Sandy, Utah- If you didn’t already, read up on the takeaways against Orlando Pride to get a better understanding of the team’s journey so far this season.
After their first-ever home victory against the Orlando Pride, Denver Summit FC travels to Utah for the Continental Divide Cup (named in a voting competition between the 14ers and Utah’s supporters’ group, The Throne). Utah Royals currently sit 2nd in the standings while Denver moved up to 7th, their highest ranking yet.
In case you missed it, Denver Summit beat Orlando Pride with an explosive performance to deliver fans the perfect debut Pride Night. Denver Summit’s offense was unstoppable with Janine Sonis recording her second brace in a row.
Here’s five things to look for when Denver takes on Utah Royals and USWNT goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn.
The Match: Denver Summit at Utah Royals
Summit’s Previous Result: 3-1 Win against Orlando Pride
Royals’ Previous Result: 2-1 Win against Racing Louisville
When: Saturday, May 23nd at 4:30 PM
Where: America First Field, Sandy, Utah
TV/Streaming: Ion and Denver3 on Denver 7
Continuing to Show Growth
Denver Summit has continued to grow and their hard work paid off against Orlando Pride. The team had 56% of the possession – a new club record. Eva Gaetino scored her first club goal to start the team off. Meanwhile, Yazmeen Ryan and Ayo Oke continued to be a team of workhorses on the right flank, putting in crosses, drawing a penalty in the box, and otherwise just absolutely exhausting the Orlando defense.
Summit will need to keep up the momentum from the significant improvements they made. For example, the team missed three key chances that should have been goals. Most notably was Yazmeen Ryan’s 1v1 against the goalkeeper that just went a little wide. The team will need to continue working on their finishing at practice going against a very strong Utah defense.
Furthermore, simple mistakes led to Summit’s sole conceded goal. A dispossession of Delanie Sheehan in the midfield led to a through ball that center back Kaleigh Kurtz had no hope of beating Barbra Banda to. This dispossession was characteristic of an early-season Summit team, so the midfield will need to work hard to build back from that concession. Cushing described the goal as a gift on a platter to Banda, so it is clear these errors will be a focus in training.
Worth the Hype?
Utah moved up to 2nd place this weekend following a victory against Racing Louisville. In their past 8 games, the team is 6-0-2. Six wins, zero losses, and two ties. The team started their season with two losses but since then seems to be a powerhouse that some announcers believe will take the league by storm.
However, if you examine these games closer, their record is less impressive. The team’s wins were against Louisville (currently ranked 15th), Houston (13th), Angel City (12th), Seattle (11th), Chicago (16th), and Boston (14th). The teams’ losses were against Kansas City (6th) and San Diego (1st). The teams’ draws were against Washington (4th) and Bay FC (10th).
The inability to beat a team ranked in 10th place or higher leads one to believe that Utah may have been very, very blessed with an easier schedule than most teams. In addition to an easy schedule inflating their standing, Utah may be unprepared to do battle with a Denver team that has drug itself through the mud and muck of tough opponents, important challenges, and learning opportunities.
Well Suited
Utah’s and Denver’s strengths and weaknesses are complimentary of each other. Utah’s defense is one of the best in the league according to their stats. The team recorded a five-game shutout streak and has the second-lowest goals conceded per match (0.70). Meanwhile, Denver currently sits at the highest goals per match (1.70) and has scored seven goals in the last two games alone.
However, Utah’s defense is not impermeable. In the Louisville game, Utah’s defense made a simple, erroneous passing error between the keeper and center defender, resulting in Louisville’s goal. Who has scored two goals this season off of similar mistakes and pressure? Denver has. Needless to say, the battle of Denver’s offense versus Utah’s defense will be intense.
On the other side, Utah has one of the lower scoring offenses in the league, with only two goals scored in their past two games. Denver’s defense is also one of the poorer teams at conceding goals, with 1.20 on average. Denver’s late-game defensive collapses have aided in this.
However, in the past two games, fullbacks Janine Sonis and Natalie Means have stepped up to shore up some of the holes. The pair will need to continue to show up as Utah’s attack frequently relies on driving down the wing and crossing it in. Utah ranks top of the league for accurate crosses per game (five), according to FotMob. Cushing and co. will be sure to prioritize defensive practice on stopping the cross to prevent Utah from putting one in the goal.
Full 90+
Denver Summit showed an ability to perform a full 90+ minute performance this weekend against Orlando Pride. As Eva Gaetino said in the postgame, “when we put our foot on their necks [in the first minute of play], we do not let up.” Even when Marta, an intimidating force, subbed on, Denver did not hesitate. Midfielder Devin Lynch had a beautiful dispossession of Marta in the 58th minute (watch it here in the highlights). Denver did indeed keep their feet on Orlando’s neck. During the second half (historically Denver’s weakness) the team possessed even more than the first half, recorded more shots, and drug the defeated Orlando Pride through stoppage time.
Even with the goal by Banda in the 75th minute, Denver did not give up and immediately responded with a goal of their own just one minute later.
If Denver can continue to perform the way they did Saturday, the odds will be in their favor.
Set Plays
Watching the past two games, the set plays drawn up by Summit coaches and executed by the players have been works of art. The plays are not only what has started to make this team very dangerous, but also exceedingly fun to watch. In the Orlando game, the team scored the first and third goals via set piece. The Oke-Kossler combination for a heel flick in the build-up for the third goal has been on replay in this author’s mind ever since.
Going into the Utah game, fans can only wonder what new pieces the coaching staff has in store for them.
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Matt Pollard 