Bay FC earns badly needed victory thanks to late goal

Italian forward Cristiana Girelli scored her first career NWSL goal in the 89th minute

admin August 24, 2026 2 minutes read

Forward Cristiana Girelli scored her first career NWSL goal in the 89th minute to help Bay FC earn a thrilling 1-0 win over the Houston Dash on Sunday before an announced crowd of 12,548 at PayPal Park.

On the winning play, Keira Barry hit the post on a free kick from a few yards outside the box. The rebound came to Girelli, 36, who right-footed a shot to the bottom right corner of the net, breaking the scoreless tie.

Goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz finished with 10 saves to earn the shutout as Bay FC picked up its first win since beating the North Carolina Courage 3-0 on July 18. Since then, Bay (6-4-10) has had four losses and one draw, and is now in 14th place in the NWSL standings with 22 points.

The shutout was Bay FC’s sixth of the season, and Girelli’s goal was the team’s latest in a match since 2024.

“I think we needed today, if I’m honest, three points on the board, clean sheet,” Bay FC coach Emma Coates said. “I think the latest goal we’ve scored this season. Sometimes attacks win games, sometimes defense and goalkeepers win games. And I just want to shout out (Silkowitz) today. I thought she was, I thought she was world class for us.”

Girelli joined Bay FC in 2026 following 400 professional appearances and 250 goals for her career in club football, plus over 120 caps and 61 goals across 13 years with the Italian national team.

Defender Jenna Nighswonger made her home debut for Bay FC, playing 86 minutes before being lifted as the club pushed for a winning goal.

Bay FC heads back out on the road next week, taking on the Washington Spirit in another Sunday matinee from the nation’s capital Aug. 30. Kickoff from Audi Field is set for 9:30 a.m., and the match will broadcast live on ESPN2. Bay FC returns home on Sept. 4, when the Kansas City Current visit the Bay Area.