“If you prick us, do we not bleed?” – William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice.
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to Weidner Field this Saturday evening as they host the hottest team in the USL, Reno 1868 FC. The Switchbacks will be looking to build off a spicy 2-2 draw against Reno 1868 at Greater Nevada Field in Reno on April 22nd in the first of three games at Weidner Field over the span of just eight days. Shane Malcolm rescued a point for the Switchbacks in The Biggest Little City in the World in April’s draw with a stoppage time equalizer straight off a perfectly taken Josh Suggs corner kick.
Since the late April draw against Steve Trittschuh’s men Reno 1868 FC have been on an unstoppable streak. Three consecutive shutouts, coupled with fourteen goals-scored, have seen Reno 1868 FC vault towards a playoff position – despite having played three games fewer than the Switchbacks.
“We don’t worry too much about their form,” said Switchbacks midfielder Luke Vercollone. “We’re at home and we’re confident here. We have to worry about our game. It’s our home and we do well here and we need to keep that going.”
Jamaican forward Dane Kelly leads the line for Reno 1868 FC, and after notching the first back-to-back hat tricks in USL history Kelly is now the USL’s all-time leading regular season goal scorer. Kelly was named as the USL Player of the Week after his two hat-tricks (against Phoenix Rising and the Seattle Sounders FC 2, respectively) while American central defender Jimmy Ockford was also named a starter after helping his team keep clean sheets in both games.
“He’s been finishing well and getting into good goal-scoring positions,” said Switchbacks Assistant Coach and fellow Jamaican Wolde Harris when asked about Dane Kelly. “He moves well and we know he’s a good finisher. Team-wise we have to stay compact and limit his space. I’ve been watching Kelly play over the years – he’s also very dangerous off the ball so as a team we always have to be aware of him.”
“Some of his [Dane Kelly] goals are penalty kicks, but he scores a lot and his movement is good,” confirmed Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “He’s strong off the ball and he finishes really well. I’ve challenged our defense to step up and stop him, but he’s not the only threat we have to worry about on Saturday. Reno is strong off re-starts and is a team that can score in different ways.”
Parisian-born striker Antoine Hoppenot is a dangerous compliment to Kelly while attacking midfielder Lindo Mfeka typically sits just behind Kelly and Hoppenot and helps run the Reno 1868 FC offense. Jordan Murrell will likely partner the aforementioned Jimmy Ockford in central defense. Fans on Saturday should keep a keen eye on holding midfielder Matt LaGrassa, as the former California Polytechnic State University standout is the recycler of possession for Reno 1868 and a key to both their defensive cohesion and offensive ball distribution.
Wildly uneven scheduling has the Switchbacks leading the Western Conference in games played with eleven, while three clubs in the West have only played seven matches (Swope Park Rangers, Orange County SC, and Phoenix Rising FC). Few conclusions can be drawn on the current state of the Western Conference, partly due to it only being late May and the disparity in games played between teams. But there are certainties emerging west of the Mississippi River. Current leaders San Antonio FC are assuredly playoff-bound, while the Real Monarchs SLC have already cemented themselves as the most improved club in the West.
After finishing eleventh in 2016, the Real Monarchs SLC currently find themselves in second place at the time of writing – 11 points ahead of Rio Grande Valley FC. The Switchbacks fell to the Monarchs 5-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, last Saturday as the Monarchs recorded their fifth consecutive win. The Switchbacks are the only club to have defeated the Monarchs in 2017 after a 2-1 victory at Weidner Field on April 15th.
“You can look at all the games we’ve played and all the travel we’ve had – but those are just excuses,” said Trittschuh. “The performance in Salt Lake was unacceptable. We’ve put it behind us and had a good week of training. The players are excited to be home and get back on track. We need a good crowd and we need to just show up and play our game. I expect us to come in on Saturday and do a complete 180 from last weekend. Nothing else will do.”
“We look bad right now because of the result against Salt Lake but that doesn’t reflect us as a team,” said winger Masta Kacher. “We slept for 10 minutes versus the Monarchs and it killed us. It now has to switch for us – we have to make sure we switch on. They’re [Reno 1868 FC] playing really good right now. It’s a new challenge for us and a perfect challenge after last week. We have to bounce back!”
The first 500 fans through the gates at Weidner Field on Saturday will receive the third section of the 2017 poster series giveaway, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau. Tickets for Saturday's match start at just $12 and can be found here.
Early-arriving fans will have the chance to complete the poster set with the fourth section on July 8th as the Switchbacks play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, sponsored by Kneaders Bakery and Café. The fifth and final poster will be handed out on September 9th with Accelerated Wealth offering the first 500 fans the posters before the Switchbacks welcome Ivorian superstar Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC to Colorado Springs.
Wednesday will see the Switchbacks host the Oklahoma City Energy FC in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Weidner Field. Three days later the Switchbacks will again face off against the Energy FC at Weidner Field, this time in USL action on Galactic Night with the first 500 fans receiving a saber from the St. Francis Medical Center Pediatric E.R.
“We’ll decide about Wednesday’s lineup after the game on Saturday,” said Trittschuh. “The Open Cup is great but our focus is on the league and that’s what we’ll work on.”
“If you prick us, do we not bleed?” – William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice.
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to Weidner Field this Saturday evening as they host the hottest team in the USL, Reno 1868 FC. The Switchbacks will be looking to build off a spicy 2-2 draw against Reno 1868 at Greater Nevada Field in Reno on April 22nd in the first of three games at Weidner Field over the span of just eight days. Shane Malcolm rescued a point for the Switchbacks in The Biggest Little City in the World in April’s draw with a stoppage time equalizer straight off a perfectly taken Josh Suggs corner kick.
Since the late April draw against Steve Trittschuh’s men Reno 1868 FC have been on an unstoppable streak. Three consecutive shutouts, coupled with fourteen goals-scored, have seen Reno 1868 FC vault towards a playoff position – despite having played three games fewer than the Switchbacks.
“We don’t worry too much about their form,” said Switchbacks midfielder Luke Vercollone. “We’re at home and we’re confident here. We have to worry about our game. It’s our home and we do well here and we need to keep that going.”
Jamaican forward Dane Kelly leads the line for Reno 1868 FC, and after notching the first back-to-back hat tricks in USL history Kelly is now the USL’s all-time leading regular season goal scorer. Kelly was named as the USL Player of the Week after his two hat-tricks (against Phoenix Rising and the Seattle Sounders FC 2, respectively) while American central defender Jimmy Ockford was also named a starter after helping his team keep clean sheets in both games.
“He’s been finishing well and getting into good goal-scoring positions,” said Switchbacks Assistant Coach and fellow Jamaican Wolde Harris when asked about Dane Kelly. “He moves well and we know he’s a good finisher. Team-wise we have to stay compact and limit his space. I’ve been watching Kelly play over the years – he’s also very dangerous off the ball so as a team we always have to be aware of him.”
“Some of his [Dane Kelly] goals are penalty kicks, but he scores a lot and his movement is good,” confirmed Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “He’s strong off the ball and he finishes really well. I’ve challenged our defense to step up and stop him, but he’s not the only threat we have to worry about on Saturday. Reno is strong off re-starts and is a team that can score in different ways.”
Parisian-born striker Antoine Hoppenot is a dangerous compliment to Kelly while attacking midfielder Lindo Mfeka typically sits just behind Kelly and Hoppenot and helps run the Reno 1868 FC offense. Jordan Murrell will likely partner the aforementioned Jimmy Ockford in central defense. Fans on Saturday should keep a keen eye on holding midfielder Matt LaGrassa, as the former California Polytechnic State University standout is the recycler of possession for Reno 1868 and a key to both their defensive cohesion and offensive ball distribution.
Wildly uneven scheduling has the Switchbacks leading the Western Conference in games played with eleven, while three clubs in the West have only played seven matches (Swope Park Rangers, Orange County SC, and Phoenix Rising FC). Few conclusions can be drawn on the current state of the Western Conference, partly due to it only being late May and the disparity in games played between teams. But there are certainties emerging west of the Mississippi River. Current leaders San Antonio FC are assuredly playoff-bound, while the Real Monarchs SLC have already cemented themselves as the most improved club in the West.
After finishing eleventh in 2016, the Real Monarchs SLC currently find themselves in second place at the time of writing – 11 points ahead of Rio Grande Valley FC. The Switchbacks fell to the Monarchs 5-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, last Saturday as the Monarchs recorded their fifth consecutive win. The Switchbacks are the only club to have defeated the Monarchs in 2017 after a 2-1 victory at Weidner Field on April 15th.
“You can look at all the games we’ve played and all the travel we’ve had – but those are just excuses,” said Trittschuh. “The performance in Salt Lake was unacceptable. We’ve put it behind us and had a good week of training. The players are excited to be home and get back on track. We need a good crowd and we need to just show up and play our game. I expect us to come in on Saturday and do a complete 180 from last weekend. Nothing else will do.”
“We look bad right now because of the result against Salt Lake but that doesn’t reflect us as a team,” said winger Masta Kacher. “We slept for 10 minutes versus the Monarchs and it killed us. It now has to switch for us – we have to make sure we switch on. They’re [Reno 1868 FC] playing really good right now. It’s a new challenge for us and a perfect challenge after last week. We have to bounce back!”
The first 500 fans through the gates at Weidner Field on Saturday will receive the third section of the 2017 poster series giveaway, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau. Tickets for Saturday’s match start at just $12 and can be found here.
Early-arriving fans will have the chance to complete the poster set with the fourth section on July 8th as the Switchbacks play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, sponsored by Kneaders Bakery and Café. The fifth and final poster will be handed out on September 9th with Accelerated Wealth offering the first 500 fans the posters before the Switchbacks welcome Ivorian superstar Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC to Colorado Springs.
Wednesday will see the Switchbacks host the Oklahoma City Energy FC in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Weidner Field. Three days later the Switchbacks will again face off against the Energy FC at Weidner Field, this time in USL action on Galactic Night with the first 500 fans receiving a saber from the St. Francis Medical Center Pediatric E.R.
“We’ll decide about Wednesday’s lineup after the game on Saturday,” said Trittschuh. “The Open Cup is great but our focus is on the league and that’s what we’ll work on.”
