Kansas City, Mo. – It was another must-win game for Denver Summit FC. It was another tough road match against an opponent on the playoff bubble. Once again, they had a lead to protect. The result could determine their season.
KC Current hosted Lindsey Heaps and company on Saturday lunch time at CPKC Stadium.
Much has been made about the NWSL availability report “obfuscating” players’ futures to use Summit Up’s phrasing. Ally Brazier and Carson Pickett were excused from the match. Nick Cushing’s lineup was relatively normal however. Tash Flint was in a false nine in front of Lindsey Heaps and Yaz Ryan.
Current’s front four of Temwa Chawinga, Haley Hopkins, Debinha, and Michelle Cooper were good to go.
The game was a basketball match. It was back and forth with both teams finding space and creating chances. The last ditch defending was excellent at times to be fair.
KC had the better start but it was Summit who scored first. In the 13th minute, Delanie Sheehan had a great pass, run, pass sequence to get the ball into the box. It ended up being a loose ball and Captain Heaps buried it.
The home side had a flurry of looks. Chawinga went 1-v-1 and nearly found the near post a half hour in. Minutes later, she drew a penalty on Ayo Oke. The two had a race to the ball at the end line. Some arm wrestling saw the attacker go down. Summit fans shouted “Ball don’t lie,” as Abby Smith saved the pen at the near post from Debinha.
KC would not be denied as Haley Hopkins scored her first goal in the 39th with traffic inside the six. Summit survived the other warning shots to get to halftime 1-1.
The second half had the same plot as the reverse fixture. Summit wanted to play with the ball. They couldn’t connect passes to get past the midfield. Turnovers led to counters led to big chances. Just two minutes in, Abby Smith came off her line to sweep up a ball. There was a miscommunication in the spacing. Smith didn’t win the ball. Hopkins was there to chip the ball into an open net. Janine Sonis called it a miscommunication after the game.
In the 57th, Eva Gaetino was caught up field. Chawinga found a wide open Hopkins for a tap in to secure the hat trick. Chawinga added a fourth after VAR determined she was onside in the 76th. The match ended 4-1.
Summit’s weaknesses exposed:
KC Current are now unbeaten in 28 home games. And they have several comebacks in that stretch. This match was always going to be tough. Current are the worst matchup for Summit. Seven goals in two games. Everything in transition.
Still, This team has not addressed their biggest problems. When they’re not sharp on the ball in the middle third, they struggle to create chances. And they are a sieve defensively. This game could have ended 7-1. Top that off, Summit scored the first goal then don’t protect it. Again. This game was ‘what could go wrong for Summit’ bingo.
The last four games, they’ve played bad teams or other playoff bubble teams. In all four, they’ve scored first. One win, two draws, and now this loss. Not good enough.
“We played the game plan in patches… It might look super open but they’re preventable. First 25 minutes, we controlled the game. They want to try and get you in the spin dryer. The third goal is the great example of the margins,” Cushing told Burgundy Wave.
“There’s just times where we’re our own worst enemy. We just put ourselves in positions where we make it really difficult on ourselves. The gameplay was clear. We were very aware of the threats that they (KC) posed,” added Janine Sonis postgame.
“Momentum can shift quickly. Thought we did a good job of weathering the storm there at the end of the first half. Then to give up a goal that early in the second half, really put us on our heals… It can get difficult to manage.”
Playoff implications: There’s no room for error.
Summit are now four points below the playoff line. Teams around them have a game in hand; they’ve yet to play this weekend.
They have four matches left. At Chicago Stars, vs Angel City, vs Racing Louisville, then at North Carolina Courage. That’s the two worst teams in NWSL (Chicago and Louisville) and the two teams above them in the table (LA and NC). The had better beat the two bottom teams. They need to win one of those two other games.
Three wins would put them on 44 points. That might be enough. Summit made so many errors this afternoon. There’s no room for error left.
“There’s no room for error now. We have to be at our absolute best for the next four games… You don’t want to be in a position where you’re relying on other team’s results,” Janine Sonis said postgame.
Cushing added that the team needs to win out.
The 8th seed is likely playing Gotham FC in the first round of the playoffs. Denver are responsibly for two of their four losses this season.
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John Babiak 