Episode Details

Denver Summit FC led Angel City FC 2-0 after 18 minutes on Saturday, then gave up three goals in 11 minutes and lost 3-2, a brutal blow to our NWSL playoff hopes. And folks, it wasn’t a fluke. It’s the fourth two-goal lead we’ve let slip this season, and it’s cost us 20 points from winning positions. Hold every one of those leads and we’d have 58 points, three more than league-leading Gotham.

I walk through how the 2-0 lead disappeared, from MK’s goal in the second minute and Lindsey Heaps’ volley in the 18th to Angel City’s three goals before halftime. You’ll hear from head coach Nick Cushing and captain Janine Sonis out of the postgame press conference. Separately, in their own words, they describe the exact same problem: the line drops against the direct ball, the team stretches, and we lose the second balls. Nick put it on himself, and he said this is the reason we’re 10th and not sixth, fifth or fourth.

Then the playoff math. Denver Summit is 10th with 38 points and two games left. I ran all 729 remaining combinations of results for us, Portland, Seattle and North Carolina, and we get in on 21 of them. I lay out the three things that have to happen, why goal difference is on our side, and why Friday night’s games matter before we even kick off.

Last, the Racing Louisville preview. That covers who they are right now, how we beat them back in May, my four keys to the game, and my score prediction for the last home match of our inaugural season. Come be loud at Centennial on Saturday.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jiBAbW0QXepwdqK0qhaaF
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-5280-pitch-denver-summit-fc-podcast/id1859060272
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