The Denver Summit’s playoff fate is out of their hands, as the 10th-place team fights to stay in the NWSL postseason race this weekend.
Following the expansion side’s 3-2 collapse against fifth-place Angel City last week, the Summit need to beat last-place Louisville to keep their playoff dreams alive. But they also need eighth-place Seattle to lose to sixth-place Utah. The first half of that equation should be doable given Louisville’s spot at the bottom of the table.
“I don’t think we lack anything, I think we have all the pieces here,” Denver defender Janine Sonis said. “It’s just small details.”
This Weekend's NWSL Playoffs Race Preview
Other squads up the NWSL table have clearer paths to punching their postseason tickets. Kansas City, Angel City, Utah, and Portland can all clinch berths with a win this weekend.
While Denver will be hoping for a Seattle loss, the Reign are looking for a hand from their longtime rival, the Thorns. A Seattle win combined with a Portland win over ninth-place North Carolina would see both teams through to the playoffs.
“We have been thinking about every game as if it is a playoff game at this point because we want to stay in control of our fate, so we have a one-game focus,” Reign defender Madison Curry said.
The playoff race resumes tonight, as Utah hosts Seattle at 9:30 PM ET on NWSL+.
