Denver Summit FC vs Orlando Pride: Pride Night Preview

Katie: It felt great. was very rewarding from a lot of hard work over the last, I don't even know how many weeks we've been here, but at the end of the day, like however many minutes I play on the field, I'm just happy to be supporting the team and helping in whatever way that is. So getting a first start was super exciting and I'm just glad that I could go out, give a lot of energy, some good pressure, Yeah, I think it's critical for us ⁓ to ⁓ a win for the fans. think we had a good performance in the Washington Spirit ⁓ but didn't manage to get over line a win. And then the San Diego first half was good. Second half, didn't. ⁓ I do know them pretty well. I think our last game was exciting. We were both kind of very defensive, but like we still both had really good chances came out with the tie on that one. So I think we're both like really trying to like show that we grown from our last match and we for sure have. We saw our last game. So I think we're just like really just trying to move forward and like be on this high and keep pushing forward. play so well and we ended up not winning the game. So I said early in the week, the desire and the drive that we had to execute a result in Houston has to be there this week to deliver a win for our fans because our fans have been incredible. I expect them to be incredible again and obviously we've got a break, right? And we want them to come to Centennial and watch us and give us the energy they've gave us. So historically they're good. Like they have really big threats on the front line. have Marta, Barbara Banda, really big names, but we're going to be able to fix our tactics to manage them. And then we've been really hot with goals so hopefully we'll just keep bringing that in. what I could bring is again that energy, high pressure and just putting them under pressure from the first minute. And so that was what I wanted to do right from kickoff. And I think that that helped the team get on the front foot from the beginning of the

Kate Hanson: 46.8%. That was Denver's possession just a couple months ago back in Florida in March. Basically, flip as to who really was possessing that game. team take control. Neither team could dictate. And the result was exactly what you'd expect.

Katie: I think for me as the coach it's a fine line, isn't it? I like that pressure, I like that ⁓ expectation. ⁓ I a bit like I've got ⁓ the whole of soccer. on my shoulders and I really like that, drives me. I said to Kurt and David, know, after the San Diego and after the, frustrates me actually, because I know this about myself, after the San Diego and the Boston game, like I work so much better when I'm like wedged in the corner, when the margin for error is so small.

Kate Hanson: A draw. A 1-1 where we needed Abby Smith to stand on her head and make 10 saves just to escape with a point. Now, fast forward to last Saturday against Houston, 56%. 83 % pass accuracy. Four goals on the road after a 96 minute weather delay. That gap, 46.8 to 56.

Katie: Now we've won, I try and pile that on me. I try not to pile it on the team, but the reality is the energy, enthusiasm, the sort of expectation spotlight is on us. It wouldn't surprise me if we went the whole season with sellouts. Our last game was such a great environment to play in. Even when we went down a goal or were tied, the energy from the fans and the whole stadium was coming together and it felt like we were playing with, I don't even know, is it 20,000 against 11? So despite that result, it felt like we have so many people behind us and I'm so excited to play in front of the fans again this weekend.

Kate Hanson: That is the entire argument why Saturday night is ours. Welcome back to the 5280 pitch. Women's soccer at altitude. I'm Kate Hanson and it is a rematch time already. It's May and we're already doing rematches. This time Orlando is heading on up to the mile high city and we have the upper hand.

Katie: It's like this is a huge opportunity for all of us and we just got to embrace it and use the first half in San Diego. The goals and some of the moves in the Houston game are exactly where I want this team to be. ⁓ We have the ball more than them. We limit the amount of times Barbara Bander has to continue to score every game. We're going to have offensive moments. We've got to be clinical and give our fans those moments. They're good team. We've just got to concentrate on ourselves. We've got to make sure that we use the first half of San Diego, but we embrace the 95 minutes that we played at Houston. Barbara Banda is going to make the game difficult, but every team has players that are going to be impactful if you allow them. I think we're there now. It took some time, but I think we have that third long pretty ready to go. And I think that that's going to be a huge home field advantage going forward for the rest of the season. And I think as teams come here, they know that that's a factor in the game. And so part of our game plan is going to be to move the ball, switch the field, and make the opponent run. And we said that in Houston, too. We wanted to switch the ball, make them run. We knew they were a fit young team. But we also have that third long now. So we're going to use it to our advantage and hope to do that again on Saturday.

Kate Hanson: Now before we get into any of the soccer and we will get into the full match, I want to talk about Saturday night because it is Pride night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and it is, it's not just a theme. So it is a full thought through genuinely exciting event and if you're going, you need to know what you're walking into. If you're not going, well, head on over into the 14ers discord or go into a Facebook fan group.

Katie: We've got to do all of our defending with the ball. And if we do that, we give ourselves a chance of attacking the

Kate Hanson: try and find some tickets because it is going to be a night two, remember. Doors open to the fan zone at 4.30. Yes, 4.30, so that's more than two hours before kickoff. And there is a reason to be there that early because the club has built out something that you'll never forget in that fan zone.

Katie: So just that ball movement that talking about and we knew we wanted to make him run, switch the ball, switch the point of attack. And I think the more we can do that on Saturday to against a good Orlando team will have success because when we can open them up, that's when we're going to find the best moments for us to go forward. And we had such great deliveries on the crosses against Houston, so I'm sure we'll have more of that on Saturday.

Kate Hanson: This is not a corporate checkbox, ⁓ sort of check in box of diversity night. This is Denver's actual LGBTQ plus community showing up and being present.

Katie: You can feel the excitement in the team. We've got to deliver a for our fans now.

Kate Hanson: And one the things I love about women's sports is the inclusivity, whether it is the WNBA, the NWSL, women's sports, there's always inclusivity. So it's going to be a great night. also going to be some incredible photo ops, music, go-go dancers, interactive stations with poster making and friendship bracelet making, face painting. The ⁓ 14ers going to have an epic tailgate, which I've seen. ⁓ posted over on their Instagram account. ⁓ going to be two special guests in attendance. Well, there's going to be a lot of special guests in attendance, but if you're also a podcast lover, which I'm you are since you've listened to this show, typically if you listen to one podcast, you listen to ⁓ more There's also going to be Tobin Heath and Kristen Press in attendance. Yes, folks, they are going to be there with their summit and RE brand collection. with their Football Loves You shirts. I'm gonna come back to RE in a second because there is, like I said, a whole big story there. Now, if you've purchased the Pride package, and I hope you did because it's worth it, you have access to an exclusive community event from 5 5.30 with Tobin Heath and Kristen Press. Two World Cup champions, two NWSL legends, two of the founders of REE, which is a brand built around the intersection of sport art and LGBTQ plus community. They're going to be there in person before the match with their community, what they call the re-imaginers. So clever. At Dick's Sporting Goods Park. And then at halftime, Heath and Press are going to be interviewed live right on the pitch. Not, not the 5280 pitch, the pitch that is Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Now I want you to understand what this means for a club and its inaugural season. The first home match at mile high, Malala was there, the second home match, US Women's National Team head coach Emma Hayes was there, and now it's our third home match and we have another set of superstars in attendance with Tobin Heath and Kristen Press. Nick Cushing actually addressed this directly after practice when he sat down with reporters. Now a few more things to know about Saturday. Like I said, gates are going to be opening up early. There is a gate giveaway with limited edition Pride bandanas. There's 5,000 of them. They're designed by local Denver artist, Jesse Meza. So get there early if you one. Just get there early. Enjoy the festivities. There's going to be so much happening at this event on Saturday. This is a full night. And there's one more thing I cannot let go, which probably was planned. mean, marketing, you know, there there, there's some smart cookies that we are playing against the Orlando Pride team literally named Pride. It's Pride night in Denver. And yeah, so OK, let's talk about soccer. Denver Summit, Orlando Pride, the thing you have to understand about this matchup is what happened last time. So we've already faced the pride this year. Yes. Yes, we're already at that point in the season where we are having rematches. This season is just flying by, right? We're already in mid May and back in March, mid March, we drew 1-1. On paper, fine result for a road game for an expansion team. But when you actually look at that match, Orlando had 23 shots. Yeah, 23. We survived and came out with the draw because of Abby Smith. She stood on her head for 90 minutes and basically willed us that one point. Now you can't build an entire season on that. Something has to change. And media actually had the opportunity to speak with Ali Brazer after practice this week and Allie actually used to play for Orlando Pride. She remembers playing against them just a couple weeks ago, a couple, couple months ago. ⁓ And she had a lot to about what the Denver Summit are expecting. We for sure have grown. Yeah. The Denver Summit absolutely have grown. They've had some growing pains and they've had some growth as a team. Both teams know the first game was a grind. You know, the pride were still getting their feet under them. The summit were still figuring out who passes, who runs, how they all played together. But Denver is the one with the momentum right now. That 4-1 win on the road. while Orlando is coming off a loss and a short week against Boston, and it actually broke their 37 game streak of never losing when they score first. So, Brazier named the threats clearly. Hot goals, to manage the threats. That is a team that is not afraid of Saturday. So here's what I'm watching. The possession. The possession is going to be a huge differentiator for us. We've lost games when we have not had the majority of the possession. We are a possession-based team. We have to have that possession. And discipline. When Denver controls the ball, Orlando cannot generate those 23 shot performances. They're chasing, they're burning energy at 5280. And discipline, no cheap fouls, no penalty. Marta has 15 career NWSL penalty goals. That is a league record. She added to that record just on Tuesday against the Legacy. If you put Marta on the spot, you are handing over a goal. Speaking of Marta no last name needed. Yep, in Brazilian soccer is sped and really across Latin American football culture. There is a tradition of going by one name and that goes back decades. So Pele, Ronaldo, started practically as a way to distinguish players who share common surnames, but it became something much larger. It became more of an identity. It became legacy. Marta has earned that right. She is a six-time FIFA Women's World Cup Player of the Year, five World Cups with Brazil, widely considered the greatest women's soccer player who has ever lived. And now, at 40 years old, She is still on the field, still finding her moments, still making things difficult for defenders who've been watching her their, not just her entire careers, their entire lives. now Marta scored on Tuesday against Boston. It was her first goal of the 2026 season, a penalty, her 15th career NWSL penalty goal, which is a league record. She did it at 40. ⁓ Think about that longevity. about what it takes to maintain that level across that span of time. We're going to have an opportunity to watch her on Saturday. watch how she reads the space, how she positions before the pass arrives. Her soccer IQ is incredible. young soccer players listening to the show, watch Marta on the field when she doesn't have the ball, see how she moves because it is learn Now here's something to keep in mind Saturday match compared to the March match. Marta was not a factor in the first Denver Orlando match, but the reason is actually about someone else. Yep, I'm talking about Barbara Banda, Orlando's other forward, the one currently leading the NWSL in goals. She was just returning from season ending injury. last time we played them. So she really was not up to her full Barbara Banda self. But that Saturday. Now, Banda did not start the game against the Legacy on Tuesday, but she did come on But this time for ⁓ the Summit, both and Banda are. Both of them are available and both of them are dangerous. One of them leads the entire NWSL in goals. Like I said, she started on the bench against Boston. Seb Hines has been managing her across this. Honestly, the Pride have a brutal three game stretch right now, but hey, that's okay. I'll take it. And Seb Hines, the manager for the Pride has really been trying to manage a lot of their players minutes. especially Barbara Banda's because she's coming off that injury. And the fact that Hines rested her for Boston specifically suggests he had her starting in mind for this Denver game. Which means Kaylee Kurtz needs to know exactly where Barbara Banda is every single minute of this match. if our back line can keep our Rambanda, can keep that force of Orlando Pride ⁓ at Bay on Saturday, think that Denver wins. And Nick Cushing basically told me the reason after practice this week. That is the entire philosophy in one sentence. Defending with the ball. You have possession. They don't score. You limit the number of times that Barbara Banda touches it in dangerous positions. You limit the number of moments Marta can create from nothing. You make Orlando do the running at altitude four days after flying in from Boston on the end of a loss. And Cushing was specific about what he wants the team to carry over from that Houston match. 95 minutes at Houston. Let's actually talk about what those 95 minutes looked like on paper because the numbers from that match are worth sitting with. I talked about it a lot in the Tuesday episode. If you didn't listen to it, head on back. But it was a possession game. Like I said before, 56 % possession, 83 % pass accuracy on 348 completed passes, 12 key passes, seven shots on target. Denver also completed 10 crosses with five of those being successful, is notably, which is a notably high conversion rate. And defensively, they blocked four Houston shots and won 20 clearances. The thing that jumps out is not just that Denver had the ball, it's what they did with it, that they were creating from wide positions, delivering quality crosses and converting the dangerous chances. That is a different team than the one that drew 46 % of the ball in March. And this wouldn't be a 52-80 pitch episode if I didn't mention Tosh Flint. Four goals and two assists on the season. She has scored in three consecutive matches. When strikers get into these goal scoring runs, the best thing a coach can do is just to keep feeding them the ball. The Orlando back line has to have an answer for Tosh Flint, a specific plan for her. And so far this season, nobody has found a clean answer. But here's the name I want to spend more time on, Yasmine Ryan, because she is just getting going. I think people are going to, because we've had so much excitement with Melissa and Tosh as our strikers, I think that now that Yaz has found her footing with this new team, she's going to be a lot of fun to watch this season. So Ryan scored Denver's first goal against Boston. Then she had two assists against Houston to her former teammate, Janine Sanis, both from the right side, both from crosses that were perfectly weighted. Three goal contributions in two matches. That Ryan to Sonnis connection is starting to look like something that opposing defenses are going to have to specifically account for. And at practice this week, we got to see that the Denver Summit is working on their crosses. Ryan gets to the end line to find Sonnis and the ball goes in. That pattern happened twice on Saturday. If Orlando doesn't have an answer for it, that's going to happen again. Natalie Means. Our friend, Natalie Means, who's been on the podcast talked about this ball movement after practice, the switching, the third long, making opponents run here. Have a listen. Switch the field. Make them run at altitude on tired legs against an Orlando squad that is missing key players. has a depleted squad right now. At the end of a long road trip, being asked to contain a Denver attack that is starting to find its footing at altitude in front of what is expected to be another sellout crowd is an extremely tough task. Speaking of which, Cushing talked about the fans here in the Mawhai City practice. Wouldn't that be cool? A whole season of sellouts. Since January, he's been stopped on the street. Uber drivers recognize him. Fans watch trainings. Five years in New York as a head coach as the only professional soccer team in that city. It's pretty big city. And nobody knew who he was. In Denver, in year one, not even in year one, five months in, two months into the season, people stop him on the sidewalk. tells you about what is being built here in Denver. So I think that for the lineup, it's going to be really interesting to see what Cushing puts out there because we saw some changes. Are we going to see things go back to the way they were? Are we going to see things the way that they were in Houston? Here's what I think we are going to see on Saturday. Abby Smith and Gull, obviously, She is going to be tested on Saturday, but I think she is going to be ready. Kaylee Kurtz ⁓ and Gaytino center back. Kurtz, ⁓ of course going to start. Iron Woman, 120 consecutive starts. We're not going to stop now. And Gaytino is leading the NWSL in accurate long balls per 90 at 6.1. That combination of durability and quality on the ball is exactly what you need to absorb Orlando's pressure and launch quickly on the counter. Now left back is genuinely interesting. Cushing sat Carson Pickett at Houston and started Ayo Uke. And Uke had two assists in 50 minutes of play. Two assists. Immediately making a difference. Now Pickett has 15,000 plus NWSL minutes. And she knows Orlando from the inside out because of her two seasons there. But Uke came on and changed the game for from the very first whistle. This is a real decision and Cushing is not someone who makes the safe call just because it's a safe call. I'm going to be watching that left back position closely. In midfield, Delaney Sheehan is doing some very unglamorous work that makes this system function. She got her first goal of the season against Houston. It was a header goal off of a perfectly weighted okay delivery. It was a goal that started from the goalkeeper and ended in the net because everyone did their job. That was a cushion goal. She-Han is not flashy, but she is essential. And then Natalie Means, who got her first NWSL start against Houston, and she was, she didn't have a standout game, but she was exactly what the team needed in that moment. I spoke with her after practice this And here's what she said about the experience. Reporters had the opportunity to ask her what she thought that she specifically brought the team after coming off of two straight losses, two heartbreaking losses. pressure from minute one. energy was visible on Saturday and Cushing noticed He Means by name when talking about the players who stepped up in Houston and contributed the moment that they came onto the field. Means also talked about what it means to come home ⁓ after many road matches and she said something that I keep coming back to. Now it's not 20,000, but a sold out stadium, which if you've watched, for those of you that watch a lot of women's soccer games, there there, there's a lot of women's games that are played in not super full stadiums, unfortunately, not us here in Denver, though. 20,000 against 11. I understand why it felt like that. That's what Dick's Sporting Goods Park is on Saturday is going to feel like from the inside. And on Pride night with that sellout crowd with Heath and press doing that halftime interview on the pitch, that atmosphere is going to be something else entirely. Natalie also touched on something that I've been watching. The ball movement, the third long, the switching of the field. I agree, I think switching the field and making them run at altitude, that's how you're going to win games at 5,280 feet. One name I also want to put on your radar. Yuzuki Yamamoto, she's been here with the club now for a few weeks now. Last time she came on a sub at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. She's been available. She's been in training, but she hasn't broken into that starting lineup yet. Cushing has talked about competition for places. The roster is deep. and the standards are extremely high. But there's also an adjustment period for everything that's happening, especially for someone like Yamamoto, every interview has been through an interpreter. ⁓ And when you're reading the game in time, calling for the ball, making those split-second decisions, communicating with teammates, ⁓ Under pressure, that is a completely different challenge when you're doing it in a second language. player of her quality, even for a Wii League MVP, that adjustment takes time. ⁓ I'm dying see her. I know the moment is coming. Maybe on Saturday night, we'll see Yamamoto come off the bench again, but I don't see her jumping into the starting 11. now. It is time for Battle of the Mascots. Yes, folks, it is that fun time of the podcast where we have two pretend animals fight it out. And I'm going to give big shout outs to listeners, Kenna and Eric, for planting this idea in my head for this week's Battle of the Mascots. So in corner one, Orlando Pride's Lion Regal, King of the Jungle, currently on leg two of a three-grain road trip, just lost to Boston in stoppage time. He is tired. He is not happy he like airplane air and defeat. ⁓ In two, ⁓ Denver FC's Mountain Goat. ⁓ 5,280 feet above sea level, standing on a cliff face like he was born to be there because he was. Now, here's what people get wrong about mountain goats. They hear the word goat and they think farm animals, harmless, eating tin cans, but mountain goats are legitimately terrifying. They live on near vertical cliff faces that would kill any other large animal. And they can climb a 60 degree slope at full speed without breaking a sweat. They charge predators. They are documented cases of, there are documented cases ⁓ of mountain goats chasing off bears. Yes, bears. A fully grown bear looked at a mountain goat and said, today. I'm to go that way. So. ⁓ a lion away from the savanna at altitude at the end of a road trip, chasing something that was literally born on a cliff face ⁓ 5,280 feet. That lion ain't winning. No, ⁓ lion has never been to the mountains. The goat lives here. The goat has always lived here. Now my prediction? Yes, the goat comes out on top. ⁓ to ⁓ ⁓ Tosh Flint scores because she has scored in every recent match and I'm not betting against that streak. Banda gets one because she is Barbara Banda and she seems to always find a moment. But Denver holds. Possession, discipline, switching the field, making them run, and the Mountain Goat sends the Lions back to Florida with nothing but a long flight and lot of regrets. Mountain Goat for the win. If you have an aim for the mountain goat or any thoughts on the mascot situation, like I said, I'm going to do these my Friday episodes. They're just meant to be fun. So let me know some mascot suggestions that you would have for the Denver summit and the opposing team. I'll let you know who would battle it out. DM me on Instagram. I am at 5280pitch. I genuinely want to know. These are fun for me. All right. Now one more thing before I send you off. Cushing said something after practice that stuck with me. what delivering a win for the fans on Saturday mean to him. Another home game, another sellout. this team, and they have since day one. The Denver fans are ready to celebrate a victory at home. We've had a lot of heartbreaking loss. We've had a draw. It's time for a win. What better time than now? They want to win for the fans. Mean said it, Brazor said it, Cushing said it. They all said they want to bring the first victory of the year at home now. They're tired of not having a W next to their name in Denver. It starts now. Let's start using that altitude advantage. Now, I know this is a little early, but May 23rd, I'm giving you guys plenty of notice because it's going to be a blast. Okay. If you want to do something on May 23rd, Denver is away at Utah. They have 4 30 PM kickoff. Denver summit is doing something awesome. So plan on heading on down to DNVR bar. It's off of Colfax. That's where I typically do. my live pregame shows whenever there's away games. Denver Summit is doing their 5280 scarf pickup. So it's gonna be one heck of a watch party. There's nothing better than watching your team with other fans. So head on down to DNVR bar, May 23rd, pick up your scarf. They're gonna be there from 3.30 to six, the Denver Summit marketing team is. If you wanna watch it with your people, that is the place to be. All the details can be found in the show notes. I'll include it there, but follow DNVR Bar for all the up-to-date information. It's gonna be a great time. I know that's a little bit extra notice because it's still a week away and we have another game to play before then, but I wanted to give you guys a heads up so you can block out the calendar. Start telling friends now that you wanna head down to DNVR and do your fun scarf pick-up. There's gonna be drink specials, food specials. They do fun giveaways at halftime, so you're gonna wanna be there. but as far as upcoming games, yes, yes. ⁓ We still have a game the Orlando Pride at Dick's Sporting his park. 6 45 PM kickoff, Tobin Heath, Kristen Press at half time. It's going to be a sellout crowd. Denver team that knows how to have the ball now is finding their footing. ⁓ I believe in this match. think this is where we get that first win. And if you're Enjoying this podcast, I sure hope you are. Join in on the fun with the mascot thing. But I hope that you're enjoying the show. ⁓ If this is your first listening, thanks for being here. Make sure that you subscribe. Make sure that you ⁓ like ⁓ and review. Do all things. when you do that, that means more people find the show. Follow me on the gram, I'm on threads as well, at 5280pitch. DM me your mascot names. If you wanna check out the blog, I write blogs every week on upcoming matches. There's also a bunch of great merch on the website so you can get your fun supporters hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, you name it if you want some different ways to show your Denver Summit support at altitude. Oh, what better with a 5280pitch merch, so. Check it out at 5280pitch.com. And with that, we'll see you out at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Let's get the Summit train on the up and up. We're going to have a great time out there And I'll be breaking everything down ⁓ on Tuesday's episode of the pitch. So again, make sure that you're subscribed, leave a review and we'll see you on the next episode.