NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
Bay FC were ten minutes away from getting a point in the standings until Jess Fishlock subbed in. Two touches and 29 seconds later, Fishlock scored on an avoidable miscue from Bay’s backline.
Center back Aldana Cometti pinched forward in an attempt to intercept a pass, leaving Abby Dahlkemper and Fishlock 1v1. Fishlock kept her speed, headed the ball forward, and scored in the bottom left corner.
For the final 10 minutes, Bay continued to press in an attempt for a goal but was unfortunately unable to finish.
“Disappointed and frustrating day again,” head coach Emma Coates shared postgame. “One of the messages to the girls is we just can’t start games like that. You know, we get put on the back foot straight away…and they’re already tough games in this league, and then to start this game going two nil down, the Gotham game starting going one nil down, both too early goals, you’re almost making the job harder than it already is.”
Bay had another goal recalled due to an offside call and VAR review, their second this week. Coates shared her frustration and confusion surrounding the reviews. “I’m just asking for clarity on what is the difference between a deflection and a clear play play of the balls to what brings a player back up back on side, and the fact that we’ve now had, you know, I think four decisions, big decisions that that swing games, two back to back here, the Chicago and the Boston game is hard not to get frustrated.”
It’s been a long week for Bay, having played three games in eight days and unluckily losing all three. Regardless of the scores this week, the whole team has continued to fight until the final whistle. Coates said one thing this team doesn’t lack is “heart and motivation.”
Since the FIFA break, Bay seemed to have turned the corner and figured out an offensive rhythm. They tied Boston 2-2, beat Louisville and North Carolina with back-to-back clean sheets. Following up with three losses, Claire Hutton explained that although the team is happy to string along wins, they are more so focusing on how to improve as a team.
“We have a lot of young players, and we’re learning how to chase a game. And it is games like this. It’s games like Houston where you have to lose, unfortunately, to learn what you need to be better. So we go back to the drawing board, and hopefully, moving forward, if we’re in a similar position, we know how to do it a little bit better, and you just learn from these moments.” (Hutton postgame press conference vs Gotham)
Midfielder Hannah Bebar, who scored and created another shot opportunity for Bay in Saturday’s 3-2 loss, said the team is going to stick to their routine and make major adjustments ahead of their next matchup.
“I think the good part about our team is we have a set routine every single week. No matter if we win, lose, or tie, as we go in, we hit the ground running and focus on the next opponent. So it’s sharpening those skills and, you know, going through film review and what we can improve.”
Bay has time to rest, reset, and recover before their next matchup on Sunday, August 9th against Chicago.
