It is the end of the road for Assist Oshoala and Bay FC in their pursuit for a league silverware this season following the 2-1 playoff defeat to Washington Spirit, Sunday, at the Audi Field.

Oshoala broke the deadlock after a feisty and barren first half of the quarter-final match.

Bay FC Nigerian forward, Assist Oshoala celebrates with her teammates after she scored. Photo | IG

The Nigerian’s goal came in the 82nd minute and it could have won it, but Washington Spirit’s Tara McKeown had other ideas.

Four minutes after her side went behind, McKeown pulled them level to force extra-time.

In extra time, both teams went at it and it could have swung either way, but it didn’t swing nicely for The Bay and an own goal by Caprice Dydasco (96′) eventually settled the contest.

Oshoala Debut Season Score card

Asisat Oshoala of Bay FC. Photo | IG

The 30 year-old forward landed in the NWSL with a stacked resumé; filled mostly by what she achieved with FC Barcelona Femeni.

Top scorer awards, Liga F winner’s medals and the UEFA Women’s Champions League title are among the top laurels in Oshoala’s brilliant career.

However, the challenge of the NWSL, one of the sport’s biggest trading grounds, was supposed to present some challenge for Oshoala.

Transitioning wasn’t smooth or straight forward and at times it was almost forgivable to question the decision of moving to that side of the hemisphere – what more was there to prove at club level for Oshoala?

But, it’s a heritage and whilst the perks might also be weighty, Asisat Oshoala proved in her debut season that she could also make statement.

After the playoffs, her stats show she improved by a small, yet consequential percentage from her last season at FC Barcelona.

Nine goals contribution in 26 matches might not be her standard, but the impact also carried her team to the playoffs – in spite of their quarter-final heartbreak.