SJ's Bay FC ready for 'historic' 1st game in front of sold-out home crowd

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Final preps were underway for Bay FC ahead of their third game of the season against the Houston Dash, but this is no normal match.

Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,000, Bay FC will play in front of their home fans for the first time in team history.

"There's not many opportunities when you get to make history," Bay FC forward Tess Boade said. "So, tomorrow we get to make history. Obviously, we've already had two matches, but this is the moment we've been waiting for, I mean, nine months now."

And as excited as the players are, so are the fans.

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Bay FC supporters lined up in the rain, on a work day just to get their hands on team merch.

Saturday can't come soon enough.

"I think it's about time that the Bay Area has a sports team that can sell out a stadium like this," Madison Cairns said. "Being an Earthquakes season ticket member, it was kind of a no-brainer that I wanted to be involved in the women's team as well. I think it's just the start for what women's teams can do for the Bay Area."

That love and support is felt by the team.

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Despite the first two games being on the road, fans still packed local watch parties.

When Boade moved to the Bay Area, she was told sports fans in the Bay were different.

She's now seeing it for herself.

"I get it now," Boade said. "The first time I landed in the city, I saw someone wearing our gear - just some random person walking around the airport. I was like, 'we only have 11 signed players, that's nuts'. So, I think it's going to be a surreal moment. Tomorrow, we're just excited to have that in-person engagement with them."

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Of course, it would be a lot better if the historic night ends with a victory.

Head Coach Albertin Montoya wants a win, obviously.

But if the team enjoys the game and the moment, he thinks everything will work itself out.

"Yes, the pressure is you're playing in front of, I keep going back to this, 18,000 at your home stadium," Montoya said. "But I think the fans being behind us and that energy is going to affect us in a very positive way. I think they're going to go out and perform and put on a show."

The show starts Saturday night at PayPal Park at 7 p.m.

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