Mercedes-Benz. Haribo. Melissa Kössler.
The Denver Summit's German import has been nothing short of brilliant since she made the jump from TSG Hoffenheim to the NWSL.
After scoring the club's first ever goal against Bay FC, she gave Denver their first ever lead in a match after a deftly professional finish in the 24th minute against Orlando.
Not since the G Wagon has such raw power been expressed with such poise.
The lead would not hold, but the goal helped secure Denver's first ever point in the NWSL — earning a 1-1 draw.
With Janine Sonis serving her one match suspension for receiving a straight red card against Bay FC, head coach Nick Cushing turned to two relative newcomers to fill out his starting XI.
Yuna McCormack made the first NWSL start of her young career, and after being acquired mid-week from the Houston Dash Yazmeen Ryan slotted right into the Summit's front line.
Denver was the driving force through the first 10 minutes of the match, dominating possession and putting the Orlando defense under pressure. The Pride managed to conjure a few counter attacks early, namely through the brilliance of Barbra Banda, but timely defense from the likes of captain Kaleigh Kurtz saw the scoreboard remain unblemished.
The ball did find the back of the net in the 13th minute after another crafty run by Banda, however the Zambian international superstar was not quite crafty enough and was called for being offside.
Roughly 10 minutes later, the Summit were rewarded for their constant pressure and unrelenting tenacity in possession. Melissa Kössler broke free of Orlando's back line and slotted a professional finish into the far corner to give Denver a 1-0 lead. Natasha "Tash" Flint released the German international with a perfectly weighted pass that led to Kössler's second goal for the club.
Playing with the first lead in franchise history, Denver weathered waves of pressure from the Pride — including a full-stretch diving save by Abby Smith on a curling strike by Lizbeth Ovalle. And in yet another franchise first, they'd hit the halftime break with a lead.
In the second half, the Pride showed some, well, pride. They shed the counterattacking tactic employed through most of the first 45 minutes for a more direct, aggressive approach — and it was working. Orlando began to dominate possession and forced Smith along with the rest of the Summit defense to rally for a few magnificent stops. Amid the chaos, Smith made her 250th career save.
Eventually, the dam would break. In the 61st minute, Banda — on her 26th birthday — leaped over Ayo Oke to find the back of the net with a headed goal.
With the score tied 1-1, Coach Cushing went to his bench for the first time to bring on a couple defensive reinforcements. Natalie Means swapped with her fellow rookie, Yuna McCormack, and Canadian defender Megan Reid subbed on for her countrywoman Emma Regan.
Orlando continued to assert themselves offensively while the Summit were seemingly playing on their heels. In the 75th minute, Cushing attempted to turn the tide by turning to one of his veteran leaders off the bench.
Colorado native Ally Brazier had battled illness all week, which may have contributed to her drop out of the starting XI. With 15 minutes left to play, she replaced Carson Pickett — which carried special meaning. Both Brazier and Pickett came to the Summit after starring for the Pride.
Spanish international Nahikari Garcia came on for Ayo Oke in the 84th minute to make her NWSL debut — another attacker attempting to swing the game back in Denver's direction.
In the end, the 1-1 draw could be a bittersweet result for the Denver Summit. After watching the first 45 minutes of play, you might think they deserved more, but going on the road to face an established powerhouse like Orlando in the second match of your existence is a tall task. Being able to secure that point despite facing relentless fury for most the second half showed serious tenacity and resolve.
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** game played at DICK's Sporting Goods Park
other home matches scheduled to be played at Centennial Stadium