The Denver Summit were 3-0 winners over league leaders Gotham FC after a second-half flurry of goals Sunday at Centennial Stadium.
After a tense first half, it took the Summit only minutes to break the deadlock in the second half. In the 50th minute, Summit defender Ayo Oke crossed an inviting ball into the Gotham 6-yard box, and Summit forward Yuzuki Yamamoto ghosted in and latched onto the cross to score her second-ever NWSL goal. And her second in two matches.
The goals poured in late. In the 82nd minute, Summit striker Olivia Thomas received the ball a few yards into the Gotham half. She kept driving forward, and no Gotham defender stepped to her. Thomas took the space allowed to her and once she reached the 18-yard box, unleashed a shot that found the bottom corner. The Summit had to withstand some pressure late in the second half, and they benefited from a deadly counterattack.
Thomas now has two goals in as many games. Denver Summit head coach Nick Cushing told the media, “Two weeks ago she was in the office. ‘What do I need to do to score my first goal?’ My advice to Thomas was ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing.’ You invest, it pays back. Liv’s got talent. She’s got real potential. The only way you achieve that is with hard work.”
The final goal happened in the 88th minute, as the Summit expertly sliced through the Gotham defense. This allowed Summit midfielder Natasha Flint loads of space out wide, giving her time to find Summit winger Yazmeen Ryan. Ryan drove the ball into the Gotham penalty area and snuck her shot near the post, beating a diving Gotham goalkeeper. Ryan missed out on the goal fest last week, but she cashed in on it Sunday.
“We’re just getting started in the step forward out of the ‘building phase.’ You can see the team pushing. I can’t fault the determination and desire. What the team’s done is gotten fed up with making that step (forward). You can see that now. Itap a big win today,” Cushing said.
This win puts the Summit just two points away from the last playoff spot. It is currently held by their next opponent, Angel City. That will be a real six-pointer in California.
Denver got its first clean sheet in 10 matches. Gotham lost its 10-match unbeaten streak. The Summit have also scored nine goals in the last two games, one against the worst team in the league and one against the best.
Cushing commented on the second-half performance, saying, “The second half, they took their foot off the (brake) pedal, put their foot on the gas. Incredibly proud of them to show the freedom and ambition to go and play.”
The Summit have also completed the season sweep of Gotham FC after winning the reverse fixture in March. It was the Summitap first-ever win. Gotham FC have now lost to the Summit twice, which accounts for half of their losses this season. The Summit has beaten Gotham as many times as the rest of the league combined have.
Oke was asked about beating Gotham twice, and she said, “It definitely feels good. Especially doing it before and after (the summer break).”
The Summit are starting to make Centennial Stadium a fortress, having won their last three matches at the new temporary stadium. Cushing believes the fans have a say in that stat, saying postgame, “I think we’re really building the connection between the crowd and the team… This is the best place I’ve been for a long time for enthusiasm and energy. We’re doing our bit.”
Denver Summit will have a shorter week to rest and recharge, as they will travel to Los Angeles to take on Angel City on Friday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m.
