Denver Summit FC heads to Foxborough to face Boston Legacy FC — the only other expansion team in the league, and the only one still searching for its first win. Their first win cannot come against us.

In this episode, Kate breaks down everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's road trip to Gillette Stadium. We dig into why a 0-5 Boston side is more dangerous than their record suggests, what Filipa Patão's system is actually trying to do, and why Casey Murphy is going to be a real problem for Denver's attack. Plus — the injury news on Kössler and Flint heading into the match, and what it means when your only two goal scorers are both question marks.

You'll hear from Nick Cushing at practice this week — including his honest take on how far apart this team's highs and lows have been, what the players did on their day off after San Diego, and why he believes Denver should be nine points better off right now. Carson Pickett on staying mentally present for 95 minutes. And Emma Hayes on what she sees happening in Colorado.

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Denver Summit FC led the #1 team in the NWSL 2-0 at halftime. Then San Diego scored three goals in 16 second-half minutes to break a 30-match curse and walk out of Dick's Sporting Goods Park with a 3-2 win.

It hurts. It also tells you something about where this team really is.

In this episode, Kate breaks down the full match — from the rehearsed buildup that produced Denver's first ever home goal, to the second-half collapse, to the Pickett own goal that sealed it. We dig into the formation switch Cushing made for this match, why it worked for 45 minutes, and what changed after the break.

Plus: an introduction to expected goals (xG) and what the underlying numbers actually say about Denver's performance against the league leaders. Standout individual performances from Kaleigh Kurtz, Janine Sonis, and Abby Smith. The Eva Gaetino comeback story — from crutches at Mile High to subbing on against San Diego in four weeks. And the discipline issue that cost Denver in the back half.

You'll hear postgame audio from Tash Flint, Yazmeen Ryan, Nick Cushing, and San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall — whose quote about Denver Summit FC after the match might be the most important thing said all weekend.

The 5280 Pitch — women's soccer at altitude. New episodes every Tuesday.

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Denver Summit FC hosts San Diego Wave FC Saturday, April 25 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park — and I'm calling it: Denver wins.

The league-leading Wave come to Commerce City on Denver Unite Night in snow, rain, and 33-degree weather at 5,280 feet of elevation. In this preview, I break down why altitude, the Cuiabá travel, and Kenzo Dali's possession game all point to a Summit upset.

What's covered:

• Why San Diego's second-half scoring pattern collapses at altitude
• Abby Smith's 5.05 goals prevented and why she should be NWSL Player of the Month
• Kaleigh Kurtz making NWSL history with 10,000 consecutive regular season minutes
• The Catarina Macario signing — the largest contract in women's soccer history
• Tash Flint's permanent transfer from Tampa Bay Sun
• Lia Godfrey's unsustainable 3-goals-on-4-shots stat line
• Predicted starting XIs for both teams
• Where the NWSL's fall-to-spring calendar vote leaves Denver

Plus: the Denver Unite match with mascots from the Nuggets, Broncos, Rockies, Rapids, and Avalanche.

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