In the 82nd minute of a must-win game for Bay FC, Abby Dahlkemper was about to make history.
The score remained 0-0 against the visiting North Carolina Courage, but the California-based expansion side had earned a free kick just outside the box, marking perhaps a final opportunity to find the back of the net. Without all three points, Bay FC could say goodbye to their playoff dreams in a tightly contested race for the final two spots.
Racheal Kundananji stood over the ball and lifted it into the box, finding the foot of veteran center back Dahlkemper, who knocked it into the goal. The stadium erupted knowing full well that this could be the goal that sent the team to the postseason, and that it did. Bay FC finished sixth in the NWSL standings, earning them a coveted playoff spot in their inaugural season.
For Dahlkemper, who joined the team midseason after a trade from the San Diego Wave, the goal felt like it was written in the stars.
“It was incredible. I couldn’t believe it happened, but at the same time I just thought maybe this was all meant to be,” Dahlkemper says. “Anytime I can help the team win is my ultimate goal, but to be able to score an important goal is just something I’ll remember for a really, really long time.”
As Bay FC approaches their first playoff match in club history, the team will have to contend with the second-seeded Washington Spirit, one of the juggernauts of the 2024 NWSL season. As Dahlkemper sees it, the squad is as ready as it's ever been to step up to the challenge.
“[Training] has been really good, positive, and everyone is so happy and proud of the group to set the standard in the first year to make the playoffs and win 11 games as an expansion side, which I think is a record,” Dahlkemper says. “It’s been an intense week of preparation and we’re not taking these moments for granted.”
Getting to the postseason was top of mind for Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya when deciding to sign Dahlkemper.
“Abby is one of the best center backs in the NWSL, and we are happy to welcome her home,” said Montoya in August. “She brings her leadership, experience at the highest level with the USWNT and success in this league, which are key elements that make her an important addition for our group. On the field, she is a perfect fit for our style of play, and we are excited to have her as we look to make a playoff push down the stretch.”
Dahlkemper, who was part of the USWNT's World Cup-winning team in 2019, is used to big moments. She is grateful for the privilege of the playoffs and hoping for three more weeks of soccer with her new club.
With league expansion comes an expanded playoff calendar. While in the past the top two teams earned a bye week with the bottom four teams competing for two semifinal spots, now eight teams qualify for the quarterfinals. Dahlkemper said she believes this expanded format is proof of the incredible growth of women’s soccer and is actually more beneficial for the top two teams.
“In the past it was maybe hard for the top two teams to have the bye and have that lapse in routine,” Dahlkemper says. “With San Diego last year, we won the Shield, had the bye, and then played [and lost] against Seattle at home, which was a little bit of a challenge.”
While every team will have its challenges in the playoffs, whether it’s injuries or a tough schedule, what Dahlkemper relishes most about the NWSL postseason is that the regular season no longer matters. It’s a fresh slate, and it really comes down to who wants it more on the day.
“It’s exciting because whoever performs on the day, whoever is the better team on the day, can win,” Dahlkemper says. “That’s the parity of the league, and I think that’s really special and really cool for neutral fans to watch and see quality, good soccer.”
Dahlkemper has extra motivation in this postseason run as a native of the Bay area, having grown up in nearby Menlo Park, Calif. This homecoming has added an extra layer of joy to her long career which has taken her all over the U.S. with stints in Australia and England.
“I have never been more present in my life, content and really happy with where I’m at,” she says. “It’s rare for an athlete to be able to be home, 20 minutes from where I grew up. It feels like a season of my life where it’s a full circle and a special moment in my career.”
With her family and friends close by Dahlkemper has found fulfillment both on and off the field. In what feels like a full-circle moment for the 31-year old, she is cherishing every moment of being able to represent her home at this stage in her career.
Grateful for all the support from back home in the Bay, as San Francisco and San Jose lit up in #BayFC colors ahead of our very first playoff match!
— Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) November 9, 2024
#BLegendary #WASvBAY #NWSLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RCvTc5cr9v
“Playing at home means so much to me, seeing my family, husband, and friends in the stands,” she says. “The team has been incredible with me coming in mid season, helping me through and supporting me. The whole organization has just pushed the standard and helped me so much. I’m really passionate and proud to represent this club and show how good of a team we are.”
Although Dahlkemper has only been with the team for three months, she has fully immersed herself in the team culture. She sees a team that believes in one another and fights for one another no matter what, and she said she looks forward to continuing to contribute to the team’s success through the postseason and beyond.
“I want to help the team in any way I can,” Dahlkemper says. “I think that just coming in, being myself—whether that’s leadership, being goofy, getting to know everyone on a human and friend level, working really hard to achieve a goal together, being positive, or listening—I try to do all of those things just through being myself.”
Since joining Bay FC, Dahlkemper has appeared in nine matches and scored twice, while also bringing much needed help to a backline that conceded 41 goals during the regular season, the most of any team in the postseason and third-most overall. Since joining, Dahlkemper has helped the team’s leaky defense catch up with its strong attack, helping to create a more well-rounded team capable of competing in the postseason.
For Dahlkemper, the foundation was already there. The team’s strong roster, excellent culture and unified spirit was one in which she happily and seamlessly integrated while also bringing her experience to help the team continue to grow and reach its peak.
“I credit the culture that [the staff and team] built before I was here and that we’re continuing to build,” Dahlkemper says of the team’s strong finish to the season. “You just want to bring out the best in each other. If I can lead by example, I try to do that. If I can lead through sharing my experiences, I try to do that as well. I just want the best for everyone.”
As the team continues to prepare for its match against the Spirit on Sunday, Dahlkemper isn’t worried. Although the Spirit are a tough team to beat—Bay lost to the Spirit during both of their meetings in the regular season—she knows just how special and dangerous Bay FC can be. They’re focused on themselves, shoring up the defense, and improving offensively to find different ways to threaten Washington.
“The Spirit have had an amazing season, but when it comes to the playoffs, it just matters who shows up on the day,” Dahlkemper says. “We’re relishing this opportunity and we’re excited to be able to have this chance to play in a playoff game and give it our best.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Abby Dahlkemper Finds Fulfillment in Bay FC Homecoming .
