Bay FC set to open NWSL second half with Barcelona friendly, playoff push looming
SAN JOSE – Welcome back, Bay FC.
After a three-week hiatus that spanned the majority of the Paris Olympics, the newest team in the National Women’s Soccer League will take the pitch once more on Friday.
That match in Utah against the expansion Royals will show whether or not the team was able to build upon its 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Club América on Aug. 2.
That win in the Summer Cup snapped a three-match losing streak for Bay FC, which had three players away on international duty at the Olympics during the cup tournament.
“I think our club did a great job in this window of managing players who had a lot of minutes and helping players who didn’t have as many minutes catch up,” midfielder Tess Boade said during Wednesday’s press conference.
The match against Utah will be the team’s first league game since its 3-0 loss to the Washington Spirit on July 6.
“Everyone is healthy and ready to go, and we’ve had some really good weeks of practice,” coach Albertin Montoya said. “Everyone’s available and that’s why we’re excited. It might be one of the first times this season we have every player to choose from.”
The upcoming game will be a tuneup for an exhibition against FC Barcelona Femení, widely regarded as the best team in the world. Superstars such as Alexia Putellas and Clàudia Pina star for the Catalan juggernaut.
Asisat Oshoala, a member of the Nigerian Olympic team, was a member of Barcelona before joining Bay FC. She scored 85 goals in 101 appearances for Barca, where she won the Champions League in 2021 and 2023.
She is tied with Tess Boade for the team lead for goals with three apiece. Stanford alum Kiki Pickett – a college teammate of USWNT gold medalist and San Jose native Naomi Girma – has provided a spark for the team. In 10 appearances, Pickett has scored once and dished out one assist while also playing energetic defense.
Defender Savy King, 19, has been a revelation on that side of the pitch, totaling a team-high 23 tackles won. Caprice Dydasco has also been a main driver of turning around the ball with 24 interceptions and a team-high 71 progressive passes.
After the match in Utah, Bay FC has seven more regular-season games to solidify its hold on the eighth and final NWSL playoff spot or climb the table. Bay currently has 18 points, two ahead of Racing Louisville and five behind Chicago.
“As an expansion team, the first half of the season was a lot about figuring each other out,” Boade said. “I think this second portion of the season, we are trying to focus more on our discipline and structure.”