NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
Eight minutes into the match, Alex Pfeiffer sprinted downfield and scored Bay FC’s first goal of the season. PayPal Park erupted, La Russell’s ‘I’m from the Bay’ anthem played on a loop, and the fans were thrilled. It had been a while since the club got a win at home, 281 days to be exact. Bay FC hasn’t won a home game since June 7, 1-0 against the Portland Thorns.
Ten minutes later, Denver evened the score 1-1. Carson Pickett sent a pass deep to left field to Janine Sonis, who crossed to Melissa Kössler in the box for the first-ever goal in Denver Summit history. The new franchise rejoiced while Bay FC fans grunted in frustration. They’re all too familiar with this type of game.
The tempo changed drastically at the 24th minute mark when Sonis was awarded a red card on a slide tackle attempt. The play was originally granted a yellow card, but once reviewed on VAR, the referee announced a ‘serious foul play offense.’ Six minutes later, midfielder Joelle Anderson scored off a pass from Pfeiffer in the same bottom corner to extend the lead 2-1.
The Midfield is solid
Claire Hutton was a standout in the midfield and showed why she is worth every dollar Bay FC spent to acquire her from Kansas City Current.
Taylor Huff and Hannah Bebar also controlled the middle of the field – the trio definitely stood out in their first appearance. Head Coach Emma Coates shared her thoughts on the three’s control of the midfield in their win.
“I think they’re for such a like young players as well, they are really mature,” Coates said. “They’re brave to want to get on the ball. I think what’s nice about the three of them is they’re all comfortable on the ball, but they all have like different strengths and different attributes. They complement each other from a technical point of view. And I’d say a lot of the work that we’ve been doing in preseason is around, how do we play through midfield more because of how strong they are, particularly on the ball.”
Everyone was given a glimpse of the work this upgraded team has put in during the offseason. The fans shared their excitement for the young talent, the new head coach and all around new energy for this season. One fan said, change is scary, but it can also be a good thing.
“I think today it was just, honestly, just a small glimpse of what we’re capable of,” Anderson said. “I think this team is so talented. We have so many good assets all around the field, and so I think you just saw a little bit of a glimpse of what we’re capable of. I’m really excited for this season.”
