Bay FC's inaugural match sent a loud message to the rest of the NWSL -- This upstart expansion team from Northern California is ready to hit the ground running in its first season.
Bay FC's historic 1-0 win over Angel City FC on Sunday at BMO Stadium had just about everything you could ask for, delivering an action-packed match that will live long in the memory of Bay Area fans.
Asisat Oshoala was the only player to find the back of the net for either side, serving up a clinical finish in the 17th minute to register the first goal in Bay FC history.
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The former Barcelona FC superstar made a splash in her NWSL debut, giving Bay FC a lethal finisher up front who provides them with a potent scoring option any time she is on the pitch.
As impressive as Oshoala's game-winning goal was, however, it was Bay FC's backline that stole the show on Sunday, with a handful of players delivering heroic performances in their own third to maintain a clean sheet in the club's debut match.
Goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx was sensational, serving as a brick wall in the net against repeated Angel FC attacks throughout the match — including fending off an early barrage in the 7th minute.
Soccer
The 24-year-old keeper registered eight saves in Bay FC's win, tying an NWSL record for most saves in a regular-season debut.
While Proulx was fantastic in her own right, it still took some late-game heroics to seal the win for Bay FC. Veteran defender Caprice Dydasco delivered a heroic goal-line clearance in the 91st minute, keeping Angel FC mere inches away from tying the match in second-half stoppage time.
As the club navigates its inaugural campaign, the foundation has been laid and the belief has been instilled that this is a roster capable of going toe-to-toe with the established squads in the top flight of women's soccer in the United States.
There still are plenty of matches left to be played on their NWSL schedule, but for today, Bay FC can relish in the glory of the first win of a franchise just beginning to spread its wings.