Denver Summit shuts out defending champion Gotham FC to earn first NWSL win in big way

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HARRISON, N.J. — Denver Summit FC won their first match in franchise history Wednesday night over the 2025 NWSL champions, Gotham FC.

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After a strong first half featuring plenty of offensive control, Denver capitalized on two massive defensive errors in the 58th and 73rd minutes, ending the historic night with a 2-0 win.

Forward Melissa Kössler beat Gotham defender Jess Carter in a foot race to find herself face-to-face with goalkeeper and fellow German international Ann-Katrin Berger. Kössler shot the ball, which slipped through Berger’s legs, as Sports Illustrated Stadium fell quiet. It was Kössler’s third goal this season, tying Orlando’s Barbra Banda for most goals scored this year.

Fifteen minutes later, Denver forward Natasha Flint won a ball that Gotham’s backline mishandled. Her aggressive press allowed her to win possession from Berger. Flint followed with a smooth finish to give Denver its second goal and her first in the NWSL.

“It’s a huge 3 points to take into the game this weekend,” Flint said after the match. “It’s what we need. It’s what we deserve. I think we can just grow from (Wednesday).”

Denver Summit will carry this momentum toward their home opener next weekend at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos. The fixture is on track to be the most-attended NWSL match in history, with more than 55,000 tickets sold.

The club has been on a steady upward trajectory. Its first match was a 2-1 loss to Bay FC, hampered by a red card that forced the team to play a player down beginning in the 27th minute. The team secured its first point last weekend after a 1-1 draw with Orlando.

Denver’s upswing was fueled by the late additions of attacking duo Delanie Sheehan and Yazmeen Ryan in a major trade with Houston Dash. The pair was at Gotham before playing in Texas, helping guide the club to its first championship in 2023.

“It’s always good to beat your old team,” Ryan told The Athletic, smiling. “It feels natural here as well, playing in the stadium, since we were here for two years. It’s always a feeling of home, still coming back here. So, we always love playing in the stadium and getting to compete against that group.”

When Sheehan and Ryan signed with Denver, they joined former Gotham teammate and goalkeeper Abby Smith, also a 2023 champion. Smith had a massive save late in the second half as Gotham tried desperately to score. Despite major depth in the New Jersey club’s attack, it has only scored one goal in three matches.

Gotham remains without some key regulars, including Bruninha, whose absence on the wing is evident, and veteran defender Mandy Freeman. Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, whose creativity in the midfield carried Gotham to their second NWSL championship in 2025, also remains out because of a hamstring injury.

For Denver, meanwhile, bringing in Ryan and Sheehan only bolstered the expansion side’s attack. The pair was critical in helping create chances in the attacking third against Gotham. The players fit in seamlessly to head coach Nick Cushing’s system, even as late additions to the roster.

For Cushing, winning at Sports Illustrated Stadium, formerly Red Bull Arena, “felt familiar.” The former MLS head coach spent two seasons at NYCFC, with one of his last memories at the club a 5-1 win over rivals New York Red Bulls in 2024. Securing Denver’s first win over the reigning NWSL champions was special because it represented what’s next for his team.

“This is a process for us, because we’re (an) expansion (club). Of course, we are incredibly impatient and really ambitious, but we have to work through the process,” Cushing said. “We showed glimpses through preseason. We were disappointed in (the game against) Bay, showed real patches and periods of good play in the Orlando game. And, (Wednesday) to sustain that throughout, defensively and offensively, was really important for us, with the (upcoming) home opener, but also really important for us in the journey and the process.

“We know there’s going to be difficult moments. We know there’s going to be enjoyable moments. We just want to increase them. And tonight, it’s definitely one of those.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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