Latest news with #RachealKundananji
San Francisco Chronicle
27-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay FC's Kundananji breaks goal drought in draw with Seattle: ‘Exactly what she needed'
When Racheal Kundananji arrived at PayPal Park on Saturday afternoon, she told her teammates she was going to score her first goal of the season. Without a tally since the playoff-clinching goal in Houston in last year's regular-season finale, Kundananji was struggling with her confidence. But something felt different on Saturday, and in Bay FC's 1-1 draw with the Seattle Reign, the Zambian forward did indeed finally find the scoreboard. 'Going five games without scoring as a striker, if I was a coach, I'd also be like, 'She's not scoring. What's going on? Let me try to find someone to replace her,'' she said. 'As a striker, we have that pressure. … Today, I came in with a high spirit and was like, I know I'm scoring.' Kundananji's tally in the 32nd minute gave Bay FC (2-2-2) a 1-0 lead, but Seattle (2-2-2) scored on a corner in the 50th minute and the teams remained deadlocked even as Bay FC's offense continued to push and came close on several chances in the last 10 minutes. With just six goals all season, finishing at the net has been one of Bay FC's biggest flaws despite continuously getting opportunities in the final third of the field. Getting Kundananji on the scoreboard — and their top forward playing with confidence — was one of the best things that could have happened. 'This was exactly what she needed,' said head coach Albertin Montoya. 'She's been pushing for it, and we had some good conversations this week. She relaxed, and all of a sudden she got that opportunity and made it count, right? Now I think more will come.' A minute before Kundananji scored, goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz stoned Jordyn Huitema in front of the net. She sent the ball sailing past the midfield into Bay FC's attack, then forward Caroline Conti found Kundananji on a fast break, and she wove around the back-peddling Seattle defenders before firing off her left foot. The ball ricocheted off the far post and into the center of the net. Kundananji's five goals last season were second on the team behind seven from Asisat Oshoala. Oshoala came off the bench for the second consecutive game and, like Kundananji, has struggled to produce in her second NWSL season. The highest-priced player on the Bay FC roster, Kundananji leads Bay FC with six shots on target and 41 progressive passes received (passes of more than 10 feet toward the net), but the Zambian striker has been mostly frustrated by defenses keying in on her. Getting a goal on a fast break where she could use her speed — and a slight mentality shift — made a big difference. 'There are so many times when I have lost the ball, when I'm trying to take that space and try to go closer to the goal, and then I just lose the ball,' she said. 'So today, I was just in my mind, today I was going to do one thing, just to shoot and make sure it goes into the net. And that's what I did.' After Kundananji's goal, she kept creating chances. In the 65th minute she tapped the ball to her right for midfielder Taylor Huff, who forced Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey to extend far to her left to make the save. Defensively, she stripped a Seattle midfielder of the ball late in the second half and worked to create chances for the offense even when she didn't have the ball. That is one reason Montoya said he has kept Kundananji in the lineup while Oshoala has been relegated to the bench. 'You have to do the work you want to get results, whether you're a forward or not,' he said. 'You can't just sit up top and try to score goals. In a perfect world, forwards, that's just what they want to do, but you have to defend. You'll see (the best forwards) play for 90 minutes and attack and defend, and that's what (Kundananji) is doing, and makes us better. So it's a must in this league.' Sometimes it just takes one goal to find a rhythm, and Bay FC are hoping that's true of Kundananji. They need production from their attack, and in an ideal world it's being led by their highest-priced player. 'The last two weeks, 80% of our preparation has been in the attacking final third,' Montoya said. 'We got into some really good spots here today, but it's just that final pass, the weight of the pass, the angle of the run, and that's going to take a little bit of time. And I keep saying this, when we get it right, we're going to get some goals.'
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Full Time's guide to the 2025 NWSL season, plus more USWNT baby news
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic's weekly women's soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox. It's go time. We have a full team on deck today to get you ready for the 2025 NWSL season — welcome to Full Time! Early intrigue to follow Will we see top teams pull away from the pack again in the NWSL this year, or will it be a free-for-all resulting in a perfectly chaotic Decision Day on Nov. 2? We're all about to find out together. If you're a new fan (hello!) or a neutral trying to figure out who to follow in 2025, we have a few teams on our radar early. The regular season opens with reigning NWSL champion Orlando Pride hosting the Chicago Red Stars. (Just like a dozen or so player name changes, that one's going to take some time to get used to.) That game kicks off at 8 p.m. on Friday on Amazon Prime Video. Saturday and Sunday games are on ABC, ESPN, ION and NWSL+. Advertisement The weekend-closing game is also interesting, with the San Diego Wave and new head coach Jonas Eidevall taking on Angel City FC — which is likely to be without a permanent head coach until the summer. That game kicks off Sunday at 6:50 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 (streaming on ESPN+). Key talking points For everyone headed to a game or establishment this weekend to watch the season start among friends and strangers alike, here are a few storylines to make sure you know (be the 'Did you know?' person!): Making moves: A year after Bay FC set the transfer record, signing Racheal Kundananji for a roughly $800,000 transfer fee, the NWSL saw a departing player eclipse that milestone. Naomi Girma became the first million-dollar woman as she left San Diego for Chelsea, while fellow 2023 year-end award winners Kerolin and Jenna Nighswonger joined Manchester City and Arsenal in the span of a few weeks. While this isn't a harbinger of a conclusive power shift, it's more evidence of a burgeoning global transfer market in women's soccer. Retirements aplenty: As the NWSL is firmly in its second decade, many of the star players who endured the league's growing pains called time on their storied careers. This season will kick off without Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, Yuki Nagasato, Kelley O'Hara and Sinead Farrelly — but their impacts, collectively and individually, will be felt beyond their playing days. A more fluid offseason: The NWSL's most recent collective bargaining agreement brought an end to the rookie draft, allowing teams to negotiate directly with players leaving the NCAA ranks. Thus, the offseason had less structure than in past years, instead leaving teams to make their moves outside of tentpole events. Denver makes it 16: While there won't be a new team taking the field in 2025, this offseason saw the NWSL confirm Denver as its 16th market after agreeing to a $110 million expansion fee. The team will make its competitive debut in 2026, joining in tandem with BOS Nation FC. 📈 Dan Shanoff will dive further into the NWSL's business ambitions in Wednesday's MoneyCall newsletter. Sign up here to get it! For now, here's Meg with a preview: From player transfers to NWSL's mandatory restitution fund for victims of abuse to ongoing growth on and off the field, the offseason was a mixed bag. With so much change, it feels like the NWSL is heading into the 2025 season with a little less momentum than usual — not ideal for a league that wants to be a driver of culture. Before it can achieve cultural relevance, though, the NWSL needs eyeballs. Advertisement Last year, the league wanted to crack 1 million viewers on the championship (an arbitrary metric, perhaps, but an overdue one); that didn't happen. The narrative around women's sports has changed drastically over the past few years, and the WNBA is out in front in a way the NWSL can only dream of right now. Sure, the NWSL doesn't have a Caitlin Clark-esque marquee player, but Clark has served as an amplifying factor more than a foundational one. The NWSL, as a league, has always talked a big game about being the best in the world. In 2025, it wouldn't hurt to take a step back and figure out how to truly matter in the U.S. first. The season isn't the only thing new around there. We are bringing back the 'Full Time Review' to run down everything you need to know from the weekend in under 20 minutes. We'll do full introductions next week, but listen here as our newest team member Jillian Sakovits kicks things off. Bay FC coaches under formal review Just hours before NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman gave her final news conference ahead of the season's start, the San Francisco Chronicle published the results of a two-month investigation that found former players and staff alleged a 'toxic' environment at Bay FC under head coach Albertin Montoya. The league confirmed to The Athletic that it opened an independent formal review into the club's coaching staff. The report comes just weeks after Graeme Abel resigned from a scouting role amid public concerns over previous verbal abuse allegations. So far, no formal action has been brought against Montoya, who is expected to coach the team in its season opener Saturday against the Royals. Last month, the league settled with three attorneys general regarding past systemic failures to protect its players. The NWSL is under the observation of those attorneys general for the next three years Offseason of changes for USWNT goal scorer We love a baby announcement around here, and the 2043 national team pipeline is looking strong. Last week, USWNT and Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson announced she and her husband, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson, are expecting their first child. The couple, who married in January, met at Stanford. Since making her U.S. senior debut in 2020, Wilson has become a key part of the team's new generation of players. She is one-third of the Triple Espresso, the team's attacking trio that helped lead the U.S. to the program's fifth gold medal at the Olympics last summer. What to watch: Need a top-level refresher on last season's NWSL playoffs? Prime Video and the NWSL released a four-part docuseries, 'For The Win: NWSL,' last week. The series tries to appeal to current fans while welcoming new ones — something commissioner Berman says will be 'the theme of 2025.' Cloudy days in Manchester: There was coaching news out of both Manchester teams this week. First, Charlotte Harpur reported that United has a March deadline to trigger Marc Skinner's contract option for next season. Meanwhile, City cut ties with former head coach Gareth Taylor. The 52-year-old departs the club after four and a half years, his final match a 2-0 FA Cup win over Aston Villa. Nick Cushing will return to his former club as interim manager through the end of the season. Advertisement Need more soccer?: Last Wednesday, the FIFA council approved a plan to move the Women's Club World Cup from 2026 to 2028 — the same year as the next Olympics. The decision also introduced a new annual tournament, the Champions Cup. Meg and Matt Slater break down what it means for clubs' international competition moving forward. 📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo's women's sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic. Also, check out our other newsletters.
BBC News
26-01-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Chelsea sign defender Girma for world record fee
Chelsea have completed the signing of USA defender Naomi Girma for a world record 24-year-old has signed a contract until summer 2029 after the Women's Super League leaders this week agreed to pay San Diego Wave about £900, exceeds the £685,000 Bay FC paid for Zambia's Racheal Kundananji last set the British transfer record when they signed Mayra Ramirez for £384,000 in January is Chelsea's first signing of the January transfer window after they fought off competition from Lyon. Chelsea made her a priority target after losing defender Kadeisha Buchanan to a season-ending knee 2023 Girma helped San Diego win the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Shield and was named US Soccer's female player of the was part of the USA side that won gold at the 2024 Olympics in to follow.
