May 12, (THEWILL) – Asisat Oshoala drew another blank as Bay succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Orlando Pride in just the ninth game of the season. Adriana Leal’s first-half penalty settled a cagey encounter where the visitors sorely lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
The opening period was a tactical affair with few openings created by either team. Orlando had the better of the play but failed to seriously test Katelyn Rowland before the decisive moment just past the half-hour mark. Zambian forward, Barbra Banda, was upended by Deyna Castellanos and Leal made no mistake from the spot, firing into the bottom left corner.
Bay improved after the break and the lively Racheal Kundananji caused problems for the Orlando defence. The Zambian international saw a stinging effort from range tipped over as she was a constant threat with her direct running and trickery. Oshoala went close with a dipping strike while Castellanos blazed over from a good position as chances went begging.
However, it was the hosts who nearly doubled their lead late on when Banda struck the woodwork with a rasping drive. There was drama in stoppage time as Banda required treatment after a poor challenge from Kundananji, who was booked for the foul, adding nearly 10 minutes of injury time.
In the end, Brian Angeyo’s side saw out the win to make it back-to-back victories. For Bay and Oshoala, a fifth straight blank leaves them 12th on the 14-team table. Oshoala will need to get her scoring boots back on after a historic opening with her solo effort so far in the first Bay match of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
