Bay FC's Dorian Bailey Quietly Making an Impact
Despite not getting the attention other midfielders like Kiki Pickett and Deyna Castellanos, Bailey has been a key player for Bay FC.
When it comes to Bay FC’s midfield, there have been a few players who have received the majority of the attention in the team’s inaugural season. At the start of the season, the focus on was Alex Loera who had a strong start but went down with a season-ending injury against Kansas City just four games into the season. From there, Kiki Pickett took over the defensive midfielder role and shined, getting her quite a bit of attention around the NWSL. One player who has been making an impact for Bay FC, but often goes unnoticed is Dorian Bailey.
A native of Mission, Kansas, Bailey is a player who does all of the little things right, doesn’t make many mistakes, and doesn’t shy away from physicality as we definitely saw in Saturday’s game against Racing Louisville. Essentially she embraces the midwestern values of hard work, getting things done no matter what it takes, and humility. She contributes offensively by taking shots on a fairly regular basis, which are often high quality. With neither Deyna Castellanos or Joelle Anderson in the starting eleven against Louisville, Bailey took over the corner kick responsibilities and did very well, often getting the ball into dangerous areas.
Acquired via trade from the Washington Spirit last season, Bailey also brings quite a bit of experience to the table. She won the NWSL championship with Washington in 2021. That season was by far the season that her former team relied on her most , as she played a career high 1,489 minutes, a number which may be surpassed this season with Bay FC.
Head coach Albertin Montoya was familiar with Bailey prior to her joining Bay FC, as he was Washington’s interim head coach during the 2022 season. As a result, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had quite a bit of input regarding bringing her to the team last winter. He knew exactly what he was getting with Bailey, and she’s been phenomenal in her first season in the Bay Area.
Bailey is the type of player who does her job effectively, whether that’s defending, helping create an opportunity for the forwards with a breakout pass, or winning physical battles against the opposition. She does all of the little things that aren’t flashy or glamorous but are crucial to a team’s success.
There’s a reason that even though Montoya has cycled through midfielders quite a bit this season, Bailey has been one of the few consistent players who is always involved one way or another. There’s a lot of talent in Bay FC’s midfield, but nobody can fill that role like Bailey can. Whether she’s in the starting eleven or coming in as a substitute, she’s consistently an impact player who often doesn’t get the recognition or credit she deserves. She’s a big part of the reason that the organization is fighting for a playoff spot in their inaugural season, and she could definitely be a key player in San Jose for many years to come considering she’s still just 27 years old.
Bay FC Experiencing Summer of Moreau
There were a few young players who impressed for Bay FC during the NWSL x Liga MXF Summer Cup over the past few weeks. We’ll talk more about a couple of the other players who made an impact later on down the road, but from mid-July to the beginning of August, it was the summer of Maddie Moreau in San Jose.