Denver Summit FC: What We Know After 11 Games

Kate: Denver outscored Racing Louisville over the weekend with a score of one nothing. But they didn't do it alone. They actually outshot Louisville two point eight to zero point ⁓ in expected goals Friday night. That gap there, that's huge ⁓ A team that should have won by three, scoring only one. I know a W is a W, but basically story this entire ⁓ first half of season is a single number. team is good. Let sink in. The XG says ⁓ they are a good ⁓ The goal differential says so. ⁓ The results that they've gotten on the road against teams who have been in this league for years who are more established than them that this is a good team. ⁓ And yet here we are. It is June break. Man, it felt like this this day was gonna be so far away at the beginning of the year. And now we are here, so we have the whole month of June off. can get healthy, new members can come in. ⁓ This break is gonna be very, very important for this Denver Summit team. Because the fact of the matter is, we're sitting in eighth place. we have points. And actually right now, ⁓ we are the final playoff spot. ⁓ If the were to happen ⁓ on July We'd be holding on to that final spot. Granted, we'd be hanging on, more likely not holding on, hanging on by our fingernails, because every single game hasn't really felt ⁓ We've had we've a couple moments that have felt comfortable, ⁓ but single feels like it can Flip, just like that. Welcome to the 5280 Pitch, Women's Soccer at Altitude. I'm Kate Hanson. today we are closing the book ⁓ the first half of the season and your Denver Summit. Alright, so May twenty-ninth, racing Louisville, Denver Summit. It was the last game before the break. For both teams and and honestly, both teams this break. Louisville is sitting last in the table. ⁓ Summit seems to be having a little bit of a roller coaster year. This was the kind of game where Denver had to come in and take care of business. Denver needed three points so that we could go into this break saying, something to build on here. So they went to Louisville, they needed to take care of business, and they did, they did. Well, not confidently. We still got the W, we still got those three points, but the 16th team in ⁓ table, ⁓ feel like we should have had more than just one. And ⁓ XG ⁓ so. ⁓ But let's start with the situation that Nick Cushing and the Denver Summit were facing before kickoff. Flint, ⁓ of the top scorers on our Denver Summit team with four goals on the season, was with a torso injury. ⁓ Tash I is dealing with a broken rib situation. I can't confirm it, but Whatever the injury is, was not available. But left the door open for some new faces in the lineup. Some new faces that I know ⁓ a of us have been dying to see more of. However, don't know if I really was wanting to see Tash out of the game because she has been incredible ⁓ for the Denver Summit so far this season. she's four two assists through ten games this season, 'cause the eleventh game she missed. She was a st she's been a starter. How do you replace in a lineup that is needing three points before a break? Well ⁓ what Nook Nick did is really interesting ⁓ He didn't replace player. He replaced a formation. Here's what Nick Cushing said post game. ⁓ A four two two two Kussler and Olivia Thomas, who by the way, dad's been dying to see more Olivia Thomas. He got to meet her mom ⁓ they when he went to the Bay FC game, ⁓ first Denver Summit game, he went out there and got to meet ⁓ Thomas's mom, so he's been dying to see her take the pitch. ⁓ she finally got her opportunity. I've been dying to see her take the pitch too because of ⁓ speed. Not only did Thomas get to play, but somebody else a lot of people have been dying to see more of. Yes, folks, we finally got a Yamamoto sighting. Yazuki Yamamoto and Yazmeen Ryan were ⁓ operating as mids Olivia and Melissa Custler. Louisville wanted to go direct, so Cushing said, okay, fine. be direct too, but we're gonna do it on ⁓ terms. ⁓ And it worked, in theory, right? We got the win. created ⁓ after chance after chance in first half. The XG at the break around ⁓ 1.5 ⁓ Denver's at break. It felt like Denver was that first half. Now, there were a couple times that felt a little disorganized, and we're gonna get into that. But Denver was dominating and Louisville almost nothing on the game. They finished the game at 0.8 total expected goals ⁓ with entire threat ⁓ coming Emma ⁓ who put point six ⁓ of that total point eight expected goals. ⁓ Yeah, it basically the show Louisville. But here's the thing about Olivia Thomas. Like I said before, she is fast. is genuinely dangerous the break. ⁓ in this formation, she Louisville problems in that a traditional striker just ⁓ wouldn't have. But and this is important, I think that she was really out of sync with the rest of the team. And when you go back and you look at some of the film, see those moments where the ⁓ her speed I want to say just got the best of her because she was out of formation. there is moment during the game Thomas actually blocks ⁓ a shot ⁓ on goal, a great on goal that Yamamoto had in the first half. the Louisville defenders. were doing their best ⁓ to shut her down. ⁓ They were her, playing her very And she was fit winning those battles. However, it does tell you something about the of this team. This is a unit hasn't had a ton of reps together. ⁓ When Tasha's in the game, feels a little there like there's a little bit more fluency to Denver's attack. On Friday it falls a little more improvised. ⁓ Which makes the second half adjustments more impressive. In fifty-seventh minute, Carson Pickett her appearance of the bench. ⁓ She came on IO Okay. And he also pulled for Then in the 61st ⁓ Allie comes off the bench as She came on for Olivia Thomas. And no folks, three minutes later, Brazer scores. Amazing through ball from Yuna to Yamamoto who has the perfect cross and Brazor finish. They said that pass Yamamoto ⁓ a the needle type pass. Was a threading the needle ball. ⁓ Most players in that position a touch, try to do a little bit more with themselves. But Yamamoto, again, so people have been calling to see her take the pitch and get out there. Let's see what she can do. ⁓ And not gonna lie, her first half, there was times where I felt it was a little rough. I was like, I don't know. ⁓ I don't if she's found her footing yet. ⁓ She found footing. In the second half, she was a completely different player in my opinion. Because Yamamoto trusted Brazor and put it exactly where it needed to be. Braz could catch up to that ball that that Yamamoto passed. Because Brazor's speed, ⁓ and Thomas are the two fastest players on this team. And then because apparently this team needs to make everything difficult, spent the last 25 minutes ⁓ not to let Louisville back into it. Abby Smith, again, she's been elite this season. She ha came up huge in this game. Emma Sears gets another great chance, sits two defenders down and has a clear look, and Smith does Smith things, reads it perfectly, off her line and kills it. The The broadcast again, if you find a watch party where you where they have the game on because and you can hear the sound because I the terms that a lot of these broadcasters use. And they said the stop was like a Lamborghini stopping on a dime. It and not a hyperbole. That was a ⁓ at her absolute Abby Smith this first of the season is playing out of her mind. ⁓ I did say in last week's episode that I expected it to be a two-nothing game. was one-nothing, but we did get that clean sheet. ⁓ Abby Smith again played great. The score line really does not deflect ⁓ the game that played. ⁓ Denver had fourteen shots to Louisville's eight. ⁓ of those shots came from inside the box. ⁓ Louisville, on the other hand, only have four from inside the box. So Denver is really putting together an incredible season where they're having the opportunity to that they've got it. They just need to finish it. I mean if Denver if Denver even finishes half of those chances, is a three or four nothing win. Let sink in. ⁓ The finishing a real problem. It has been all season. And this team wants to do something special in the second half, ⁓ they're going to need find a solution over this break. ⁓ Now, before we zoom out and see the second half picture, which we're gonna do in today's episode, because there's not a game for me to preview. before we zoom out and see this second half, I to spend some time on some of the storylines that we've seen so far in the first half. ⁓ that genuinely surprised me. when I looked at this roster in March, ⁓ I'm sure we we all looked at the roster March, but when I looked in March, I have Certain ideas, certain expectations. this team has gone out and flipped a number of them. Let's start with Allie Brazer. Number 11. Yes, my daughter, she made the RL team after tryouts this year, so she's going to be on the RL team and she got to choose a number, and she said, Well, mom, I want to be number 11, just like Allie Brazer. Allie Brazer was the first signing in Denver Summit history. Colorado native. She is a forward pace. She's was uns she was incredible when she was with Orlando. she experience in this league. And she's made start ⁓ in eleven games. Didn't see that ⁓ She's played a total of 177 minutes. an average of just over 16 minutes ⁓ game. And she comes at Louisville. And the moment steps on the pitch, she gets her first in a Denver kit. And here's it. I see Ally Brazer ⁓ being force coming off bench. And I'm gonna talk that in just a minute, but ⁓ Here's what Allie said after the game about scoring that first goal. ⁓ There's something genuinely so compelling in that quote. She's not complaining. not angling for starts publicly. She's brought in off the bench and she knows her role. And she says, going to deliver. That mentality is exactly what a roster needs. That is a veteran mentality ⁓ for a that wants to win, that knows that every single minute that you get on the pitch, you need give it your all. ⁓ I loved actually because ⁓ N ⁓ Natalie Means, she was on the podcast a f ⁓ a few ago now, She said something that really stuck with me and it was hard she ⁓ makes the others her better. So she's giving it her all in the practice ⁓ she knows it's gonna make her team when they take the pitch on game day. ⁓ And that just goes to show you the leadership that is in this locker room. Everyone there is there to win, no matter how big or how small the their role. And I'm not gonna pretend that her coming off the bench isn't surprising, because it is. think Brazor's speed off the bench, though, is hard on opposing teams in the second half. Cushing clearly ⁓ her as weapon in that specific But ⁓ The first signing in franchise history, sitting the bench for most of the season, is a story worth watching and it'll be interesting to see what her role is after this June break. Another storyline that I want to talk about is Carson Pickett. Pinky came into this season with a reputation. one of the most recognizable defenders in NWSL history. She's played for the U.S. women's national team. She's been a starter on championship caliber rosters, she started seven of eleven games for the Denver Summit. The Pickett Oke is really to watch. Uck ⁓ brings and intensity in a way that Carson Pickett doesn't. And ⁓ a team like Louisville, Cushing went with Uck from the start and brought Pickett on in the second half. ⁓ I think a lot of times we see a player ⁓ starting, we think of it as a demotion. But ⁓ Pickett has been essential the closing half of games. ⁓ Her passing accuracy, just for example, her pack passing accuracy against Louisville was ninety-two percent when she was on the field. I mean the Which is remarkable. but seeing Pricket ⁓ part of a instead of an ironclad starter That is not what I expected. And then there's Devin Lynch, the rookie. This one I want to talk about too for a second. Lynch is rookie out of Duke. She's been on the podcast as well. Again, check out her interview if you haven't yet. ⁓ Check it after this episode. But then go back and listen to it. In 11 games for the Denver Summit this season, Lynch has started ⁓ She's 903 ⁓ minutes. has missed a single minute through rotation, ⁓ Now again, she doesn't have any but that's that's the role that she's been to play here. Her role is essential to how this team functions. Lynch is holding place in a midfield that frees Selene Sheehan be more dynamic. She balls, recycles possession, ⁓ makes simple passes. Lynch is making the highlight real, but the numbers lie. In Louisville, ⁓ She had 41 touches, 22 accurate passes, and two blocks. for a rookie be playing every of every game on expansion team roster that, hey, fighting for a playoff spot. That is not something I saw coming. Devin Lynch has earned every single one of those minutes. And then there's Yazmeen Ryan. This is not so much a surprise story, but a revelation. Every week that I watch this team, gives me another reason to think that she is more dangerous than thought. In Louisville had six. Yes, six ⁓ chances created. attempted seven ⁓ And she had two shots on her own. One of those shots folks, just inches from making it. ⁓ She was, for large stretches of that match against Louisville, the most dangerous player on the field. She's now won two goals and three assists through the first 11 games, but those numbers really are not telling sell-tull story. It's really underselling it. One thing Yaz does that I love is have the space that she creates ⁓ for others. finds pockets, moves the ball with purpose, ⁓ Now when Tash comes back, honestly, there's there's really not that much of a rush because of how deep our roster is, Let heal up. When comes back healthy, Denver's With Yaz and Tash as that engine going to be ⁓ exciting. We were just starting to see glimpses of it before Tash's injury. And finally, I did say we were gonna talk a little bit more about Abby Smith, and here's the Abby Smith segment. knew that Smith was good. She's a veteran. She's won She's been a starter on competitive now for years. but the level that she's at right this season is genuinely surprising. ⁓ I think she's the entire league away with how she's playing. Through eleven games, she has four clean sheets. For an expansion team, let that sink in. How much do you think the Boston Legacy wishes that they had Abby Smith on their roster right now? I mean, folks, this is a team, especially the back line, that is still figuring themselves out. she has been able to give the Denver Summit ⁓ chance to be in every single game with the way that she is ⁓ right now. I mean think about it. Yeah, all the way back in March, we started that game with a red card. We played with only ten players for majority of that match. There's been two penalty shots she's had. And she's playing some of the best soccer of her career. the save ⁓ ⁓ Smith had against Emma Sears in Louisville is a example. ⁓ Is not that she just stopped the shot, it's the decision making. Reading the play, coming off her line at the perfect moment. One of the hardest things to do, staying big. is a goalkeeper who is absolutely ⁓ in right now. ⁓ So if I'm handing out awards for XI the right now for the Denver Summit, Abby Smith, here go. Here your award. You ⁓ have earned the 5280 ⁓ best 11 ⁓ of first half the season award ⁓ because you have just playing of your mind. So, ⁓ no question, Abby Smith is ⁓ player of the first eleven games Okay, so now it is big picture time. Yay! So far through 11 games, we have four wins, three and ⁓ four losses. 15 8th place. do have that last playoff spot though. Is that a success? Yes, and will tell you why. want to do it ⁓ with some numbers, because for those of you listeners of the show, you know how much I like nine numbers. And I think that the numbers will put this in proper context for you. Denver's goal differential is plus four. Better than Kansas ⁓ who has 21 points. than Orlando, who has 17. ⁓ Denver has scored four more goals than allowed, they're sitting in eighth. ⁓ That right there is a points conversion problem. a quality problem. The quality is there, obviously. ⁓ And here's what that looks like in real terms. four losses have been by one goal. Let that in. ⁓ One goal. of our just one goal. And two of those games, ⁓ well, ⁓ we what ⁓ Do I don't if we need to go down memory lane, but ⁓ in two of games, we all know that ⁓ those are that we should have They've had times as a defense where communication has broken down at the absolute most crucial moment. the finishing isn't there when chances are. ⁓ And that's when they end up on the wrong side of close game. let's look at the ⁓ W's. Let's look at those wins. 2-0 at Gotham, controlled, clean sheet. 4-1 at ⁓ Explosive. Finally we're seeing those finishes. F seeing those expected goals turn into actual goals. 3-1 against Orlando at home. Dominant. Cushing talked about this ⁓ in his interview after Louisville win directly. Okay. He's right. Bay was a mess. They played down a player for sixty-four minutes Janine red card. And they still held it. to one. Boston it just genuinely bad. ⁓ I don't what happened. Maybe the water the airplane, they drank the water on the airplane, who knows? Was not our best ⁓ But those are the only two performances that Nick Cushing called out. Everything this team ⁓ The way record is also worth flagging. Again, this has been a real tough start to the a brand new expansion team season. only had three games at home through first 11 matches. It has a lot of road games. And I mean, I get it. There was still the stadium logistics that needed to be sorted out. And for those of you that might have missed the news, are going to have our first two games in July played out at Dick Sporting Goods Park once again while the Centennial Stadium finishes up all their construction because, hey, the finally decided to show up and it showed up for the month of May and everything has been pushed back. So the first games of July are going to be played at Dick Sporting Goods Park. But that's why they had to have so many games on the road, is because really, where are we gonna play? What's the logistics here? it makes sense why we had so many road games. 11 on the road, though, for an expansion team, that is That is not that you typically see. So, yes, ⁓ this a success ⁓ The table doesn't fully it. the goal differential does. That's what I want you guys to keep and hang on to as we're in this June break. XG across the season ⁓ what is going to define this team. ⁓ is a team that is genuinely competitive this league. Folks are getting started. Now Abby Smith said something in her interview that I want to end this episode on. That right there, folks, a competitor talking. That someone who has been playing in this league long enough know that no game is just going to be given to you. game is going to be to you. No opponent ⁓ is beneath you. And the second half ⁓ of an NWSL season. can be completely different than the first half. She's right that it doesn't get any easier. here's the thing that makes me genuinely optimistic about what's coming. ⁓ Denver's only played three at home all season so far. Our schedule flips hard in the second half. At where we finally use that altitude advantage. I think that we are going to have a very strong and successful second half of this season. in addition to the altitude that Demborough will have going into the second half of the season. There's someone else that's gonna be joining us. Yes, folks, we finally have Lindsay Heaps arriving. She will be joining us in mid-July, most likely is what I've heard is mid-July, so probably not the 4th of July match. Well, actually, July 3rd match, ⁓ at Dick Sporting Goods Park. But she'll be in town. She's probably just not gonna be up to speed yet. digress. Lindsay Heaps is gonna be arriving. ⁓ gonna be wearing the armband, co-captaining with Saunas. ⁓ That is to be amazing. Major lift for this team. during this break, people aren't the ⁓ time off. We have eight players on international eight for an expansion Let that sink in about the trajectory of this team can go. So though other than those eight who are still practicing and playing at an elite level, the rest of the team to be working on finishing. That to be the priority during this break, right? I want to go back to that number. Denver created 2.68 goals against Louisville, and they one. Over season, the gap between XG and actual becomes ⁓ very real. that is a training problem that can be fixed. So it's not to say that it's huge handicap for this team. We all the players, we have the right pieces. We're just needing that little extra inch. And we for those of you who watched the broadcast, you saw Thomas had that remarkable header shot ⁓ ⁓ missed by an inch. ⁓ Ryan had that amazing t ⁓ that nutmeg the defender's legs bad just missed ⁓ an inch. We're so close. ⁓ Now we just to convert. If Nick Cushing uses this break to work on our finishing and around the box, the half of this season ⁓ will ⁓ very And for opposing teams, will look ⁓ very scary. I'm not gonna overstate what's coming promise something that isn't there yet. I will say this. underlying numbers on this ⁓ are better than the table The schedule is about to swing heavily our favor. And roster is getting ⁓ comfortable with each other in ⁓ way that only playing through ⁓ can. The first eleven games were about showing you could compete in this league. Summit FC has done that. The next twenty-three games are about proving that you belong at the top of it. That's all I've got for today. Thank you so much for spending your time with me. As always, be sure to subscribe to the 5280 Weekly, which is the newsletter that comes out every week. Connect with me on the gram and on threads. I post a lot on threads. I try and share stuff over to Instagram, stories, but connect with me on both places if you want more Denver Summit. And hey, if this is your first time here at the 5280 Pitch, thank you so much for being here. I'm Kate Hansen, and I'm here every Tuesday. Be sure to like, subscribe, leave a review, all the things because it genuinely helps the show grow. And folks, the Denver Summit might be on a break. But I am not. I will still be here next Tuesday bringing you the latest in Denver Summit news and notes. I'll be bringing on some more players so we can get to know them a little bit better before the second half of the season. But I cannot thank you enough for being here. Thank you for being a part of the Denver Summit community. We'll see you next Tuesday the 5280 Pitch Women's Soccer at Altitude.