S. Cantore (61)
Watch match Highlights and Press conference
Denver Summit Starting XI
Abby Smith, Ayo Oke, Eva Gaetino, Kaleigh Kurtz, Janine Sonis, Delanie Sheehan, Lindsey Heaps, Devin Lynch, Yazmeen Ryan, Olivia Thomas, Tash Flint
Washington Spirit Starting XI
Sandy MacIver, Gabrielle Carle, Tara McKeown, Esme Morgan, Kate Wiesner, Andi Sullivan, Rebeca Bernal, Paige Metayer, Hal Hershfelt, Trinity Rodman, Sofia Cantore
It was a hard-fought evening in the nation’s capital for Denver Summit FC. Despite putting up a good fight against the league leaders, the Summit narrowly fell 1-0 to the Washington Spirit at Audi Field on Sunday night. While the points didn’t come home with them, the performance provided positive takeaways.
Attacking Promise
From the opening whistle, Denver looked poised and dangerous. The Summit consistently applied pressure and controlled the tempo in the final third, out-creating Washington on their home turf:
- Total Shots: 17 for Denver vs. 13 for Washington
- Touches in Opposition Box: 35 for Denver vs. 20 for Washington
- Expected Goals (xG): 1.40 for Denver vs. 0.70 for Washington
The deciding moment came in the 61st minute when Washington’s Trinity Rodman found Sofia Cantore, who finished the chance to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead. Near the 80th minute, Denver’s coaching staff brought on fresh attacking legs in Ally Brazier, Melissa Kössler, and Natalie Means, keeping the pressure high until the final whistle, even if the equalizer proved just out of reach.
Standings & Stakes
Denver (19 points) remains right in the thick of a very tight playoff race. At the end of this match Summit is sitting in 11th place, just three points below the 8th place playoff line, held by Angel City FC (22 points). The middle of the table is closely contested, with Seattle Reign (20 points), Houston Dash (19 points), and Boston Legacy (19 points) all well within striking distance.
Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit used the victory to solidify their grip on 1st place, moving up to 33 points.
Denver Summit FC will look to build momentum on the back of this performance as the club hosts Boston Legacy FC next Sunday at Centennial Stadium.