SAN JOSE – When you start a brand-new soccer squad, you don’t have to worry about team-wide bad habits. They don’t exist.
“You’ve got players from all walks of life, all different types of football,” said Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya.
The challenge for Montoya and Bay FC in the team’s first season has been molding the games of 26 individual players into a cohesive whole. So far, it’s gone pretty well.
With one game remaining before an extended break for Olympic competition, Bay FC sits in eighth place in the NWSL table, occupying the league’s final playoff spot. And the club has bigger goals in the second half.
“The chemistry is now starting to come out on the field with our last few performances,” Montoya said. “Now, it’s all about putting it all together. We’re pretty excited and happy where we’re at right now and how the players have come together.”
Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya coaches from the sidelines against Utah Royals FC in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Bay FC has won its last two matches, positioning itself for a strong close before the break. A third consecutive victory on Saturday against the Washington Spirit at PayPal Park would send the club rolling into the break with a jolt of confidence.
“Winning always feels good,” said defender Kiki Pickett, “and it makes us solidify what we’re doing is correct.”
Many of Bay FC’s players traveled to San Jose from far-flung locales. Defender Jen Beattie transferred from Arsenal in February. Beattie, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, says Bay FC’s organic approach to team bonding has yielded a seamless transition.
“We’ve tried to do it in the most natural way, not force it,” Beattie said. “We’ve done really well bringing in good characters and personalities with a lot of experience, and (it) feels like such a good melting pot of cultures. It’s been awesome letting people be themselves and then sort of figuring out what our culture looks like beyond that.”
As a veteran of many established clubs, Beattie has enjoyed the challenge of building a new team’s foundation and values.
Chicago Red Stars midfielder Julia Bianchi (5) battles Bay FC Kiki’s Pickett (23) during their game at Wrigley Field on June 8, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
“It’s been a really cool experience for me, because I’ve never gone through it before,” Beattie said. “An expansion team was a brand-new process. I’m used to long-standing clubs and being the newbie, and everyone else has been there for however many years. So it’s been such an interesting project in the best possible ways. It’s had its difficult moments, but that’s what pro sport and elite environments are about.”
It’s gone well enough for Bay FC’s coach to bemoan the timing of his club’s impending pause.
“The nice thing is right from the start, we can dictate how we want to play and our style of play,” Montoya said. “Now, when we bring in players, you really never know, are they going to fit into it? Are they going to buy into it? And what’s exciting is yes, they have and they believe.”
So while Montoya would love to continue making progress with his group week in and week out, he’s content to go into the break putting their best foot forward.
“We’re going to have this break right now when we’re starting to find our way,” he said. “But the players have put so much work into these last few months, and this break is going to come at a good time for a lot of the players.”
Bay FC’s Racheal Kundananji (9) fights for the ball against Utah Royals FC’s Ana Tejada (17) in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Olympic interlude will also be a joyous occasion for three Bay FC players called up to join their national teams.
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Forward Racheal Kundananji, she of the record-breaking transfer fee, was selected for the Zambian squad. Forward Asisat Oshoala was named to the Nigerian roster, and goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx will join Canada.
So though the interruption comes amid bittersweet emotions, Montoya is confident his players will return ready for a second-half push.
“It is a little bit unfortunate that it comes at a point in time that we were really starting to click and play really well and things have come together,” he said. “But I know they’ve already gotten past the difficult times. When we come back, if anything, we’re going to be fresh and ready to go and excited about making a run for the playoffs.”
