Washington, DC. – Following a victory at home against the Portland Thorns, the Summit will look to face off against league leaders, the Washington Spirit. Against the Thorns, Natalie Means scored her first NWSL goal in the 86th minute to record Summit’s first win at Centennial Stadium. Sunday will be the Summit’s re-match against the Spirit following a 0-0 draw at the Home Opener on March 28th. Here’s four things to look for when Denver takes on the Thorns and Triple Espresso member Trinity Rodman.
The Match: Denver Summit at Washington Spirit
Summit’s Previous Result: 2-1 Win against Portland Thorns
Thorn’s Previous Result: 2-1 Win against Boston Legacy
When: Sunday, July 26th at 5 PM MT
Where: “Rowdy” Audi Field, Washington, District of Columbia
TV/Streaming: Victory+ and The Spot – Denver 3
Final Third Execution
Against the Thorns, the Summit had a dominant performance with 59% of the possession, 18 total shots (Portland had 10), and 82% passing accuracy (according to FotMob). Portland looked flat and lackluster compared to their earlier season games. However, despite this performance, the Summit only had 1.67 expected goals to the Thorns’ 1.51 xG. These stats reflect Denver’s performance when it comes to creating dangerous shots and executing on big chances.
The team missed out on several important chances throughout the game against Portland. Consequently, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold would not have broken a sweat had it not been for the 90-degree heat on Saturday. Forwards Flint, Ryan, and Thomas will hopefully have worked on their game over the week to challenge GK Sandy MacIver. Otherwise, substitutes will look to come off the bench and make an impact.
Key Threats
Cushing and co will likely have trained with key threats Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos particularly in mind. In March, fans failed to experience the lethality of the two, but Rodman and Santos have been heating up all season and looked spectacular the past few games especially. Rodman and Santos lead the team in goals and assists, with 18 goal contributions thus far – 1.2 per game. Essentially, fans can expect either Santos or Rodman to make a contribution on Sunday, unless Abby Smith and the backline are up to the task. Beyond the scoreboard, Santos has also created some of the biggest chances for her team all season – Santos’s free kicks and corner kicks are challenging to defend against and track. A USWNT star and a High Impact Player (HIP), Rodman’s speed and technical skills will be a challenge for Denver’s defense.
Starting Lineup
As Cushing continues to play with the starting lineup, fans will be interested to see what changes he makes from the Portland game. In last week’s game, perhaps the most interesting change was the placement of Tash Flint on the left wing. Ultimately, Flint seemed ineffective there and was subbed out in the 71st minute. While it is hard to say whether this is due to the positioning or just Flint’s transition back from her injury, fans will hope to see more from her Sunday.
Olivia Thomas looked to be getting her legs under her in her start against Portland, but it’s possible Cushing will swap Flint and Thomas positionally. Flint successfully played striker for her former team in the USL – it’s surprising that we haven’t seen Cushing try her out there recently. Thomas also played wing occasionally at the University of North Carolina, so this small adjustment could create more opportunities for both players. For Thomas, if she can get her first NWSL goal, it’s likely the floodgates will open.
Player Availability
Denver is not likely to have any new players unavailable for the matchup as Lindsay Horan and Tash Flint both clocked minutes on July 18th.
However, Washington Spirit’s offense will be blunted by the absences of Rosemunde Kouassi, Gift Monday, and Deborah Abiodun. The trio will be unavailable due to national team obligations as they compete at WAFCON (Women’s Africa Cup of Nations). Although the trio only have five goal contributions combined, the reduced depth on the team will likely make the Spirit weaker as the game progresses.
Fans should also note other teams in the league will be impacted by the tournament, such as Barbra Banda (Orlando) and Rachel Kundananji (Bay) out. Other notable Spirit absences will include Lucia Di Guglielmo, an Italian national who has been fantastic for the Spirit as a fullback. Di Guglielmo was unavailable for the Spirit for their match last week due to a leg injury.
Matt Pollard 
Eamon Shaw 