Bay FC shell-shocked by Current in 4–1 loss

It was not a happy Mother’s Day in the Midwest for Bay FC.

The Kansas City Current scored three times in the first half as they dominated from start to finish in their 4–1 victory over Bay FC on Sunday afternoon at CPKC Stadium. Brazilian midfielder Debinha recorded a brace in a five-minute span late in the first half to help the home squad put the game away just before halftime.

Debinha's Brazilian counterpart, forward Bia Zaneratto, opened the scoring in the third minute when a turnover by Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz led to Zaneratto’s chance. Bia faked out a Bay FC defender with a move into the middle of the box before depositing the ball into the lower right corner of the net.

That was a microcosm of how the afternoon went for the visiting team. The backline looked discombobulated throughout the match as Kansas City’s strikers jumped in front of them, unmarked at times, creating scoring chances. It was a frustrating afternoon of turnovers, a lack of cohesion in attack, and being hemmed into their own zone by the talented Current.

“Today we knew we were going to take a risk and play into a bigger shape,” said Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya. “The last couple of games we've been a bit more defensive, and we knew that this would be a difficult game. This is the mentality we’re going to have; our players enjoy playing this type of football, and we just have to be a little bit cleaner on keeping the ball.”

Silkowitz, who suffered a minor injury during warmups yet played the full 90 minutes, was the best player on the pitch for Bay FC, as their veteran backline—led by Abby Dahlkemper—left her hung out to dry for much of the match. The score could have been much worse than a three-goal loss if not for some big saves by the first-year starting goalkeeper.

Debinha’s first goal in the 33rd minute came when U.S. Women’s National Team member Claire Hutton chipped a ball into the middle of the box, where an unmarked Debinha went in all alone against Silkowitz and beat her with a right-footed shot into the same spot where Zaneratto scored her goal. Then, five minutes later, Debinha completed her brace with a highlight-reel free kick from 25 yards out into the upper left corner.

Kansas City (6-2-0) had lost two matches in a row coming into the game, after starting the season with five straight wins. In fact, the league’s top team hadn’t conceded a goal at home until Penelope Hocking gave Bay FC a smidge of hope with her first goal of the season in the 53rd minute.

Taylor Huff’s corner kick was headed over to Hocking by Caroline Conti. Hocking, who had position on Current fullback Hailie Mace, made a quick touch before turning and beating Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch with a low shot to the right side of the net.

“Great service in from Taylor (Huff) and great flick by Caroline (Conti). My job was easy after that—just put it in the back of the net,” a smiling Hocking said.

Any momentum Bay FC (2-4-2) gained from Hocking’s goal was quickly squashed nine minutes later when the Current took advantage of their speed and athleticism off a long ball from inside their own zone. Temwa Chawinga tracked down the pass from Mace between two Bay FC defenders and outraced Caprice Dydasco down the right wing before chipping the ball off the far-left post in the 63rd minute to restore Kansas City’s three-goal lead—a margin they would not relinquish.

Despite Montoya subbing in attacking players to generate offense late in the match, Bay FC would only net one goal on an afternoon where scoring opportunities were scarce for a team that ranks fifth-lowest in scoring in the NWSL. The Current, by contrast, have outscored their eight opponents this season 18–6.

This marks Bay FC’s second consecutive loss—both on the road—since drawing 1–1 with Seattle back on April 26. It’s a learning moment for the second-year squad, one they must take to heart before hosting their SoCal rivals this coming weekend.

“We have to take this as a learning lesson. And then once that's over, we have to forget about it and grow from it. So that’s all we can do—just keep our heads up and stay very positive,” Hocking said.

UP NEXT

• Bay FC returns home to host Angel City FC on Saturday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. at PayPal Park.