Centennial, Colo. – It was a season-defining game on Saturday night for Denver Summit. In their third-to-last match of the NWSL regular season, they hosted Angel City. It was a proper six-pointer with Summit below the red line for the playoffs. A win would see them firmly in the mix in the final two match days. A loss and Angel City are all but in the post season.
Nick Cushing’s lineup was as expected. Melissa Kössler was coming off two goal and an assist with Germany during the international break. She started up top. Tash Flint was also in attack.
Summit came out climbing. Two minutes in, MK cleaned up a loose ball on a corner. It was her first goal in NWSL play since the reverse fixture in Los Angeles on September 11.
Captain Lindsey Heaps made it 2-0 in the 18th. A deflected cross fell to her and she hit it on the half volley. The USMNT captain ran to the corner and held the corner flag, aura farming.
Summit would again face defending a two goal lead. Just like last month it did not go well. Sveindís Jónsdóttir got ACFC on the board in the 32nd. Some excellent direct passing left her open at the back post to score. Seven minutes later, Taylor Suarez ran the gap between Ayo Oke and the center backs to get in behind and beat Abby Smith.
In the 43rd minute, Ally Sentnor sent a ball on a rope when she had space at the top of the box. She gave a satisfied shrug as the half ended 2-3.
The goalfest well ran dry in the second half. Heaps went down with a scary knee injury but stayed in the game. MK tried an audacious chip from the halfway line that wasn’t that far off. ACFC had consecutive corners that gave Smith a scare. Emma Regan got a yellow card for a foul in the attacking third in the 63rd while trying to recycle the ball off a Summit corner. Heaps could have had a tap in come the 76th on a low cross in transition but it was broken up for a corner.
There was a dustup before a Summit corner in which Heaps had a shoving match and words for several Angel City players that has since been a topic on social media.
Angel City took their time on set pieces, time wasting and frustrating Summit players and supporters.
Controversy struck in the 82nd minute as Tash Flint fell, appearing to be clipped two yards inside the box. Yaz Ryan tried to chip from the end line in the 86th but it was over the bar. It was Summit’s second attempt on goal after the Kössler midfield shot.
Summit had urgency but no end product and the match ended 2-3. Heaps was emotional at the full time whistle. After postgame media, Janine Sonis visited with owner Rob Cohen. Both players were holding back tears.
This game was a microcosm of their season. They can come out flying and put opponents under tremendous pressure. They can score great goals. They are bad at defending leads. Their rest and transition defense are weaknesses. Especially against mid table teams. Summit have just not been good enough against teams in and around them in the table.
Five points dropped across two games against ACFC in which they lead by two goals in both games. That could be what sees them miss the playoffs. They have up 2 goals in 13 minutes on September 11. Then in this match, it was 3 goals in 17 minutes. Those 28 minutes will haunt them this Spooky Season.
“We lost control of the game for a short period of time. A team that’s dangerous like that will take advance of those moments. It’s frustrating that we’re continuing to experience the same moments. We have to continue to learn from them. We started so well,” lamented Janine Sonis.
“It’s frustrating to lose control of the game and concede so many goals in that time.”
There was so much good about this performance and this season. But there was a clear weakness and issue that have been punished. It will likely see them miss the playoffs. But the foundation is there for success in the future.
“We have work to do in absorbing pressure and sustaining momentum in the game. Too often we’ve been up and left points on the table… When the margins are really small, the game becomes chaotic. We have to show the confidence to regain that momentum and the leadership to absorb that pressure… That starts with me as the Head Coach… The reason why we’re sitting in 10th is because of that, we’ve left too many points on the table,” said Nick Cushing.
“We’ve only been together for 10 months… The reality in this season is there’s five teams out already and we’re not one of them. In the short term, I want to fix things quickly. Everyone here has seen enough glimpses of us being a potential (championship) team. We’re working incredibly hard to become a successful team.”
Next Saturday, Summit host bottom dweller Racing Louisville at 4:30 p.m. MT. It is a must-win.
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John Babiak 