บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Denver Summit vs Portland Thorns, Chicago Stars Recaps + Gotham FC Preview

me in the press box, Kaylee can attest. I'm a bit of a Topo fangirl. I have all of the bags. so this was this was really fun to see. They put out their mini quick pack as well as their rover pack. in signature summit colorways. I believe as we talk about the the next topic, gens spoiled that maybe they've already sold out. So hopefully they do another drop because I I would love to get those into the repertoire. go on topodesigns.com, get those bags. Let's see them all around Denver. They they really are iconic. Moving on to the part that I mentioned with Jen, we got to hear from Jen Millet at our very cool what was this Tuesday night, our big Tuesday. Kali: We had a big Tuesday. Big morning and big evening. Matt: Big Tuesday. Which okay. I'm gonna preface this because we we've got these two Kali: Mm-hmm. Matt: two peak to peak notes back to back. let I'm gonna flip the script and we're gonna start. So Tuesday morning, we we had the honor of being on CBS Colorado. they asked us to come in and talk about the Denver Summit. shout out to Dago, shout out to Karen, just really awesome people. We were we were so flattered for the invitation. It was so awesome to go there. Daggo gave us a great tour of the CBS Colorado newsroom. We got to talk to a bunch of the staff around there. Denver Summit, if you're listening, we need to get a merch drop over to CBS Colorado and and deck out their their sports department. they have too many Broncos helmets and and not enough summit scarves. So let's work on that. And then to cap off that Tuesday, we got to go to the women's game live show taping as guests of Sam Lewis. And I just, you know, felt like like a little kid. Like like I would I don't know. I was just so stoked. Talk to Sam after, a little bit star struck. you wanna talk about the day? Kali: Absolutely. I I mean you guys know at this point I can talk forever. It's a lot different when you're in the studio and you're the one being interviewed. I prefer to do the interviewing. so I was a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie. but it was a really fun morning. They made it so easy, they made it so comfortable. a lot different with the nice bright lights versus just in our own podcast studios in our houses. great morning. Wonderful way to start today. and then yeah, the night with the women's game live. Matt: Wait, wait, wait, wait. I wanna I wanna point out I wanna point out one thing. Guys, Kaylee was offered a mirror ahead of the taping. I was not offered a mirror. And like your boy felt a little like, I don't know, non-plus. Like, am I not up to mirror standards? I'm gonna go with like it was a compliment, and I was just like too fresh that I didn't need it. But like it Kali: Yeah. Matt: did felt like I got singled out. Like there's nothing you can do, just when the light comes on top. Kali: No, it's you know, I have a lot more hair than you do. So you gotta make sure it's all in the right place. And that's really the biggest thing with the mirror. Matt: That's fair. That's fair. Next time I'll make sure that my makeup's uneven so that way they they have to check me out. Kali: Mm. Okay. Well that's an interesting way of going about it, but I will give you a mir I'll share my mirror next time if you need that. Moving on. Matt: All right, you can continue on to the real thing you were about to talk about. Kali: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The I would say just absolute highlight of the week was getting to see Sam in the women's game live in Denver. I mean, they put on her whole team put on an absolutely incredible show from the guests to the writing to the participation with the audience. I mean, I it definitely helps that Summit has the best fans in the league and so they're pretty easy audience to have a good time with. But it was just such a great night. It was so fun to see her and her element, the team just so comfortable from Jen Millet all the way to the players. Like it was a fantastic time. just good conversations. And you know that I can I love a I love a good podcast. hence why we're in this business. But yeah, fantastic night. Sam, thank you so much. That was fantastic. Thanks for having us as guests. and anytime you want to come on the pod, Sam, by all means, balls in your court. And Matt has left the show. Matt: Sorry, I ran off screen on Kaylee because I wanted to I wanted I wanted to get this to the camera. So we got these fun gift bags from Sam as we attended the show. Some various Denver snacks, but this was the part I thought was the coolest. Women's game cookies. I did you eat yours, Kaylee? I haven't eaten mine yet. Kali: Custom cookies. Yeah, I ate everything in my bag already. I don't know why you still have any of your snacks. This is Thursday night. I ate those yesterday. Matt: So for the non-visual listeners, I'm showing a beautiful women's game cookie, which I'm just gonna let kind of harden and become a souvenir. Unlike Kaylee, I showed restraint on that. Maybe we'll put it up in the podcast Kali: No. Matt: set. But Kaylee kept saying goals every time Sam or Jen would speak in particular. And so I have a goal now, and it's eventually for us to have custom goals. Sum it up cookies. Kali: Love it. We can make that happen. That's that's easy. We can do that. Matt: Okay. All right. So attainable goals. That's what we're all about. We're level setting. I do want to point out one thing from the show. I think I had two favorite parts. One of them w was Gen Malay potentially ruining our chances at a Chipotle sponsorship. Listeners, you'll have to tune in to Sam's show to Kali: That was so funny. Matt: find out what that's all about. Kali: Dude, I Jin Malay is funny. I the whole Matt: Yeah. And then Kali: time I was I was listening, I was like Matt: Yeah. Kali: This girl's got a gr quick wit and a a great sense of humor, but that was I was most surprised by that. And not because of anything. Like we had a great conversation with her when she was on our show, but I think just like her

being relaxed and the atmosphere that Sam created as the host was so great to where I felt like Jen really let her hair down. You really saw some personality shine through, which was fun. Matt: Yeah, we we might have to send like a bottle of wine to our virtual interviewees so they can do their own green room at home. Because like Kali: Yeah. Matt: we didn't find out when we had Jen on the show that she she's a grunge queen. They Kali: Yeah. Matt: they talked about a nineties style they wanted to bring back, and Jen's like, I'd bring back grunge, but I I never left it. Like and then I do want to say my other favorite moment. So so Nick, and he's done this before, in a, I would say kind of a ribbing, but very much a complimentary way, has referred to Lindsay Heaps as a world class player, and that world class players are difficult from a coaching standpoint to work with because they're so demanding. They have such strong opinions. Lindsay was listening, y'all. She had her head on a Kali: Yeah. Matt: On a swivel, typical midfield fashion. She came out firing when it was her team time to come on stage. She called Nick out. She goes, Nick said the altitude hasn't affected him, but he told me just this morning he's getting his ass kicked every time he steps on the treadmill for his 5 a.m. workouts. So Nick, if you're gonna call me difficult, I'm gonna out you right there. And the whole crowd just kind of breaks up into laughter. Yeah, yeah. Kali: And she is liar. Called him a liar straight on the spot. Matt: Yeah. I want like a buddy cop show Kali: again, I love those moments where you see Matt: of just like Nick and Lindsay going on a road trip. Kali: That would be hilarious. I love those moments where you get to see the personality shine through between a coach and a player and giving each other a hard time and whatever that looks like. And you see that more often than not when you ask Nick or Lindsay about each other in their individual interviews, but then seeing, like you said, them listening to one another and then call each other out again on stage. Just they're funny. I like it. Good camaraderie. Matt: All right, last note in the peak to peak, we are officially on Emma Sears watch. Fans, the NWSL transfer deadline closes Monday, September seventh. anyone that watched our socials, anyone that that's been on our NWSL will know that Emma Sears was seen and pictured at the Denver Summit Chicago Stars match in Centennial this past weekend. Where she was sitting was of note too because she was on the suite level with the summit players that were injured from the game. Then a few days later, she posted on her Instagram that she was in Breckenridge, Colorado. And it's gotten all of the internet sleuths going about how she couldn't have caught her flight with the team back to how do you say it again, Kaylee? Kali: Lobo Lovo Matt: Okay, back to Kentucky. And that it would be weird for her to take a side trip to go see some friends when she's probably expected back for film review and training. So we're full tilt in the camp of Emma Sears is going to be announced before the trade deadline. Even if that's not true, like the Sam Kerr news ended up being, we don't want to hear it right now because Kali: Mm. Matt: we're we're Sears to the summit. I've been checking every every Louisville Racing Louisville account that I can find. I don't know if they just never do, but it seems to me they've posted notably less training videos this week. so I'm just saying, let's light a candle. Let's let's do our hippie mountain moon dances, maybe, maybe go out to Red Rocks and howl. Whatever you guys gotta do, let's let's keep Emma here because I'm not sure she ever left. Kali: Yay, yay. Who knows? Who knows? Maybe she just went ahead and moved on in. you know, Emma, as a girl from Kentucky, I get it. It's a nice time. Beautiful beautiful state, wonderful people. but Colorado is where it's at, girl, let me tell ya. Matt: Hey, listen to Kaylee. She moved to Kentucky and everything's coming up, Kaylee. Like the same can be true for Emma. You got or you true for you, Emma. You've got your besties here. You've got Janine, you've got Lindsay, you've got Carson. Like, you've got Ava. she and Ava are are really thick from from their US women's national team call-ups. Like, it just makes so much sense. And again, do it now before you have to move. And play for racing Reno Nevada. Kali: That's not confirmed even in the slightest. There you go again, making up rumors. Matt: You can't have your star player put out a press release saying she wants to be traded, and then a week later you put out a press release saying, yeah, guys, we could use some money, maybe a new owner. Like it's not hard to connect those dots. Kali: Yeah. Yeah, I don't know what racing level's doing, but it's certainly not the summit standard, I'll tell you that. Matt: I j we just need more R towns. They could be the Racing Rochester. Kali: They could. Matt: what else do we have? Racing Richmond. Kali: I think Richmond Racing would sound better. Matt: Racing Redmond Washington. Yeah. Kali: You know, I don't I think that's their problem. Whatever Matt: Take Kali: racing decides is their PR problem, not ours. Matt: Okay, but like so you know how the MLS has three teams in Canada? Hear Kali: Mm-hmm. Matt: me out. Racing Regina. Kali: Okay. I don't think any woman wants to play for that team. I can I feel pretty confident speaking on behalf of women. Matt: It's alliteration. you're Kali: Right, Matt. Matt: the woman on the podcast. You speak on behalf of them. I'm the Lorax. Kali: I do. Matt: I speak for the trees. Kali: And on that note, I'm gonna cut you off. We're moving on. Moving on, we have Matt: Guys, it is currently eleven PM while we're recording. We're not allowed to do late night shows anymore. Kali: This is not Sam Yu's had a great late night show vibe. This is not it. This is late night if raccoons were running the show. So we have got to

pivot. Moving on, we have two game recaps to talk about today, but the first one's gonna be pretty swift, let me tell you. It is the recap of your Denver Summit versus Thorns, and I don't think we need to spend much time talking about it. This one was pretty frustrating. Denver never really could find what they needed. Sophia Wilson Provided the difference for Portland, scoring all the only goal of the night and handing us the one-zero loss at Providence Park. Denver couldn't find an equalizer. Portland held on to take all three points in front of its largest home crowd of the season. And it also meant that the two teams split the regular season series after Denver took the first meeting two to one at our Centennial Stadium back in July, if you remember. So rough game, tight loss. summit we just couldn't find what we needed to bring even a tie home, which sucked. The only glimmer of positive was Tobin got recognized Tobin Heath got recognized as a retired Thorn, which was really just a cool sentiment to see. I after talking to Tobin and Kristen and when they were here in Denver, not that I wasn't already the biggest fangirl ever. But I mean, I feel even more of a parasocial relationship to them and just am so happy for Tobin and just all the praise and accolades that she got. Lindsay talked about how she got to spend some time with her and celebrate her so well deserved on the women's game podcast earlier this week. So I will say, tough game for us, but good to see people who are so well deserving get their flowers. Any thoughts on the game, Matt? Matt: I think I think it was kind of a consolation to to Portland. We had kind of been dogging them a lot here on the show, and I think they had taken offense to it. So I I do think what Nick and the team did was give Portland the consolation win because you can't steal three points and their girl. So like when we get sof, they'll at least have that win to you know to. Tuck under their pillow at night and and feel a little bit better. Kali: I love that you are just absolutely digging in. I mean like is your are your shoulders sore from like the hole that you're digging for yourself or no? You feel good? Matt: No, but I I am getting old. I I I pulled something in my back at soccer like a month ago and it's it's still knotted up. I I ordered a massage gun on on Amazon. Kali: It's probably because of Matt: Yeah, it's from it's from carrying all the all the Portland fans across the trenches that is the Sophia Wilson transfer. Kali: Sure is. Absolutely is. Matt: My right shoulder my right shoulder is still pretty limber to carry Emmas Eers across the line for this transfer. So I I'm not scared of the Racing Louisville fans. I am scared of the Rivetors. They are they're just a badass supporters group. Kali: Yeah, I would be too. Well, here is a little bit of what Nick had to say post game after the Portland Thorns loss we had. Moving on to the game we all want to talk about, and that is your summit taking on

the stars and absolutely a demolishing them, truly. What a freaking game that was. There's no need to overcomplicate it, oversell it. It was an a fantastic game to see the summit show off. it it got to the point, honestly, you guys know at this point I am a very I don't know if I would categorize myself as an empath, but I'm I care a lot for the individuals on the pitch. And it got to the point where I started to feel a little bad for Katie Atkinson, Chicago's goalie. Like It just that would suck personally. And so, but you know, not bad enough to not celebrate. So sorry, Katie. Feel for you. It's not on your shoulders. You know, it takes a whole team, all those good things. But Summit. Way to freaking go. Here are some stats for everybody just to hear out the gate before we dive into this game, because I could talk about this for the next three hours if you'd let me. Okay, so we had six goals. We had five different goal scores. We had two first career NWSL scores. We had one brace for Melissa Costler. And we had, you guys, the most goals scored by any NWSL team in a game this season. And while that sounds almost not as devastating for Chicago, in just that one sentence, it should be of note that Since the league's inception, the record for the most goals scored by a single team in a regular season match of all time is six. And unfortunately for Chicago, it was achieved by the Orlando Pride in a six to zero victory over the Chicago Stars. So Chicago is in both of those stats on the losing end. And again, I feel for him. but that's pretty cool that we're we're also in that sentence. So yeah. Needless to say, Saturday was a freaking great night. Any thoughts, Matt, before I dive into the f the Matt: I mean Kali: the nitty gritty? Matt: I I actually do because fans, unfortunately, I was not at this game. I was twenty miles north covering the Rocky Mountain Cup. Kali: The Matt: dude, I've never felt like a kid in trouble in the longest time as much as at the women's game, when Molly Cohen walks Kali: Yeah. Matt: up and grabs my shoulder and goes, Where were you Saturday? And I was like, I'm so sorry. Kali: She noticed. Matt, you upset Molly Cohen Matt: I felt so in trouble. Kali: and I think you should apologize. Matt: Molly, I I'm gonna look directly in the camera, get close to the mic. Molly, I'm sorry. That was a choice that I made, and it's something I will live with for the rest of my life. Those six goals are a void I will never be able to fill, but I will try. And trust me, unlike the hole I'm not gonna dig myself out of for Sophia Wilson, I will dig myself out of this hole of missing this six-game barrage and eventually. I will be at a game where the Denver Summit scores seven goals. You heard it here first. Kali: Ooh, I like it. That was a good apology. I'll give you that. That was good. Matt: Yeah, thank you. but before we get to that, I I just want to read a couple of text messages I got from Kaylee during this game while I was I was covering another soccer game. I'm like I'm like Kali: no. I send these in confidence. I take this as you're my friend. Matt: I'm no no no this is no this is too good. This is too good. So I'm typing away. I'm like trying to do like game notes, like like the game threads you see us do for the summit, like I was doing one for this rapids game, and like to be fair The first message I sent was WTF is happening over there. And then Kali: Ha ha ha. Matt: just the next series of text messages, I think Kaylee just turned on caps lock and like left it because we get We're Dominating, Get Wrecked Chicago, Costler got her second, Tosh on the board as well, live the the the the the Thomas, and then bye bye. Kali: Ha ha ha. Matt: I was so jealous of you. Like my Kali: Yeah. Matt: Apple Watch was going off over and over again. It's like goal three, goal four, goal five. I thought SofaScore and Fot Mob were malfunctioning. That's why I was texting you and no. Kali: Ha ha. Matt: Just Chicago malfunctioning. Kali: Yeah, a wee bit. A wee bit. Okay, so let's talk through this match because Denver wasted no time setting the tone. And I think that was my favorite thing to see is they didn't make his wait. Everyone came out ready and hungry. Immediately, in the 13th minute, Yazuki found Janine on the outer edge of the box and Sana sound the back of the net. It was her ninth goal of the season and the assist from Yuzuki was the second of her rookie season and the first goal contribution in Centennial Stadium. I mean, I the fact that Janine set the tone, I'm not shocked at this point. but I just love that it I feel like it's just a a a perfect illustration of her leadership. She's gonna set the tone, the rest of the team is going to follow. And Lindsay coming in six minutes later in her first game at Centennial after missing three matches with an injury, sends then a beautiful ball into the box, and Costler heads it home. So Lindsay sending balls, being selfless. Sonis is finding the back of the net. We're already two goals in and the stadium is electric. Especially because an important thing to note here is this was Costler's first goal in quite some time after opening the season with goals in three consecutive matches. The last Culse Costler goal we saw before this was April 25th against San Diego Wave. So it was I feel like the whole fan just eruption zone, everyone was like, wow, she needed this, we needed this. Like everyone felt that goal right alongside Costler, which again is just like the coolest part about sports is to have such a connection To a result, and again, I could get into the psychology about that and just the humanity of it for so many different reasons, but I digress. Summit finishes the first half with a lead for the sixth time this season and holding the stars to just one shot the entire first half, and they had 66.2 possession. When we talked to Melissa Costler and Olivia Thomas after the match. They said that at halftime there was only one

thing really on the team's mind, and that was to keep their foot on the gas the whole game. And they certainly did that because the second half was even more electric than the first. But Matt, did you have any chance to see anything going on during the first half or or were you just zoned in on the rapids? Matt: I was just wondering why my my watch was freaking out, but I do want to point out something at this at this split here that I just looked up because you you made me think of it when you you talked about her. Janine Saunas, ninth goal. She is one out from fifth in goals in the NWSL. Like nine fifth place is tenth. And I don't think it can be stated enough that like nine goals, let's just Let's go back through her career real quick. Let's go 2016 Houston Dash. Three goals, two assists. 2017, two goals, one assist. 2018, zero goals, zero assists with Gotham. She moves short season to Manchester City. Manchester City, who at the time was managed by one Nicholas Cushing, he really seems to know how to unlock Janine Saunas because then we get eight goals, one assist, five goals, seven assists, five goals, one assist. Two goals, five assists. Comes back to the NWSL. Portland Thorns first season, zero and two. Portland Thorne Thorns second season, three goals and two assists. Racing Louisville in 2024, one goal, one assist. Racing Louisville 2025, three goals, five assists. And I I want to point out here that some of these numbers, you're gonna say, okay, like two, zero, one, like why are you touting these things? I'm telling these things because she's not a forward. She's a defender. Kali: She's n a defender. Matt: She's a left back. Like, this is wild. And then she transfers to the Denver Summit 2026, the year that she turns 32 years of age. Or if you're trying to get free 90 brew coffee, 26 years of age. She is sitting on nine goals and four assists. She is making what 60 other forwards in the league? Like, Look over their shoulders for a left back. MVP Kali: Yep. Mm-hmm. I mean Matt: hands down. I don't care how many goals Barbara Banda scores. Her one job is to score goals. And like she's doing a great job of it. Cool. Janine Saunas has 60 million jobs, it seems, and least of which should be putting up career record goals. Like, Kali: Yep. Matt: just give her the award now. Give her the Kali: Yeah. I mean The excitement in seeing Matt nearly come out of his chair about Janine Sonis is a hundred percent warranted. She is a defender. This is not necessarily her job. And she is crushing it and leading with just the utmost like positivity and just she's inevitable and she is dependable. And I think that is two of the best things you can be as a defender. But I mean those in the most sincere way for our attacking part of the field. in the field and that is astonishing to me. Matt: And you you ask her about it and she's like, shucks, you know, I'd be happy not scoring all these goals if we won more. Like you're putting up MVP level numbers and you're like, I would throw it away. Just Kali: Yeah. Matt: I can't wait to be there when they hang her jersey up in the raft. Kali: Yeah, yep. Janine, our girl, we love ya. Moving on to our second half though, Yazuki came out blazing and scored her first career goal in the 48th minute, and that became just the third player in franchise history to log both an assist in a goal in a single match, Janine Saunas and Tosh Flint being the others. The second half opener was made possible by none other than Tosh Flint, who came off the bench to tally her third assist of the season. Now, Chicago Stars, Julia Grosso was able to put the stars on the board in the 53rd minute. Chicago's only goal of the match. And I would say for approximately three minutes, you kind of felt that like heart. Clenching like catch-your-breath situation where you're we're wondering if is Chicago gonna start making this interesting or you know, are we are we good? Where are we at? And quickly that again, I don't mean to scoff, but it was that feeling was quenched was squished immediately because Flint quickly answers the stars tally with an unassisted rocket in the fifty-sixth minute for her fifth goal of the season and her first since May ninth versus Houston. Tosh Flint is now the fourth player in the league this season to record a goal and assist in the same match as a substitute. So if you're keeping up so far, this match was Thematically all about Denver players racking up stats. which I love because that just it it's so nerdy and fun to know all of the ins and outs of how these things come about. and the fifty fifth excuse me. In the fifty-eighth minute, Cosler came back for more and it became the second summit player to record a brace this season. Janine Saunas being the other, again, our our girl who is breaking records left and right. but Kostler had the fifth goal of the night, and it came off the foot of defender Io Oke, who recorded her second assist of the season. I'm not gonna lie, when I saw this goal happen, I thought Io was getting the goal. And I was so thrilled for Io. I freaking love watching her play. She plays with the tenacity of like a thousand sons. And so I was so excited to see that. But you know what? She got the assist. We got a goal regardless. That is what I was most obviously ultimately happiest about. but it was also in that moment that not only did I feel a hundred percent certain that Chicago was cooked, which is probably when I texted you get wrecked Chicago But I physically like could not keep up with the goals. Like I was posting on our Instagram story about the goals. And typically, I'm not gonna lie, and I don't mean this in a negative way, it it is not that most the most consuming part of my job at the games. I typically have some time in between them. I had zero time in between the goals this game, and I've never been so thrilled to be so rushed. because at that point I was like, So this game is over. Like we're we're winning. I'm a little

like I'm excited, but I'm a little checked out at this point, just happy. Like, what a vibe. And that is when I quickly realized the game is not over. Because in the 85th minute, Devin Lynch finds rookie Olivia Thomas, who scores her first career NWSL goal to put the exclamation point on top of the entire match. You see Beautiful photos of her running straight to the bench to celebrate with her team. And Nick himself said that his perfect night after the 5-1 lead was gonna be if Liv could could finally get that goal for herself. And my goodness did it happen. And to end my very, very long monologue of my excitement of this game, here's exactly what Olivia Thomas and head coach Nick Cushing had to say about that moment. Again, crazy stats for this match. Five different players for Denver Summit scored. Eight different players had goal contributions. Six of the summit's eight goal contributors are all playing their first season in the NWSL, with three of them being true rookies amongst those six. Yuzi ha Yuzu had a goal and an assist in her first goal of the season. Costler got the brace. Heaps returned and immediately got an assist. Both I'm gonna mark and redo that. Again, crazy stats for this match. Five different Denver players scored. Eight different players had gold goal contributions. Six of Summit's eight goal contributors are all playing their first season in the NV Cell, by the way, with three of those being true rookies amongst the sixth. Yuzu had a goal and an assist. Costler got the brace. Heaps returned and immediately got an assist. Both Yuzu and Olivia Thomas got their first N-B cell goals. And then Janine Saunas. Casually crossed 10,000 career regular season NWSL minutes while scoring her ninth goal of the season. And again, at the start of the second half, Summit scored three goals in five minutes and 30 seconds. Just the numbers were off the charts for this match. I am genuinely tired of of making sure I have all the numbers correct because there were so many to count this this get match. Now, was Chicago a team dim for probably. should be, yeah. I mean they were they're at the bottom of the tables, so one would think so. But the NWCL, anything can happen. Anybody can have a better like an ulcer game, a rough game. Truly it's a it's a league where anything is possible. And we've spent a lot of time this season talking about how Denver has been creating opportunities and not necessarily finishing them. But my gosh, that was not an issue on Saturday night. Ha ha Matt: Ka Kaylee just took the the deepest breath and release. I thought she was about Kali: I mean I just Matt: to say something, so I was giving her space, but it was literally just like and scene. Kali: I mean, I just it's just so much it to talk about in the best way. Like, I I I love when we have a back and forth, but honestly, I just had to say it all, I had to get it all out there. There was so much just to hammer out in the stats. So yeah. Sorry for for the monologue, but it that's your recap of the Chicago Stars versus your Denver Summit. Matt: All right. Can I can I start another beef? Kali: my gosh. Maybe. Who's it with? Matt: Chicago. This does feel just mean at this point, but like Kali: Yeah. Matt: sh she was ours first. Like I'm going back to the racing for pink slips thing that we talked about with with Emma Regan getting getting Nat Mean's number. this means we get Mal Swanson, right? Like you Kali: my gosh. Matt: you look, all I'm saying is as a franchise, as a club. You can't sit Mal Swanson for a hip injury and then lose six to one and me not think like, okay, she's coming home. Plus, I don't know if you guys watch Sam Mewis and Lindsay Heaps podcast, The Captain. They just had Danzby Swanson, Mallory's husband, Mr. Mallory Swanson, on the show and Look, I don't think the timing is pure coincidence. And eventually, if we ever get a an SEC that enforces things, they're going to come after Lindsay Heaps for like collusion. Kali: My gosh, how dare you you put the SEC on Lindsay Matt: Because like sh like I Kali: Heaps? Matt: No, this is so you we've talked about this. My route to get every Colorado player here is through their grandparents. Lindsay's just going direct to their significant others. Like Lindsay, Kali: Yeah. Matt: this is like, okay, picture this. I want I don't even know how to phrase this one. All right. I I want you to come over for dinner this weekend with Allie and I. Right? Okay. Kali: Mm. Mm. Matt: and then like the goal is to show you that there's this house across from us that just went up for sale. We want you guys to move to the neighborhood. Yeah. So, like, Kali: Yeah. Okay. Matt: I already know you're coming over for dinner this weekend. Yes. Then I invite Kali: Okay. Matt: Ryan over for drinks on Thursday to like nail it down. Like, I don't tell you. You just find out Kali: okay. Uh-huh. Matt: you're like, I just saw a video of of you and Ryan like knocking back drinks and like talking about the good times. Like that's what Lindsay's doing and that's why she's Kali: So you're saying Lin yeah. Matt: a competitor. Kali: I mean, if there's one thing we know, it's that Lindsay knows how to go knows how to go after what she wants and is competitive as all get out. So she is I I don't doubt it. I I think the hard sell, personally, and no offense, Colorado, no offense, Denver, is for Danzby to switch from the Chicago Cubs. to the Rockies. That's pretty brutal. Matt: Yeah, it's not as easy with as with Soph where like a good football team can recruit Mr. Sophia Kali: Y yeah. Matt: Wilson to come play for them. Like Kali: Yeah. Matt: Cubs are good. They're also paying Dansby a ton of money. Kali: And they're the Chicago Cubs. Like, and I should I guess I should disclose at this point that I am a Cubs fan. They were my first MLB game Matt: What? Kali: of my life. And so my first my first game was at Wrigley. And I was like, okay, and now I'm a Cubs fan. And then three

years later, they won the World Series and I went to the World Series parade. So like I got pretty indoctrinated pretty quick and yeah, I'm just go cubbies. Matt: I have nothing to say to that. Let's move on. Kali: Well, Matt, you yet again pick another beef. But I you know, Mal, I'm gonna go with the sweeter route. Why not come home? You we don't have to have a beef about it, but how lovely would it be to be on the winning side of that score sheet, no? Matt: Yeah. And then like just going back to Samus and the women's game show that we went to the taping of, they put a picture. Sam Sam had it, sofin Mal, hugging, Kali: Mm-hmm. Yep. Matt: asking if there were any any particular players that might be recruited to Colorado. Kali: It's true. It was there. Matt: Whole world's conspiring for us. Kali: Yeah. Matt, you are that is where I saw you light up the most on when we watched that g that podcast live is when you were like, see, they're doing it too. It's not just me Matt: Yeah. And also like I'm gonna do another direct to camera, like Mallory. You just had a kid. That's that's amazing. Josie James Swanson, fantastic. Love that name. Perfect Colorado name. Like just imagine Josie in one of those custom cowgirl hats that all of the Denver Summit players had made for them. Like, I don't know, did you get custom hot dogs in Chicago? Like But let's go back, let's go back to the youth aspect. Like Chicago, beautiful city. Love Chicago. But Denver, I think, might be a safer city to raise kids. And it's for one reason in particular. Denver's Waymo's just got off their leash. And what happened was a Denver Waymo got rear-ended. They thought it was the Waymo's fault, but then they looked at the camera, and it's because the Waymo yielded for a pedestrian. In Denver. Our automated automated robots that are taking over the world are protecting us. While in Chicago, your automated robot Kali: What is this? What is this? A Waymo commercial? We have digressed so far. Mal, here is our plea. Come home to Denver so Matt stops making commercials for brands that are not paying us. Matt: Yeah. Also your parents live here and that's free childcare. Child care is so expensive even for the wages you and Danz we make. Like I'm just saying. Kali: It's true. It's true. The the summit would welcome you, if the community would welcome you. There would be little Swanson jerseys all over the place. So now, so come home. Come be with your girl Lindsay. Matt: Open up the daycare center at the Common Spirit Performance Center. Kaylee and I will run it. Like we we'll do anything for the cause. Like, let's go. Kali: No, sorry, you don't want me running the Matt: No? Kali: the daycare. No. Kids overwhelm me. Matt: Well, I'm great with kids, so I'll do it. Kali: I I I'm good with like I would say like four and less. Like if there's less than four kids, we're good. But I'm guessing a daycare will have more than that. No no no. I just like like the the physical bodies Matt: I thought you were like talking about age. You're like five, nah, send away. Kali: running around. I y you can't watch them all at the same time. It seems incredibly overwhelming. Matt: That's like common. Like that's like saying like I can walk four dogs at one time. The fifth throws me off balance. Like, I Kali: Right. Matt: don't think that's a weird thing on your part. Kali: Yeah, I agree. So don't sign me up to run the daycare. Again, this is a weird segment for a late night soccer podcast conversation. Matt: Sum it up after dark. Kali: Truly. Matt, why don't we keep it on the Matt: I just wanna put I just wanna put out both of us are sober right now. My podcast beverage is Kali: a hundred percent. Matt: a berry and vanilla yogurt smoothie. This is literally just us on fumes. Kali: In fact, I'm incredibly dehydrated. I could go for a water. Matt: All right. Kali: Moving on to our Gotham preview. Matt, tell us what we need to know going into this match that I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling a little nervous about. Matt: Well, I think after I go through this, you're gonna feel a lot less nervous about this. Listeners, this Sunday, September 6th, at 12 p.m. Mountain Time, Denver Summit FC are hosting the New York, New Jersey Gotham Football Club at Centennial Stadium. Y'all remember back in March when we won all poison ivy on the on the Batwomen in their homes home stadium? Yeah? Put a goal on For each state they add to their name, beat them 2-0. We're just inclusive like that. Do you remember this was during the Tosh Flint and Melissa Costler hot streak, which, listeners, if you made it through all of our tangents and rants, you'll know seems to have fired right back up just in time last match. Gotham had a lot of momentum in this match when you look at the stats. The difference makers were the big chances that Denver created in the second half and were able to finish. This is going to come into account when I talk about the game predictions, but I just want you to to think about that. When you look at the graphs, Gotham pretty much had the first half and largely had the bigger swings of momentum in the second. But what Denver did was create a few opportunities. That they capitalized on. And that's the difference in a win. There's some notable Gotham news since the last time we faced them. this time around, pretty big storyline. Sam Kerr. Listeners who were tuned in earlier in the season will remember that the Sam Ker Kerr Derby, or can I can we call it Kirby? Is that like the the toy? No, I got a little bit of a reaction from Kaylee there. So the Sam Sam Curr Derby, given different reports, ran the gamut of Denver set in stone per an Australian local news team and apparently a Denver realtor on Reddit. then the reports were a two horse race between Boston and Denver. And then finally, we find out Sam Curr wanted her old locker back at Goth. Sam has welcomed herself back to the NWCL pretty well. I think she's got three goals and an assist across nine

matches. she's match fit, rocking about 70 minutes per match. so this isn't just kind of a celebrity shot appearance where she comes in and scores. She she's running those games. I'm I'm still a little jilted, a little unrequited, a little, a little bitter, frankly, that Sam didn't choose us. I I think that would have been the better better match. In other big name news, Rose Lavelle has been absent from the field since the 37th minute of Gotham's second most recent match when they played Angel City FC. Lavelle came down hard, hit her head on the turf, immediately seen by trainers, walked off, thankfully, of her own power, but has been in the concussion protocol since. so she missed the last match against Portland Thorns. Southward Central covering Gotham. Reported on Blue Sky that as of Tuesday's training, Rose had returned to sprints and solo drills. Honestly, with head injuries, they're pretty scary and the timetables can be all over the place. So running sprints, you know, doing some solo drills, that could mean she plays this Sunday. That could mean she plays three weeks from now. I think the the important thing here is especially with a head injury, just Rose, take care of yourself. We're all rooting for you. Like no rush to come back. I personally would love to see her play in this match. I I always want rosters at their full strength and I I hate seeing these athletes go down with injuries. but we're all thinking about you. Hope to see you. take your time. I I think the rest of the I'll compliment Gotham. I think the rest of Gotham can can hold it down and and have your back while while you get better. And they need her to get better because Rose just signed an extension. Through the 2029 season. Gotham is paying big bucks to keep their star in the city, especially as they're going to be moving into the shared stadium with New York City football club in Queens itself. So they will stop being New York, New Jersey, Gotham eventually and just be Gotham, I think is the plan. there has been a little bit of scuttle butt about the Roosevelt contract along with the Emily Sonnet contract from earlier in the year and the Sam Kerr signing of like, how are they doing this? To which everyone's kind of replying, it's the hip money. That seems to be a catch-all. you guys will remember that is the Trinity Trinity Rodman rule of how Washington Spirit was able to keep Trin in. And I want Summit fans to hear this out. Let's not question that too much. Okay. Like, let's just ride with if anyone. Wants to see our books, we just say hip roll, we're good because we're going to need that when we're carrying Mal, Sophia, and Emma as additions to this team. We good? This is a pact between us. Hip rule, no questions asked. Good. All right. So other entry news for Gotham. I don't know why you tolerate me, Kaylee. This is Kali: I no comment. Matt: This is great content. This is what the people want. This is provocative. Kali: Uh-huh, yeah. So provocative. Matt: a couple other differences from the last time we faced Gotham all the way back in March is the absence of center back Emily Sonnet. She ruptured her left patellar tendon against the thorns at the end of July. same deal as we said about Rose and we've said about other opponents we face. Injuries suck. We'd rather they never happened, not even to our opponents. I think every match is better when the full complement of players is at their full health and full competitive nature. That's the soccer we want to see. So we won't see Emily until next season, but we're rooting for her. additionally, this was kind of controversial news. if you guys remember, Esther left the team for personal reasons, which I think like approximately three, maybe four weeks later, those personal reasons turned out to be her signing as the first, I guess, gay rights champion in the Saudi women's league. people Don't know what to expect here. This is a league famously homophobic against the LTBTQ AI plus community. And for someone like Esther to to march in there, I I hope it makes a difference. I feel like when you you see a star player go out and do star things, like that's the representation that can start to bring some of the we'll call them stragglers back to the cohesive public square of of humanity and inclusivity and appreciation for everyone's different personalities and life choices and yeah this this one's interesting where I I'm curious how it's gonna go. It's Al Al ca I'm gonna butcher this Al Kadcia in the Saudi league. I I bet they they dropped a bag On her and she couldn't say no to the the money, but this is a storyline to watch and I figure we'd talk about it. So that's your Gotham preview for the summit side of things. We are waiting for news at tomorrow's training on the status of star goalkeeper Abby Smith. Though we are confident if Abby can't go, Kat Asman will keep the posts warm for her and and hold down the fort. She has been great stepping up into that role. And I just want to quash any controversy now. Nick was adamant that Abby is the number one. Her performance is top of the league. And she's right back in the XI when when she's ready. Like Abby's another MVP candidate we have on this team. so I know people like to stir stuff up, but like I can't wait to get Abby back and still love having Kat jumping the sticks and and and rocking that. I will also be checking out update. go ahead. Kali: I do wanna ho Matt, I also wanna point out the fact that you had a interesting conversation, rather an interesting question that you had for Nick about our goalkeeper trainer. Please we have to dive into that because I saw the clip that you had sent me of just a casual conversation between you and Nick and I thought this was a crazy thing that we stumbled upon. Matt: I mean, I don't think it's that crazy. So I for anyone that goes to Summit training, Summit goalkeeper coach Karen Bardsley, KB, as everyone calls her, like you you would barely know she's a coach and

not one of the goalkeeping core, just day in, day out, watching her run the drills, take the shots, block the shots. Like, she's very hands-on. She's shoulder to shoulder with Jordan, with with Abby, with Pauline at the time, with Kat now. Like you would just assume this is the four goalkeeper core. I mean, I don't I don't wanna out her, but KB KB is 41 years old. She just stopped playing professionally in 2021. And like 2026, going back to what I'm seeing at training, she still got it. So I mean, I I've talked to Nick about KB before throughout the season, talked to the goalkeepers about her her role with them and and what you call, Kaylee, was just an offhand remark of Nick when when Abby went down, do you ever think of just calling KB up as the the pool keeper, the emergency goalkeeper, or or just giving her a run out? Nick has a a long standing relationship with with Karen, all the way back to their their Man City days together over in the UK. And We we'll we'll include Nick's answer here 'cause it's just gold and I think it speaks to the the person and player and coach that is Karen Bartley. Kali: Yeah, I heard that clip and that answer from Nick and I had to be like, Is this normal of an answer? Like, is this a thing that happens? I know that I am I'm probably not the most seasoned soccer fan that has ever existed because the depth of knowledge, not just in this league but in this sport, is insane. and so no, I didn't I did not wake up when I was born and start thinking about soccer. So that to me I feel behind. and so when I heard Nick's answer that you all just heard, I was like, dang, that's pretty cool. so I just had to call that out because those are the tidbits that we get at training that are so cool to share with the rest of the world later on. Matt: Yeah, I I will say I I think Nick was completely serious about KB here. I think if we ever gotten Kali: I know. Matt: a pickle and it was like the and the goalkeeper room like all got like the flu, KB's between the posts and handling it. But I do want to add this. I'm gonna go. Kali: I know and that's why I was so shook. Matt: Yeah, I want to add this, and maybe I'm I'm getting into my Lindsay Heaps era. I also think Nick thinks he could step in to the field if need be. Gender be damned. I think if the midfield went down, like they all went to Chipotle with Jen Malay and they all got Salmonella. I think Nick thinks he'd be out there as like the six, just like east west and pinging crosses. And to be fair, he's still got a leg on him. I've I've seen him put the ball like on a rope across field, dropping a dime, right at right at someone's foot. but I mean that's that just goes to show you like Kali: So all that to say is Matt: how much fun and like the type of people that are out there on the trading field every day. Kali: Yeah, I do feel like when you reach like that peak level of athleticism, you're a professional in your chosen career to be also surrounded by such awesome faculty and

staff that have that kind of mentality about them. I can only imagine it's a it's a fun time at training and with a bunch of incredibly motivated and competitive people right alongside you. Matt: Twenty twenty two. I'm gonna correct myself. Not twenty twenty one. K KB retired in twenty twenty two. She was still making appearances for Man City and and for the Great Britain international team. Damn. Kali: I that's incredible. Matt: Sometimes it do be like that. Kali: Sometimes. Sorry to cut you off there, Matt. Matt: Yeah. Kali: Please continue. Matt: No, that's there. all I was gonna say is the other injury updates we're gonna be looking for is on Gemma Bonner and Ava Gaetino, who were out for this last match against Chicago. our our center back core was pretty thin for that match. But I Kaylee, you were texting me like Meg Reed looks so calm and in control. Like, shout out to Meg, shout out to the to the whole team. Like, I think that's that mentality of like you don't have to get ready if you stay ready and that. Every one of these players from from one to 26 on the roster are are worth their spots and are ready to come in and be difference makers when their name's called. yeah, that's that's where I'm at on that one. I think the other big training news is gonna be checking in on Lindsay's knee, making sure it didn't flare up or get over taxed from that Chicago match. She played prescribed. 45 minutes. Nick talked about this, how she initially wanted to play 65. Nick offered 15. I guess they settled at 45. It seemed maybe like there was some uncertainty about if he was going to be able to keep her from coming out of the locker room and onto the field. But I guess she acquiesced. Kali: Which is funny because hearing them their back and forth at the women's game of him calling her difficult on the heels of him in the postgame presser saying they had to compromise and just kind of his tone and and posture about that conversation. Just again, their relationship is amazing and it's it's fun to hear him talk about her competitiveness and just the the challenge she brings, not to the players but to him. Matt: I could I could see Lindsay being on like some parent trap stuff and like just like locking Nick in the in the locker room at halftime and just coming out onto the field as like player coach. Kali: Y you mean leading a revolt? What do you mean? Matt: It's only a forty-five minute coup. Nick gets to come back out at the edge. Kali: That's not on my bingo card. Let's not speak that into existence. Matt: For all of you Fourthwing fans and Allie Brazier, excited for that Rebecca Yarrow's crossover night on September 19th, have we got some fan fiction for you? Tune into our Lindsay Heaps High Jinx Literature Night, where we read off all of the ways Kali: Okay. Matt: she coyote and roadrunners Nick Cushine throughout the season. Kali: You could not have have told me this is where the podcast was gonna be going at the beginning of this conversation. Matt: We were both like our days have been so long, so arduous. We're both so hungry and dehydrated. We've gotta record the show. And now here we are. We've almost landed the plane, okay? Kali: We're so close. Matt: The other big training news is gonna be is Lucky Kentucky Emma Sears on the pitch. Like I said, I haven't seen any Louisville media with her featured. And I think she got wise to us and stopped posting things on her Instagram. So Carson, like, help us out like just a little bit. So if we see Emma Sears at training tomorrow, then like we'll send the smoke up. We've we've got a new Louisville Pope. Kali: My gosh. All right. Matt: Last here we go. Here we go. We could do this. We could do this. We could do this. Deep breath. Deep breath. Kayleigh, as to your anxiety earlier, I think this is a winnable game. I think what we did to Gotham 2-0 at sea level, especially how we did it in the second half, after they had subbed on some of their heavy hitters that they had held out to try and make that that late push and control the game. I think that really bodes well for Gotham coming here to elevation and playing us on a hot noon game at Centennial Stadium on Sunday. Y'all remember the last time we had a noon game? That is depleting. The sun just drains you. If you look at the season so far, Gotham's calling card hasn't been a an extremely prolific offense. I mean, they've they've scored 27 goals. That's great. but what what they do is they hold it down with their defense. They've only conceded 14 goals. Denver City on the other side with 31 goals four, thanks to that six goal banger, and then 27 against. This is where I really think we've got the leg up, like literally the legs up, is that Gotham on average runs six less miles per match as a team than Denver does. Gotham on average sprints 12 less times per Per match than Denver does. So for me, the playbook is just like last time around, just Tucker Gotham out and put it in the back of the net when they're gassed. It it worked at C level. I think it's gonna work exceptionally well at elevation. I I'm going three one win Denver Summit. I know this feels like blasphemy to not predict more than three goals given the Chicago affair, but I'm gonna be realistic here. I guess we we have to do our our weekly Janine sauna scalp. we have to I wanna see I wanna see Liv get another one. I was so stoked for her for her to get that. I I forgot to say earlier watching Liv Thomas and Yuzu Yamamoto stay after every single training, practice their shooting, practice their passing, practice their attack angles. Like For that to pay off, like that's what covering sports is all about. Getting to see these humans trying their hardest and it being rewarded. Like I was so stoked for that. Okay. So back to Janine goal. Olivia gets another goal. And I I gotta see Internet Sensation Emma Regan put in a goal as a nutmeg. If she does that in this game, I think just like. Burn it all down, restart the simulation. Like we're we can't get better than that. Like it's all over. One goal, Sam Kerr. She's gonna make us regret that we couldn't seal the deal. What about you? Kali: I I like what you've said here at the end about the running stats and how much less Gotham runs because especially at elevation, Nick can lie all he wants, but it affects you. It absolutely affects you, even for peak athletes. so I that in itself, and that's why sports podcasts are so important, because I didn't know that. And you enlightened me and now that changes how I feel about the game, truly. So I do think I agree. I think Sam Kurt's gonna get one. And I'm gonna go two one summit win. I I I I'm cautious on our injury report. I'm cautious with where we're at. I I saw Lindsay take a couple hard hits on the Chicago game, and so I am a little nervous about her knee. but I I agree. I would I wanna see Yuzu get her second goal. She has been working so hard and her her connection with the team on the pitch. is so palpable. I love seeing her her get these minutes because it's such a difference maker. She reads the plays really well and I feel like she just she really knows the game in a way that I I I like seeing her read the the field. so I think Yuzu gets one and I mean yeah I'm gonna give one to Janine because she's inevitable at this point. So I think it's gonna be Yuzu and Janine and I d I agree. Matt: Kaylee glitched out. Let's see if she pops back in in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Kali: I guess we were just too powerful for for our software. Yeah. Well anyways, I either way we're predicting a win. Matt: This is Emma Regan's fault. She broke the matrix. Kali: Emma, it's you, it's not us. Matt: Is Keanu Reeves Canadian? Let's find out. Yes, he's Canadian. See, it's always the Canadians. The Canadians Kali: Is it? Matt: break the matrix. Emma Regan's the one. You heard it here first. Kali: It's probably because they're too pure. You know, they're just too pure of heart for the rest of us. Well, Matt: All right, we are still experiencing technical difficulties. I guess Kaylee turns into a pumpkin at midnight, as it would seem. Couple of orders of business. Tyler Corbeau shot our last game. You've seen his work before. You saw it for this one. Absolute fire. We've got Luis Fernando back shooting the game this weekend. So look out for those photos. Also, always stellar. Kaylee and I will both be out of town this weekend. So neither of us will be at the match. So that might mean Summit scores 12 goals given given the precedent. we are having friend and fellow sports correspondent Milana Rosendorf cover the match for us. So look out for her. She is fantastic. give her all the love that you guys give us, maybe even more. she's gonna do some fun stuff, and we're excited for you guys to see it. We will be back next week to recap what is an epic defeat of New York, New Jersey Gotham. Until next time, sum it up. She's back. Kali: Golly