Centennial, Colo – Following a draw against the Houston Dash, the Summit will look to face off against league frontrunners, the Portland Thorns. Against the Dash, the Summit bounced back from defeat and secured one point. Saturday will be the Summit’s first time facing off against the three-time league champion-winners. Here’s five things to look for when Denver takes on the Thorns and Triple Espresso member Sophia Wilson.
The Match: Portland Thorns at Denver Summit
Summit’s Previous Result: 2-2 Draw against Houston Dash
Thorn’s Previous Result: 2-0 Loss against Seattle Reign
When: Saturday, July 18th at 12 PM
Where: Centennial Stadium, Centennial, Colorado
TV/Streaming: CBS and Paramount +
Defensive Cleanup
Although the author may sound like a broken record, the team needs to fix their defense if they hope to preserve some points and make it to the playoffs. The high defensive line continues to set the team up for failure. This was evident in the second conceded goal with a well delivered through ball. The team has conceded easy goals too many times. Allowing Houston to immediately bounce back with a goal was unacceptable. The Summit needs to adjust their strategy to meet the speed of play that the NWSL has popularized. Both Kaleigh Kurtz and Megan Reid have previously had success in the NWSL, which leaves fans to question if the issue instead lies with the coaching staff. The Portland attack, consisting of Sophia Smith, Olivia Moultrie, and Pietra Tordin, will be sure to test Denver.
Executing on the Scoreboard
In recent games, Denver has dominated in the stats but has failed to translate to execution on the scoreboard. Offensively, the team had 26 shots, 6 corners, and 2.86 xG against the Dash. Sonis, Kossler, and Ryan all failed to convert on potential goals. Header after header missed or went right to the goalie.
Overall, the team had 57% of the possession in Sunday’s game and 56% of the possession against Kansas City – as well as high accurate passing for both games. However, as Cushing observed in the post-game press conference, there is something missing. Against Orlando on Pride Night and Houston in May, fans saw the flashes of brilliance of what this team could be. If the team can figure out the missing piece to their puzzle, they could take it all the way. The only concern I have is if the team is on track to peak too late.
Dangerous Shots
During the Dash match, the Summit had ten shots on target. However, the majority of these shots were predictable, low speed, or right to the goalie. In short, the shots made Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell look like the star of the show. As noted by Cushing in the post-game, the team needs to make more dangerous shots. If players choose to take shots outside of the box, they need to be in-line with Ryan’s stunner.
Starting Lineup
Fans can expect an interesting starting lineup going into the faceoff with the Thorns. Against the Dash, Coach Cushing made some of his most radical changes yet, opting to bench Kossler and Gaetino. Instead, he started Thomas and Reid. This decision was likely due to Gaetino’s recurring fatal errors in the defensive third and Kossler’s dry spell. However, both Gaetino and Kossler still managed to clock some time as substitutes.
Kossler looked better than Thomas in the late half of the game but ultimately failed to make a difference. Who will Cushing favor in the lineup? It is hard to say if Thomas will get another chance to prove herself. Neither Gaetino nor Reid impressed significantly; however, the only thing Reid surpassed Gaetino in was no errors that directly led to a conceded goal.
Fans will also wonder if captain Lindsay Horan will make a start or substitute on. In Wednesday’s match, NWSL returnee Sam Kerr subbed into the game in the second half, so it is possible Summit fans see the same. Lindsay Horan will be a welcome addition to the midfield.
The good news is that it looks like the Oke-Ryan pairing is here to stay. The duo was highly effective in their return with Cushing recognizing their production and chemistry on the pitch. Unless forced by injury, it is unlikely fans will have to worry about seeing the pair separated on the pitch anytime soon.
Player Availability
As Tash Flint returned Sunday in the 62nd minute, fans can hope to see her start on Saturday (but perhaps sub out due to minutes restrictions). Flint had a healthy impact on the team on her return, but fans should hope to see more from her as she receives more minutes. Flint is exactly the type of attacker the team needs to bully the Portland backline, so hopefully she is feeling up to the task.
Lindsay Horan will also likely make her debut for the Summit on Saturday. Although it is important to mitigate some expectations as the captain may not be 90 minute-fit, her impact could contain multitudes. So far, the team has faced moments where they were flat and did not have any fight in them. Lindsay’s time with the USWNT has proven her to be a leader that lights a fire under her team and gets them going. Furthermore, the team has frequently struggled to score on corner kicks and set pieces. Horan has been a fantastic aerial threat for the USWNT, so the Summit can expect to see some header goals from her. Finally, the midfield has struggled to have an identity and to build possession. Although Lindsay may struggle to return to the speed of the NWSL, her ability to progress the attack will be exciting to see.
Portland’s major loss to the availability report will be Reilyn Turner. Turner was previously reported out due to a knee injury for the Cascadia Rivalry on Sunday. The forward scored five goals in 13 matches thus far.
Eamon Shaw 
Matt Pollard 