Expansion club Bay FC edges Seattle Reign for first home win in NWSL

By SUSIE RANTZ
Associated Press

Joelle Anderson forced an own goal for the go-ahead score in the 87th minute to lead Bay FC to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Reign for the expansion club’s first home win in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday night.

Anderson’s goal came after Bethany Balcer tied it for the Reign in the 83rd minute in front of nearly 17,000 at San Jose’s PayPal Park. Anderson crossed the ball into the box and Reign defender Alana Cook accidentally redirected it into the goal.

In the 27th minute, Lily Woodham’s cross went off two Bay FC players and into the net for an own goal to put the Reign up 1-0.

Bay FC (2-2-0) tied it a few minutes into the second half when Kayla Sharples headed in Emily Menges’ cross on a recycled corner kick play.

Bay FC scored again to make it 2-1 off a corner in the 58th when the clearance fell to Alex Loera at the top of the 18-yard box and she blasted a shot into the right corner.

In the 83rd minute, the Reign sent a ball behind the defense to Emeri Adames, who just subbed into the match. She crossed it with her first touch and Ji So-yun brought the ball down right to Balcer, who slotted it in with her left foot.

After giving up a last-minute goal in their previous match, Loera said the win was an important mental boost for Bay FC.

“We needed this,” she said. “We came out and played like we needed this. I’m just so proud of this team. The effort and the attitude that we have going into every training, that reflected on this pitch today.”

There have already been six equalizing or go-ahead goals after the 80th minute in Bay FC’s first four NWSL matches.

GOTHAM 1, CURRENT 1

Temwa Chawinga and Esther González each scored their second goals of the season as Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current played to a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

After Cassie Miller made a sliding stop on Chawinga’s breakaway shot in the 8th minute, Chawinga scored 10 minutes later.

Bia Zaneratto and Chawinga are two of three players since 2017 who contributed to four goals in their first four NWSL matches.

Gotham (1-1-1) started the second half with a lot more energy. Minutes into the second half, Adrianna Franch had to push Crystal Dunn’s shot away and then Katie Stengel flicked a header off the crossbar that almost sneaked into the goal.

González, who was on the Spanish team that won last summer’s Women’s World Cup, tied it a few minutes later by heading in Yazmeen Ryan’s corner kick.

Facing nine shots in the second half, Franch made four saves to keep the Current (3-0-1) undefeated.

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