Match Recap: Seattle Reign FC Falls in First Meeting with Bay FC
In the team's first-ever meeting with Bay FC and third consecutive match on the road, Seattle Reign FC fell 3-2 in an intense, end-to-end match.
The beginning of the game required some heavy defensive work from the Reign as the team settled in in San Jose. The first 20 minutes brought on five shots from the home side, but the Reign did more than enough to keep them off the board.
As Seattle began to get into the attack more, they forced an own goal from Bay FC. In an attacking play that started with defender Lauren Barnes playing a pass to the feet of midfielder Ji, then midfielder Olivia Athens, the ball made its way out wide to defender Lily Woodham.
Woodham played a cross to the back side, looking to find forward Bethany Balcer. Though she did not connect with Balcer, her cross was intercepted by Bay FC defender Alyssa Malonson and deflected off defender Kayla Sharples into the back of the net, allowing the Reign to take the lead in the 27th minute of the match. Seeing out the first half, the Reign stopped four additional shots from Bay FC, keeping the San Jose-based side off the board.
As the second half started, Bay FC was on the front foot, registering a shot just 45 seconds into the half. The Reign continued to defend until the 48th minute, when Bay FC found an equalizer. Sharples was at the back post to head home a floated cross from defender Emily Menges.
In the 54th minute of the match, the Reign nearly retook the lead as Balcer got her head on the end of a well-placed corner kick, but her shot went just wide, sending a warning to Bay FC.
Just four minutes later, on the other side of the field, Bay FC scored a second goal, once again following a corner kick. After the initial service was cleared only outside of the 18-yard box, midfielder Alex Loera hit a powerful shot into the back of the net.
Following the goal, the Reign were forced to make a substitution, bringing goalkeeper Laurel Ivory on the pitch in place of Claudia Dickey, who sustained an injury and could not continue on.
The Reign continued to work forward, aided by a flurry of subs in the 72nd minute. In the 77th minute, Ji danced through Bay FC’s backline, earning herself a shot, but the off-balance hit wasn’t enough to challenge Rowland in goal.
Hard work paid off for the Reign in the 83rd minute, when Balcer added another goal for the Reign to bring the score level once again. Forward Emeri Adames won the ball out wide and flicked a ball into the air inside the 18-yard box. Ji brought the ball down, where Balcer was there to ensure it found the back of the net with a solid touch.
Four minutes later, Bay FC forced a Reign own goal, taking back the lead on an unfortunate deflection off defender Alana Cook. Intensity still building in the match, it seemed as though the Reign had pulled level again just two minutes later, when Adames played a cross to forward Veronica Latsko, who made no mistake finding the back of the net. However, the goal was ruled offside after a short video review, denying the Reign of the equalizing goal.
Despite battling for over 12 minutes in stoppage time, the Reign fell 3-2 in the last of three consecutive road matches.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
NEW STARTING XI: Tonight’s matchup featured a new starting XI for the Reign for a fourth consecutive time this season. Defender Sofia Huerta is the only player to play every minute of all four games for a total of 360 minutes.
BETHANY BALCER: Forward Bethany Balcer scored in the 83rd minute to level the game, 2-2, marking her second goal of the season. Balcer finished the match with a team-leading three shots and eight duels won.
Balcer has 30 regular-season goals all-time, the fourth-most in Reign FC history. Balcer is also the fourth player in the league to score 30 goals since 2019.
Reign FC Regular Season Leaders in Scoring (all-time)
Megan Rapinoe (51)
Jess Fishlock (42)
Kim Little (32)
Bethany Balcer (30)
JI SO-YUN: Midfielder Ji So-Yun assisted Bethany Balcer’s goal in the 83rd minute, earning her first NWSL assist and becoming the first player on the Reign to record an assist in 2024. Ji finished the match with six duels won, two chances created and one shot.
Ji is one of 11 players in the league with at least one goal and one assist through Week 4.
SERIES: The loss brings the all-time series to 0W-1L-0D between the Reign and Bay FC.
UP NEXT: Seattle Reign FC is back at Lumen Field on Sunday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. PT against the Chicago Red Stars. Fans can get tickets to the match HERE.
MATCH SUMMARY
2024 NWSL Regular Season
Seattle Reign FC 2 – 3 Bay FC
Date/Time: Sunday, April 14, 5:00 p.m. PT
Location: PayPal Park in San Jose, California
Weather: 61, sunny
Scoring Summary
SEA: Bay FC Own Goal – 27’, Balcer – 83'
BAY: Sharples– 48’, Loera – 58', Reign Own Goal – 87'
Discipline
SEA: None
BAY: None
Lineups
SEA: GK Dickey (Ivory 60’), D Huerta, D Barnes (c), D Cook, D Woodham (McClernon 72’), M Van der Jagt (Latsko 72’), M Ji, M Athens (Adames 82’), M James-Turner (Quinn 72’), M Fishlock, F Balcer
Unused substitutes: D Brown, M Stanton, F King, D Holmes
Total Shots: 8 (Balcer – 3)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Balcer, James-Turner – 1)
Fouls: 5 (Barnes, Van der Jagt – 2)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 3
Saves: 4 (Dickey – 4)
BAY: GK Rowland, D Malonson (King 63’), D Dydasco, D Sharples, D Menges, M Loera, M Bailey (Anderson 82’), M Castellanos, F Oshoala (Beattie 90+8’), F Kundananji, F Boade
Unused substitutes: F Marfo, M Shepherd, M Conti, D Brewster, D Moreau, GK Allen
Total Shots: 23 (Morgan – 5)
Shots on Goal: 7 (Morgan – 2)
Fouls: 98(Three tied with – 2)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 5
Saves: 2 (Rowland – 2)
Player of the Match: Bethany Balcer
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
Assistant Referee 1: Stepehen Mcgonagle
Assistant Referee 2: Rhett Hammil
4th Official: Adam Zarrin
Var: Alyssa Nichols
Avar: Kaili Terry
