A Point on the Road — Abby Smith's 300th and Eva Gaetino's Injury

<p>Denver Summit FC take a point on the road in a 1-1 draw at San Diego Wave, and this NWSL recap starts with the news: Eva Gaetino came off in the 16th minute holding her hamstring. Nick Cushing's full answer on her status is in this episode.</p><p></p><p>Denver went into Snapdragon Stadium without Lindsey Heaps, lost a starting center back before the game was a fifth over, went down at halftime, and still walked out with the first home point San Diego had surrendered all season. Cushing called it two points dropped. I don't agree, and I explain why.</p><p></p><p>Also in this episode: Abby Smith's 300th career NWSL save, making her the 12th goalkeeper in league history to reach the mark. Janine Sonis has 8 goals and 4 assists — a defender leading her club in scoring, and why that's a warning sign as much as a great story. Yazmeen Ryan and Sonis have now combined for 13 of Denver's 25 goals, and Cushing answers directly when asked how anyone else gets involved.</p><p></p><p>Then Portland. The Thorns haven't lost a home regular season match in 12 straight. Olivia Moultrie is out for the year with an ACL tear. Sophia Wilson has 9 goals. Denver already beat this team in July — but that was at altitude. Saturday is Providence Park.</p><p></p><p>Follow @5280pitch on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook.<br />Newsletter and blog: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://5280pitch.com" target="_blank">5280pitch.com</a></p>