The San Diego Wave came up short at home on Sunday, falling 1-0 to Bay FC at Snapdragon Stadium.
Bay FC broke through in the fifth minute when Racheal Kundananji finished a quick attacking sequence initiated by Taylor Huff, scoring what would stand as the match's lone goal.
That one early moment held.
San Diego pushed for an equalizer throughout the rest of the match, outshooting Bay FC 14-10. However, the Wave was unable to find a breakthrough, despite extended stretches of possession and attacking pressure.
“I think we created enough chances to win the game,” assistant coach Becki Tweed said postgame. “On another day, it's a different result. But we've definitely got to go away and reflect, and look at what we can improve and grow upon.”
For Bay FC, defense made the difference.
“They're a really talented team,” Wave defender Kennedy Wesley said of Sunday's opponent. “They have a really good structure in what they want to do, and they definitely made it difficult for us. At the end of the day, our level of technical execution as a group wasn't exactly where we wanted it to be.”
The result comes at the end of a demanding stretch.
This was San Diego's third match in a week — at Denver on April 25th, at Portland on April 29th, and Sunday's home match — and the team's fatigue showed.
“There are moments tonight where it did look like our third game of the week," Tweed said. "We did look a little bit tired, and that can affect your decision-making or your technical execution."
After winning five straight, the Wave have now lost back-to-back matches. Still, they remain near the top of the NWSL standings through eight matchdays.
Up Next for San Diego Wave
San Diego next faces fellow Southern California side No. 8 Angel City on Saturday at 7:45 PM ET, live on ION.
