FC registered their sixth road win of the 2024 campaign. Only the relocated North Carolina Courage recorded more wins (7) in their first NWSL season. The team’s six road wins were the most by an expansion team in their first campaign. Dating back to the start of June, Bay FC have lost just twice in their last eight regular season away matches (5-2-1). Only the league-best Orlando Pride (17 points) have collected more points in away matches than Bay FC (16) since the beginning of June (tied with Washington and Gotham FC).
Goal-Scoring Plays
BAY – Own goal (Paige Nielsen), 10th minute: Dorian Bailey delivered a free kick into the center of the box, and Paige Nielsen redirected the ball into the back of her net.
HOU – Barbara Olivieri (Sarah Puntigam), 15th minute: Sarah Puntigam threaded a through ball in behind the Bay FC backline for Barbara Olivieri, who dribbled down the right side of the box and fired a shot inside the left post.
BAY – Racheal Kundananji (Dorian Bailey), 21st minute: Off a corner kick, Dorian Bailey served the ball into the center of the box and Racheal Kundananji found space near the penalty spot, firing a shot into the top of the net.
HOU – Avery Patterson (Yuki Nagasato), 46th minute: Houston worked the ball down the right side of the field. Avery Patterson dribbled into the box and cut back toward the middle of the goal, sending a curling strike inside the far post.
BAY – Racheal Kundananji (Savy King), 54th minute: Savy King played the ball to Racheal Kundananji just past midfield. Kundananji turned and beat two defenders, dribbling down the left side and into the box before unleashing a strike from close range at the left post.
Notes:
- Racheal Kundananji tallied the first brace in Bay FC history in the match.
- With her two goals, Kundananji has five total goals this season, with three coming against Houston.
- Kundananji finished the regular season with five goals and four assists. She is one of just 14 players to register at least five goals and four assists during the 2024 season.
- Bay FC scored two goals in the first half of a match for the second time this season. Bay FC also tallied two goals on the road against Portland Thorns FC on Aug. 30.
- Dorian Bailey tallied her second assist of the season. Both of Bailey’s assists have come in road matches.
- Savy King recorded her second assist of the campaign.
- Bailey and King are the sixth and seventh players to record multiple assists this season for the club.
- Bay FC is one of five NWSL teams with seven or more players with multiple assists, joining Gotham FC, Kansas City, Portland, and Washington.
- Bay FC finished the regular season with 31 goals, which ranks as the second-most goals scored by a team in an expansion season.
- Bay FC’s 11 wins are tied for the most wins by a team in their first NWSL campaign (excluding relocated teams) were FC Kansas City and Portland in the league’s inaugural 2013 season.
Next Match
Bay FC will be the seventh or eighth seed in the NWSL Playoffs. As the seventh seed, Bay FC would travel to square off against the Washington Spirit on Sunday, Nov. 10; kickoff is 9:30 a.m. (Pacific) on ABC. Bay FC would visit the Orlando Pride for a match on Friday, Nov. 8, on Amazon Prime at 5 p.m. (Pacific) as the eighth seed.
Bay FC (11-14-1, 34 pts) at Houston Dash (5-16-5, 20pts) – NWSL Regular Season
Nov. 2, 2024 – Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Bay FC 2 1 3
Houston Dash 1 1 2
Scoring Summary:
BAY: Own goal (Nielsen), 10
HOU: Olivieri (Puntigam), 15
BAY: Kundananji (Bailey), 21
HOU: Patterson (Nagasato), 46
BAY: Kundananji (King), 54
Misconduct Summary:
HOU: Nagasato (caution), 40
HOU: Nielsen (caution), 45+1
BAY: Kundananji (caution), 61
Lineups:
BAY: GK Rowland, D Malonson (King, 46, Moreau, 85), D Dahlkemper, D Menges ©, D Dydasco, M Pickett, M Bailey (Anderson 90+6), M Boade, F Kundananji (Conti 90+8), F Oshoala (Hocking, 46), F Hill
Substitutes Not Used: GK Silkowitz, D Beattie, M Shepherd, M Castellanos
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Kundananji, 10); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Kundananji, 4); FOULS: 17 (Kundananji, 3); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 3
HOU: GK Hinz, D Chapman, D Jacobs ©, D Harris, D Nielsen, M Schmidt (Matthews 88), M Puntigam (Briede, 68), M Patterson, M Gareis (Andressa, 69), F Olivieri, F Nagasato (Alozie, 80)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Campbell, GK McKinney, D Ayson, F Bachmann
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Olivieri, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Five players tied, 1); FOULS: 11 (Olivieri, 3); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 5
Referee: Matt Thompson
Assistant Referees: Jennifer Garner, Tiffini Turpin
Fourth Official: Sean Caouette
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 75 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
