Angel City FC vs Bay FC: Expected Lineups, Injuries, Predictions, Live Streaming & How to Watch NWSL’s Record-Breaking Expansion Team’s Debut

Since making its NWSL debut in 2022, Angel City FC has been on a steady climb. In their second-ever season in 2023, the club secured its first-ever playoff berth. It is worth noting that they even had a managerial position change halfway through the season, making their feat even more impressive. 2024 is the season where Becki Tweed’s team is expected to solidify their credentials as a championship-level team. And a solid performance against newcomers Bay FC would be a good first step in the direction.

Bay FC, the 14th and newest entrant in the NWSL, has already made waves before making its debut. They paid a staggering $53 million to enter the league, an NWSL record by a huge margin! Talk about leaving a first impression. But how do they stack up on the soccer side of things? Let’s find out below.

Team and Injury News

For Angel City FC, preseason didn’t work out as expected as they lost star forward Jun Endo to an ACL injury. The club has confirmed that Endo will be out for the entirety of the season! With 4 goals and 6 assists in 47 games, the Japanese star will leave behind a creative void that won’t be easy to replace. But, there is good news as the veteran star Christen Press could be available for the game after missing out on the entirety of the 2023 season and FIFA World Cup because of an ACL injury. She was part of the preseason roster.

Bay FC was also unfortunate with injuries. Racheal Kundananji, the most expensive NWSL signing ever at over $788,000, was stretchered off in an international game recently. Per ESPN, she sustained a serious knee injury. Hence, she will be unavailable against Angel City FC and her return date is unknown. Speaking of knee injuries, goalkeeper Melissa Lowder had one recently, and she will be out for the season too.

Read More: From Simone Charley to Jun Endo: Players Whose NWSL 2024 Season Has Already Ended Due to Injury

Angel City FC vs Bay FC: Expected Lineups

Angel City FC predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1)

Anderson; Vignola, Nielsen, Gorden, Riley; Henry, Fuller; Emslie, Thompson, Phair; Leroux

Bay FC predicted starting XI (4-3-3)

Proulx; Dydasco, Menges, Sharples, Pickett; Shepherd, Anderson, Bailey; Hill, Boade, Hamid

Prediction

Angel City and Bay FC have already faced each other once in preseason and the result was a 0-0 draw. Both the teams haven’t had much scope for improvement ever since and hence we predict a 1-1 draw.

Angel City FC vs Bay FC: How to watch

The game kicks off at 7:30 pm ET at the BMO stadium in Los Angeles, California. Fans can watch the match on NWSL+ a direct-to-consumer streaming platform.

Can newcomers Bay FC send a shockwave across the league by defeating Angel City FC? Or will last season’s playoff entrants prove too tough to handle? Let us know your predictions for the match below.

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