Photo credit: Denver Summit FC
Denver yet again unlucky in bevy of moments despite proving ability to hang with NWSL’s hottest team
In Nick Cushing’s storied and wildly successful coaching career, he said he’s never been as dominant on the road as his Denver Summit FC has been this season.
Denver (5-6-4, 19 points, 11th in NWSL) proved again it can hang with some of the league’s best teams on Sunday night at the Washington Spirit (10-3-3, 33 points, 1st in NWSL), but once again did not come away with as many points as it thought it could.
The NWSL’s best and hottest team scored a beauty of a shot to get past Denver in the reverse fixture of the league’s most attended match ever earlier this season. Sofia Cantore’s 61st-minute blast helped the Spirit beat Summit FC, 1-0.
It came on a counterattack which started with Yazmeen Ryan getting dispossessed outside the Spirit’s penalty area. The ball found Trinity Rodman on the left wing, and she played a perfectly-weighted ball to Cantore. The Italian took a couple of touches, set up a shot and fit it excellently into the top-right corner of the goal. Upon replay, it may have taken a slight deflection off the thigh of Denver defender Kaleigh Kurtz.
The stat sheet favored Summit FC heavily, though. Per Fotmob, Denver doubled Washington’s xG (1.4-0.7), created more shots (17-13), had more big chances (4-0), took more touches in the opponent’s box (35-20) and sent more accurate crosses (7-1).
It’s not the first time this season that’s been the case in a loss or draw that’s felt much more like a win. Cushing is continuing to give his players grace.
“I’m between frustration and I’m getting a little bit more patient with the team now. (Spirit is) top of the league — we came here and dominated,” Cushing said. “… If we’re not going to execute these results, then we’ve just got to be patient. If it’s going to take time, it’s going to take time.
“…I’ve never had a season where I’ve been so dominant on the road. Seattle (Reign) away, Utah (Royals) away, tonight again away — games where it’s a difficult place to come. These are top of the league. I thought we were the better team. … The first 20 minutes is just attacking. There’s no real defending, just two teams attacking each other, and I’m proud that my team’s involved in that.”
Summit FC hit the crossbar twice, once in each half. Ryan skimmed one from distance in the first half on a breakaway where a defender was closing the inside while she cut in slightly from the right.
In second-half stoppage time, substitute Ally Brazier had a chance to tie the game and steal a point from Washington, but she also put it off the woodwork.
For all of its chance creation, finishing has been a major issue for Summit FC when it’s counted in its first season in the league. Still, the defense is looking inward.
“You’re talking to a center back and goalkeeper who just lost. Anytime we do lose, we take it quite personally,” Kurtz said. “We’re (she and goalkeeper Abby Smith) two people who are gonna look at it in a personal way, we’re gonna watch film back, learn however we can fix whatever mistakes we made and come back for the next week so that we can help lead this team in a different way.”
One resounding positive from the night was the performance of right back Ayo Oke, who played her best game in her first season in the NWSL by far on Saturday night.
In the first half particularly, she dealt with Rodman, one of the world’s best, brilliantly. That battle, which included some particularly spicy tackles both ways, was fascinating to watch. Defensively, Oke got the best of Rodman far more often than the other way around. On the ball, her creativity shone.
She took a pair of shots to the head, though, for both of which she had to briefly exit the field. She finished her shift and was subbed out in the 80th minute.
“(Oke) takes on those moments. There will be things we look at, maybe the goal (conceded) will be a moment that we look at and work on with Ayo,” Cushing said. “She’s investing in the development of herself. She’s growing every week — really enjoying working with her.”
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