Bay FC & The 2026 World Cup: How the Bay Area is embracing soccer

Joelle Anderson isn’t just a pro soccer player. She’s also a soccer fan. Like most of her Bay FC teammates, the San Jose native was glued to the TV watching the USMNT earn a 4-1 win over Paraguay in its first World Cup match. As Anderson and Bay FC await a return to the field following a month-long pause for the World Cup, she joined the “Section 415” podcast to analyze the U.S. men’s impressive start and detail her journey from playing youth soccer in the South Bay to returning home to compete professionally for Bay FC. 0:00 Introduction 0:39 Joelle on watching the World Cup & the USMNT 3:34 Joelle's national team experience & watching Bay FC teammates on the USWNT 5:00 Growing up in San Jose & playing for De Anza Force 6:42 Getting drafted by Houston & scoring her first pro goal 12:40 The trade to Bay FC – coming home 14:40 Playing under Emma Coates & Bay FC's young core 18:55 Off the field: World Cup tickets, favorite spots & pregame playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices