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This Saturday evening in Carson, California the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC take on the Los Angeles Galaxy II for the first time in 2017.  

 With 8 points, the L.A. Galaxy II sit in 14th position in the USL’s Western Conference – just four points ahead of the 15th-placed Portland Timbers 2, who remain at the bottom of the table.  At the time of writing the Switchbacks are in 4th place – boosted by three points from their dramatic 1-0 victory over the Oklahoma City Energy FC last Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  

Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy occupy 8th place in the MLS Western Conference, and will not return to MLS action until June 17th when the face the Houston Dynamo at the StubHub Center.  Orange County SC of the USL will take on the Galaxy in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, June 14th at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.  Orange County SC secured their place against the Galaxy by defeating the Los Angeles Wolves FC on the campus of Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.  

Due to the Galaxy’s MLS bye-week layoff, any number of Galaxy players could be included against the Switchbacks on Saturday evening by Los Dos head coach Mike Muñoz at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.  “Games against L.A. in the past have always been tough,” said midfielder Davy Armstrong.  “We don’t know who L.A. will bring to play so we prepare for everything.  They can bring down first team players if they choose and that always makes it difficult.”    

“We need to see with the MLS bye-week just who we’ll face,” said Eddy Prugh, who started in the win against the Energy.  “We might be looking at a really tough team against us.  It’s time to keep the momentum going off Saturday and really have that snowball into our next two road games.”

A vital last-gasp win against rivals Oklahoma City Energy FC set the Switchbacks up perfectly for the trip to Los Angeles.  Switchbacks captain Rony Argueta earned himself a place on the USL’s Team of the Week after his 93rd-minute winner saw the Switchbacks leave Weidner Field with all three points.  “It feels great,” said Argueta of the award.  “It’s good to get recognized personally, but for me, it’s all about the team getting the win.  We played well and the team doing well is what matters most.  We hope the win [against the OKC Energy] is a turning point.  We need to take a lot of confidence off that win and build off it.  In L.A. we need to come out with energy as a team – we’ve done good things and put in good work at practice and we will be better in L.A. if we start with that energy early.  They like to play with two forwards and go forward off those two so we have to all step up and be aware of what they do best.  It’s been really positive after the win and that helps the team.”

“It brings excitement to training and a higher morale and positive energy when we win games like that,” said right back Jordan Burt.  “Those games you remember forever.  Now we put in a good week of training and make sure we are ready to have a really good performance in L.A.”

After Saturday’s match in California, the Switchbacks will return to Colorado Springs before traveling for a Wednesday evening encounter with the Swope Park Rangers on June 21st at Children’s Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Missouri.   

“When we’ve had success versus L.A. we’re on the front-foot,” said striker Aaron King.  “It’s a beautiful field in L.A. and that helps our game.  We’re good on the ball and if we get out early on the front-foot we’ll do well on Saturday.  L.A. always have talent so we have to limit their possession.” 

Forward Ethan Zubak leads Los Dos in games started and assists and is tied for the team lead in goals scored with Adonis Amaya and Justin Dhillon.  Young winger Adrián Vera has stood out in 2017, while Japanese midfielder Ryo Fujii is a key recycler of possession for the Galaxy II.  

It’s been goalkeeper-by-committee so far in 2017 for Los Dos, as Clément Diop, Bennett Sneddon, Eric López and Jon Kempin have all seen time in net.  Rangy young Cameroonian defender Jean Engola is certainly a player with future MLS potential.  Fellow defenders and local Los Angeles-area products Hugo Arellano and Robert Castellanos emphasize the commitment of Los Dos towards homegrown youth.  Tyler Tuner saw time in MLS with Orlando City SC before making his way west to join the Galaxy system.   

Costa Rican forward Ariel Lassiter scored the Galaxy II’s most recent goal – a 13th-minute strike in a 2-1 loss against Phoenix Rising FC at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium on May 27th.  Former Cal Poly State University Mustang Justin Dhillon grabbed a 72nd-minute equalizer for Los Dos against Rio Grande Valley FC on May 20th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  

“I expect them to play hard at home,” said Switchbacks assistant coach Wolde Harris when asked about Los Dos.  “We’ve got to be compact and look to get on the front-foot early.  L.A. have a lot of talent.  The key to the game is staying compact.  The win [against OKC] gives us a boost and shows what we’re trying to do.  It was a brilliant finish by Rony after a great lay-off and touch by Jack Jones.  It also shows our fight and that we work until the end and just how far that takes us.  It gives us good confidence ahead of this weekend.  Knowing we can go to the final whistle helps us know what we’re capable of – no matter who we face on the road.” 

The Switchbacks will host Saturday’s opponent, Los Dos, on Friday, August 18th at Weidner Field on SuperHero Night that includes a post-match fireworks show.  Tickets start at just $12 and are available here.

June 24th sees the return of the Switchbacks to Colorado Springs after the upcoming two-match road trip.  The Switchbacks will face current USL Western Conference frontrunners San Antonio FC in a contest that will also feature post-match fireworks at Weidner Field.  Tickets start at just $12 and are available here.  

The Switchbacks held San Antonio FC to a 1-1 draw at Toyota Field in Texas on April 7th.  That match was one of just three games in which San Antonio FC have failed to register a victory in 2017. 

“We’re treating the trip to L.A. like any other game – we need three points,” said left back Josh Suggs.  “The win against OKC was very emotional for us and exactly what we need to spark a turnaround.” 

This Saturday evening in Carson, California the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC take on the Los Angeles Galaxy II for the first time in 2017.  

 With 8 points, the L.A. Galaxy II sit in 14th position in the USL’s Western Conference – just four points ahead of the 15th-placed Portland Timbers 2, who remain at the bottom of the table.  At the time of writing the Switchbacks are in 4th place – boosted by three points from their dramatic 1-0 victory over the Oklahoma City Energy FC last Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  

Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy occupy 8th place in the MLS Western Conference, and will not return to MLS action until June 17th when the face the Houston Dynamo at the StubHub Center.  Orange County SC of the USL will take on the Galaxy in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, June 14th at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.  Orange County SC secured their place against the Galaxy by defeating the Los Angeles Wolves FC on the campus of Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.  

Due to the Galaxy’s MLS bye-week layoff, any number of Galaxy players could be included against the Switchbacks on Saturday evening by Los Dos head coach Mike Muñoz at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.  “Games against L.A. in the past have always been tough,” said midfielder Davy Armstrong.  “We don’t know who L.A. will bring to play so we prepare for everything.  They can bring down first team players if they choose and that always makes it difficult.”    

“We need to see with the MLS bye-week just who we’ll face,” said Eddy Prugh, who started in the win against the Energy.  “We might be looking at a really tough team against us.  It’s time to keep the momentum going off Saturday and really have that snowball into our next two road games.”

A vital last-gasp win against rivals Oklahoma City Energy FC set the Switchbacks up perfectly for the trip to Los Angeles.  Switchbacks captain Rony Argueta earned himself a place on the USL’s Team of the Week after his 93rd-minute winner saw the Switchbacks leave Weidner Field with all three points.  “It feels great,” said Argueta of the award.  “It’s good to get recognized personally, but for me, it’s all about the team getting the win.  We played well and the team doing well is what matters most.  We hope the win [against the OKC Energy] is a turning point.  We need to take a lot of confidence off that win and build off it.  In L.A. we need to come out with energy as a team – we’ve done good things and put in good work at practice and we will be better in L.A. if we start with that energy early.  They like to play with two forwards and go forward off those two so we have to all step up and be aware of what they do best.  It’s been really positive after the win and that helps the team.”

“It brings excitement to training and a higher morale and positive energy when we win games like that,” said right back Jordan Burt.  “Those games you remember forever.  Now we put in a good week of training and make sure we are ready to have a really good performance in L.A.”

After Saturday’s match in California, the Switchbacks will return to Colorado Springs before traveling for a Wednesday evening encounter with the Swope Park Rangers on June 21st at Children’s Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Missouri.   

“When we’ve had success versus L.A. we’re on the front-foot,” said striker Aaron King.  “It’s a beautiful field in L.A. and that helps our game.  We’re good on the ball and if we get out early on the front-foot we’ll do well on Saturday.  L.A. always have talent so we have to limit their possession.” 

Forward Ethan Zubak leads Los Dos in games started and assists and is tied for the team lead in goals scored with Adonis Amaya and Justin Dhillon.  Young winger Adrián Vera has stood out in 2017, while Japanese midfielder Ryo Fujii is a key recycler of possession for the Galaxy II.  

It’s been goalkeeper-by-committee so far in 2017 for Los Dos, as Clément Diop, Bennett Sneddon, Eric López and Jon Kempin have all seen time in net.  Rangy young Cameroonian defender Jean Engola is certainly a player with future MLS potential.  Fellow defenders and local Los Angeles-area products Hugo Arellano and Robert Castellanos emphasize the commitment of Los Dos towards homegrown youth.  Tyler Tuner saw time in MLS with Orlando City SC before making his way west to join the Galaxy system.   

Costa Rican forward Ariel Lassiter scored the Galaxy II’s most recent goal – a 13th-minute strike in a 2-1 loss against Phoenix Rising FC at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium on May 27th.  Former Cal Poly State University Mustang Justin Dhillon grabbed a 72nd-minute equalizer for Los Dos against Rio Grande Valley FC on May 20th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  

“I expect them to play hard at home,” said Switchbacks assistant coach Wolde Harris when asked about Los Dos.  “We’ve got to be compact and look to get on the front-foot early.  L.A. have a lot of talent.  The key to the game is staying compact.  The win [against OKC] gives us a boost and shows what we’re trying to do.  It was a brilliant finish by Rony after a great lay-off and touch by Jack Jones.  It also shows our fight and that we work until the end and just how far that takes us.  It gives us good confidence ahead of this weekend.  Knowing we can go to the final whistle helps us know what we’re capable of – no matter who we face on the road.” 

The Switchbacks will host Saturday’s opponent, Los Dos, on Friday, August 18th at Weidner Field on SuperHero Night that includes a post-match fireworks show.  Tickets start at just $12 and are available here.

June 24th sees the return of the Switchbacks to Colorado Springs after the upcoming two-match road trip.  The Switchbacks will face current USL Western Conference frontrunners San Antonio FC in a contest that will also feature post-match fireworks at Weidner Field.  Tickets start at just $12 and are available here.  

The Switchbacks held San Antonio FC to a 1-1 draw at Toyota Field in Texas on April 7th.  That match was one of just three games in which San Antonio FC have failed to register a victory in 2017. 

“We’re treating the trip to L.A. like any other game – we need three points,” said left back Josh Suggs.  “The win against OKC was very emotional for us and exactly what we need to spark a turnaround.” 

“Try not.  Do, or do not.  There is no try.”  – Yoda, Star Wars

On Galactic Night at Weidner Field, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will look for immediate retribution against an Oklahoma City Energy FC side that knocked the Switchbacks out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday evening.

All fans on Saturday at Weidner Field are invited by the Switchbacks FC to dress-up as their favorite character from across the galaxy in support of Galactic Night.  The first 500 fans through the turnstiles will receive a light-up saber, courtesy of Penrose St. Francis Pediatric E.R. and their sponsorship of Galactic Night.  

A dour first half in Wednesday’s match continued into the early minutes of the second ’45 before the Energy were able to make a 72nd minute breakthrough from the wicked right foot of the impressive José Barril.  The Madrid native spent more than a decade at Real Madrid’s imminent youth academy before making his way stateside, wherein 2016 he was named to the USL All 2nd Team.  

A quick-fire second goal from imposing Polish striker Wojciech Wojcik seemed to have assured the Energy’s place in the Fourth Round before a stoppage-time penalty kick from Jordan Burt gave the Switchbacks a lifeline when Kevaughn Frater was unceremoniously hauled down in the box.  Burt converted the spot-kick past C.J. Cochran, who was filling in at goalkeeper for OKC’s usual starter, Cody Laurendi.  

In addition to seeing Laurendi start in net, Oklahoma City could make a small selection of other changes for Saturday’s USL match.  Daniel Gonzalez – younger brother of former Switchbacks winger Miguel Gonzalez – was dynamic after appearing as a second-half substitute on Wednesday and will be hoping for a place in the starting XI.  Fellow substitute Alex Dixon, who scored against the Switchbacks in USL play on April 1st at Weidner Field, could be another change that Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen makes for this weekend’s match.  

“I think Saturday will be a really big day for us,” said Jacob Cawsey who started and impressed in the heart of the Switchbacks midfield on Wednesday evening.  “We now know firsthand just what OKC are about.  I don’t expect them to make a lot of changes to their team, but we might.  Because of going out of the Cup we look forward now to Saturday even more.”

Lineup alterations for the Switchbacks could begin with winger Masta Kacher.  Kacher is tied for the Switchbacks lead in goal scoring with right back Jordan Burt after Burt’s two-goal performance against Reno 1868 FC on May 27th.  Kacher could be key in jumpstarting an offense that seemed disjointed at times on Wednesday evening.  “We have to watch our mistakes,” said Kacher.  “We must do better and make sure we see and attack their weaknesses.  But also, we must learn from what we did wrong.  Our motivation will be even higher now.  If we win we know then we can move to third place in the league so Saturday is a huge game for us!”

“We are going to look for guys in these next two days who want to step-up and play,” said Head Coach Steve Trittschuh immediately following Wednesday’s loss when asked about how his team will line up on Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  “What we had from coming back against Reno wasn’t there for us tonight.  I gave guys chances to step up and they didn’t.  Guys didn’t show the quality or desire to win.  We’re out of the Open Cup now so we’ll concentrate on the league.”

The good news for the Switchbacks ahead of Saturday is their depth of the squad.  Midfielder’s Eddy Prugh and Luke Vercollone were both rested for the Open Cup tilt against the Energy FC, as was defender Diego Gutierrez and goalkeeper Moise Pouaty.  

“We’ve just got to work hard Thursday and Friday to prepare,” said Switchbacks captain Rony Argueta.  “We’ve got to come out with more energy and intensity on Saturday because at times during the game that was not there.  OKC are going to have several different players for Saturday’s game – and we might too.  Their style won’t change.  We’ll come prepared for Saturday and with even more fight.”

Initially rested from the starting XI, defender Sean McFarlane was called upon as a replacement for Pascal Eboussi in the heart of the Switchbacks’ defense on Wednesday.  Slotting seamlessly next to stalwart Josh Phillips, McFarlane showed his defensive prowess and ability to start the Switchbacks’ attack from his center back position during his time against the Energy.  “It was a rough game coming off a great tie against Reno,” said McFarlane after walking off the Weidner Field surface on Wednesday.  “Our main focus is Saturday.  Tonight was an unfortunate result and now we have to bounce back this weekend.  I don’t want to take anything away from the game tonight – we wanted to win and played to go to the next round.  But the league matters most to us.”

The Switchbacks will travel to Taft Stadium in Oklahoma’s capital city on July 22nd to round out the 2017 USL regular season three-game series between the burgeoning Western Conference rivals.  

Without any further U.S. Open Cup action to occupy their thoughts and squad, attention for the Switchbacks in the remainder of the 2017 season lies squarely on Western Conference USL play and making sure Steve Trittschuh’s team secures their third-consecutive playoff berth.  “Putting the Open Cup out the way now is disappointing because we made the next round against the Rapids the last two seasons but we’ll put all our focus on the league,” said Trittschuh.  “We’ve got four league games in June – two of them are at home.  There are no excuses now to not add points and win our home games.  That starts Saturday.”

Masta Kacher made certain after his post-match interview on Wednesday night that his prediction for this weekend’s match be included in this article: “Remember I said this: on Saturday, we will win!”

Tickets for Galactic Night start at just $12 and are available here!

 

“Try not.  Do, or do not.  There is no try.”  – Yoda, Star Wars

On Galactic Night at Weidner Field, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will look for immediate retribution against an Oklahoma City Energy FC side that knocked the Switchbacks out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday evening.

All fans on Saturday at Weidner Field are invited by the Switchbacks FC to dress-up as their favorite character from across the galaxy in support of Galactic Night.  The first 500 fans through the turnstiles will receive a light-up saber, courtesy of Penrose St. Francis Pediatric E.R. and their sponsorship of Galactic Night.  

A dour first half in Wednesday’s match continued into the early minutes of the second ’45 before the Energy were able to make a 72nd minute breakthrough from the wicked right foot of the impressive José Barril.  The Madrid native spent more than a decade at Real Madrid’s imminent youth academy before making his way stateside, wherein 2016 he was named to the USL All 2nd Team.  

A quick-fire second goal from imposing Polish striker Wojciech Wojcik seemed to have assured the Energy’s place in the Fourth Round before a stoppage-time penalty kick from Jordan Burt gave the Switchbacks a lifeline when Kevaughn Frater was unceremoniously hauled down in the box.  Burt converted the spot-kick past C.J. Cochran, who was filling in at goalkeeper for OKC’s usual starter, Cody Laurendi.  

In addition to seeing Laurendi start in net, Oklahoma City could make a small selection of other changes for Saturday’s USL match.  Daniel Gonzalez – younger brother of former Switchbacks winger Miguel Gonzalez – was dynamic after appearing as a second-half substitute on Wednesday and will be hoping for a place in the starting XI.  Fellow substitute Alex Dixon, who scored against the Switchbacks in USL play on April 1st at Weidner Field, could be another change that Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen makes for this weekend’s match.  

“I think Saturday will be a really big day for us,” said Jacob Cawsey who started and impressed in the heart of the Switchbacks midfield on Wednesday evening.  “We now know firsthand just what OKC are about.  I don’t expect them to make a lot of changes to their team, but we might.  Because of going out of the Cup we look forward now to Saturday even more.”

Lineup alterations for the Switchbacks could begin with winger Masta Kacher.  Kacher is tied for the Switchbacks lead in goal scoring with right back Jordan Burt after Burt’s two-goal performance against Reno 1868 FC on May 27th.  Kacher could be key in jumpstarting an offense that seemed disjointed at times on Wednesday evening.  “We have to watch our mistakes,” said Kacher.  “We must do better and make sure we see and attack their weaknesses.  But also, we must learn from what we did wrong.  Our motivation will be even higher now.  If we win we know then we can move to third place in the league so Saturday is a huge game for us!”

“We are going to look for guys in these next two days who want to step-up and play,” said Head Coach Steve Trittschuh immediately following Wednesday’s loss when asked about how his team will line up on Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  “What we had from coming back against Reno wasn’t there for us tonight.  I gave guys chances to step up and they didn’t.  Guys didn’t show the quality or desire to win.  We’re out of the Open Cup now so we’ll concentrate on the league.”

The good news for the Switchbacks ahead of Saturday is their depth of the squad.  Midfielder’s Eddy Prugh and Luke Vercollone were both rested for the Open Cup tilt against the Energy FC, as was defender Diego Gutierrez and goalkeeper Moise Pouaty.  

“We’ve just got to work hard Thursday and Friday to prepare,” said Switchbacks captain Rony Argueta.  “We’ve got to come out with more energy and intensity on Saturday because at times during the game that was not there.  OKC are going to have several different players for Saturday’s game – and we might too.  Their style won’t change.  We’ll come prepared for Saturday and with even more fight.”

Initially rested from the starting XI, defender Sean McFarlane was called upon as a replacement for Pascal Eboussi in the heart of the Switchbacks’ defense on Wednesday.  Slotting seamlessly next to stalwart Josh Phillips, McFarlane showed his defensive prowess and ability to start the Switchbacks’ attack from his center back position during his time against the Energy.  “It was a rough game coming off a great tie against Reno,” said McFarlane after walking off the Weidner Field surface on Wednesday.  “Our main focus is Saturday.  Tonight was an unfortunate result and now we have to bounce back this weekend.  I don’t want to take anything away from the game tonight – we wanted to win and played to go to the next round.  But the league matters most to us.”

The Switchbacks will travel to Taft Stadium in Oklahoma’s capital city on July 22nd to round out the 2017 USL regular season three-game series between the burgeoning Western Conference rivals.  

Without any further U.S. Open Cup action to occupy their thoughts and squad, attention for the Switchbacks in the remainder of the 2017 season lies squarely on Western Conference USL play and making sure Steve Trittschuh’s team secures their third-consecutive playoff berth.  “Putting the Open Cup out the way now is disappointing because we made the next round against the Rapids the last two seasons but we’ll put all our focus on the league,” said Trittschuh.  “We’ve got four league games in June – two of them are at home.  There are no excuses now to not add points and win our home games.  That starts Saturday.”

Masta Kacher made certain after his post-match interview on Wednesday night that his prediction for this weekend’s match be included in this article: “Remember I said this: on Saturday, we will win!”

Tickets for Galactic Night start at just $12 and are available here!

 

A trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado to face Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids awaits the winner of Wednesday evening’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup showdown at Weidner Field between the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and the Oklahoma City Energy FC.

A wild, back-and-forth 3-3 draw with visiting Reno 1868 FC started the Switchbacks’ three-game home stand last Saturday night.  Two bravely-taken goals from right back and Man of the Match Jordan Burt and a crisp strike by veteran forward Aaron King helped the Switchbacks twice fight back to eventually draw Reno 1868, who had entered Weidner Field as the hottest, freest scoring team in the entire USL.  

“Coming off the loss in Salt Lake this was a very tough game,” said central defender Sean McFarlane immediately following the tie against Reno 1868 FC.  McFarlane, a contender for Man of the Match after a steely performance in the heart of the Switchbacks’ defense alongside Josh Phillips, then looked forward to the two upcoming matches against the Energy FC.  “We faced adversity tonight and that will help next week.  I’m very excited for OKC.  We know what it takes to win games so we have to take that forward in the Cup and the league.”

In a strange scheduling twist, the Switchbacks will again host the Energy FC at Weidner Field – this time in USL Western Conference play – just three days after Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match, on Saturday, June 3rd.  

“It’s going to be a heck of a week,” said goalkeeper Dan Jackson, who started and kept a clean sheet in the Second Round U.S. Open Cup victory over F.C. Tucson at Weidner Field on May 17th.  “Tonight [against Reno 1868 FC] I thought we showed a lot of fight and character.  That’s part of our mentality – where we always keep fighting.  Hopefully again in the Open Cup, some of the guys who don’t get a lot of chances to play will be able to get some playing time.  We all have something to prove and it’s always exciting to get out there.”

The Oklahoma City Energy FC booked their place in the Third Round against the Switchbacks with a 5-1 victory against Moreno Valley FC of the United Premier Soccer League.  That victory, also on May 17th, took place at John Crain Field in Norman, Oklahoma on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.  

Moreno Valley FC snatched an early, unexpected first half lead before five straight goals sealed the OKC Energy’s progress to the Third Round.  Energy striker Alex Dixon opened the scoring for OKC just before the 20-minute mark.  Tied 1-1 at the start of the second half, the Energy exploded for four goals in a six-minute span after Moreno Valley FC’s first half goal scorer Edgar Gonzalez was sent off.  A second strike from Alex Dixon was quickly followed by goals from Polish striker Wojciech Wojcik, USL veteran Andy Craven, and former Switchbacks star Miguel González, as the Energy comfortably sailed into Wednesday’s Third Round.

Two victories in the USL’s Western Conference followed for the Energy, with a narrow 1-0 win over Orange County SC on May 20th being followed on Wednesday, May 24th by a 2-1 decision over the struggling Portland Timbers FC 2.  

“That’s our new rivalry now,” said Switchbacks winger Shane Malcolm when asked about the Energy.  “We made a big step in the right direction against Reno after our last two defeats.  Hopefully, we can make things right against Oklahoma because I felt we could have won our earlier game versus them.”

The Switchbacks opened 2017 USL play at Weidner Field with a 1-1 draw against the Energy FC on April 1st.  An early goal by winger Masta Kacher was quickly canceled out by Alex Dixon just six minutes later.  

Changes abounded for the Switchbacks in their U.S. Open Cup Second Round win over FC Tucson of the Premier Development League.  Sean McFarlane was deployed as an auxiliary striker alongside Kevaughn Frater and Jun Gyeong Park.  Jacob Cawsey anchored the midfield, with Eddy Prugh and Taeseong Kim playing just off the Englishman.  A defensive four of Josh Suggs, Diego Gutierrez, Pascal Eboussi and Conner Bevans held FC Tucson scoreless in front of the aforementioned Dan Jackson.  

“We’ll decide early in the week who will face OKC on Wednesday,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh.  “I want to rest some guys on Wednesday but we have a lot of options.  Josh Suggs didn’t appear tonight [vs. Reno 1869 FC] so that’s a boost for both games next week.  The Open Cup is great but like I said before, our focus is on the league.”

Suggs, a late scratch from the Switchbacks’ starting lineup against Reno 1868 FC, was replaced at the last minute by former Gonzaga University Bulldog Conner Bevans.  “Conner did really well for us tonight,” said Trittschuh when asked about the unexpected lineup change.  “He’s a very versatile player and he showed that coming in late tonight and he gave us a solid performance.”

Should the Switchbacks defeat the Energy on Wednesday they would face off, once again, with MLS’ Colorado Rapids.  The Rapids have knocked the Switchbacks out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in each of the past two seasons at the Fourth Round stage.  A 4-1 Rapids win in 2015 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was followed a year later by a tight 1-0 victory that came after a late Dillon Serna goal finally broke the resistance of a valiant Switchbacks performance.  

The unique scheduling twist of facing the OKC Energy FC twice in just four days will no doubt have an impact upon the starting lineups for both teams in Wednesday’s match and the Saturday USL fixture that follows.  

“It will be interesting to see what OKC does with their lineups against us,” said Trittschuh.  “We’ll have to see who they play on Wednesday and we’ll go from there with our lineup for next weekend. We really want to play the Rapids again and see how far we can go this year.  The last two years we got to the Fourth Round so we want to keep that going.  Our guys like playing at Dick’s and against the Rapids, so we want to progress past Wednesday against OKC!”

A trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado to face Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids awaits the winner of Wednesday evening’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup showdown at Weidner Field between the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and the Oklahoma City Energy FC.

A wild, back-and-forth 3-3 draw with visiting Reno 1868 FC started the Switchbacks’ three-game home stand last Saturday night.  Two bravely-taken goals from right back and Man of the Match Jordan Burt and a crisp strike by veteran forward Aaron King helped the Switchbacks twice fight back to eventually draw Reno 1868, who had entered Weidner Field as the hottest, freest scoring team in the entire USL.  

“Coming off the loss in Salt Lake this was a very tough game,” said central defender Sean McFarlane immediately following the tie against Reno 1868 FC.  McFarlane, a contender for Man of the Match after a steely performance in the heart of the Switchbacks’ defense alongside Josh Phillips, then looked forward to the two upcoming matches against the Energy FC.  “We faced adversity tonight and that will help next week.  I’m very excited for OKC.  We know what it takes to win games so we have to take that forward in the Cup and the league.”

In a strange scheduling twist, the Switchbacks will again host the Energy FC at Weidner Field – this time in USL Western Conference play – just three days after Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match, on Saturday, June 3rd.  

“It’s going to be a heck of a week,” said goalkeeper Dan Jackson, who started and kept a clean sheet in the Second Round U.S. Open Cup victory over F.C. Tucson at Weidner Field on May 17th.  “Tonight [against Reno 1868 FC] I thought we showed a lot of fight and character.  That’s part of our mentality – where we always keep fighting.  Hopefully again in the Open Cup, some of the guys who don’t get a lot of chances to play will be able to get some playing time.  We all have something to prove and it’s always exciting to get out there.”

The Oklahoma City Energy FC booked their place in the Third Round against the Switchbacks with a 5-1 victory against Moreno Valley FC of the United Premier Soccer League.  That victory, also on May 17th, took place at John Crain Field in Norman, Oklahoma on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.  

Moreno Valley FC snatched an early, unexpected first half lead before five straight goals sealed the OKC Energy’s progress to the Third Round.  Energy striker Alex Dixon opened the scoring for OKC just before the 20-minute mark.  Tied 1-1 at the start of the second half, the Energy exploded for four goals in a six-minute span after Moreno Valley FC’s first half goal scorer Edgar Gonzalez was sent off.  A second strike from Alex Dixon was quickly followed by goals from Polish striker Wojciech Wojcik, USL veteran Andy Craven, and former Switchbacks star Miguel González, as the Energy comfortably sailed into Wednesday’s Third Round.

Two victories in the USL’s Western Conference followed for the Energy, with a narrow 1-0 win over Orange County SC on May 20th being followed on Wednesday, May 24th by a 2-1 decision over the struggling Portland Timbers FC 2.  

“That’s our new rivalry now,” said Switchbacks winger Shane Malcolm when asked about the Energy.  “We made a big step in the right direction against Reno after our last two defeats.  Hopefully, we can make things right against Oklahoma because I felt we could have won our earlier game versus them.”

The Switchbacks opened 2017 USL play at Weidner Field with a 1-1 draw against the Energy FC on April 1st.  An early goal by winger Masta Kacher was quickly canceled out by Alex Dixon just six minutes later.  

Changes abounded for the Switchbacks in their U.S. Open Cup Second Round win over FC Tucson of the Premier Development League.  Sean McFarlane was deployed as an auxiliary striker alongside Kevaughn Frater and Jun Gyeong Park.  Jacob Cawsey anchored the midfield, with Eddy Prugh and Taeseong Kim playing just off the Englishman.  A defensive four of Josh Suggs, Diego Gutierrez, Pascal Eboussi and Conner Bevans held FC Tucson scoreless in front of the aforementioned Dan Jackson.  

“We’ll decide early in the week who will face OKC on Wednesday,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh.  “I want to rest some guys on Wednesday but we have a lot of options.  Josh Suggs didn’t appear tonight [vs. Reno 1869 FC] so that’s a boost for both games next week.  The Open Cup is great but like I said before, our focus is on the league.”

Suggs, a late scratch from the Switchbacks’ starting lineup against Reno 1868 FC, was replaced at the last minute by former Gonzaga University Bulldog Conner Bevans.  “Conner did really well for us tonight,” said Trittschuh when asked about the unexpected lineup change.  “He’s a very versatile player and he showed that coming in late tonight and he gave us a solid performance.”

Should the Switchbacks defeat the Energy on Wednesday they would face off, once again, with MLS’ Colorado Rapids.  The Rapids have knocked the Switchbacks out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in each of the past two seasons at the Fourth Round stage.  A 4-1 Rapids win in 2015 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was followed a year later by a tight 1-0 victory that came after a late Dillon Serna goal finally broke the resistance of a valiant Switchbacks performance.  

The unique scheduling twist of facing the OKC Energy FC twice in just four days will no doubt have an impact upon the starting lineups for both teams in Wednesday’s match and the Saturday USL fixture that follows.  

“It will be interesting to see what OKC does with their lineups against us,” said Trittschuh.  “We’ll have to see who they play on Wednesday and we’ll go from there with our lineup for next weekend. We really want to play the Rapids again and see how far we can go this year.  The last two years we got to the Fourth Round so we want to keep that going.  Our guys like playing at Dick’s and against the Rapids, so we want to progress past Wednesday against OKC!”

“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.”

With their place booked in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to USL action with a Saturday trip Rio Tinto Stadium to face their Rocky Mountain Rivals, the Real Monarchs of Salt Lake City.  

Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado was the site of a 2-1 victory for the Switchbacks over the Monarchs on April 15th as early Switchbacks goals from Masta Kacher and Aaron King was enough to overcome a Sebastian Velasquez strike on the hour-mark.  

Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over FC Tucson in the U.S. Open Cup came as welcome relief for the Switchbacks after a frustrating two match USL road trip.  Head Coach Steve Trittschuh’s men picked up a solitary point from a 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers before succumbing to a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on May 14th.  

The Switchbacks started against FC Tucson with an almost entirely changed starting XI from what fans have been accustomed to seeing in USL play.  Stalwart left back Josh Suggs kept his place in the lineup along with midfielder Eddy Prugh.

“I’m happy we got the result against Tucson and were able to rest a lot of our guys,” said Trittschuh.  “We will start to get ready for SLC tomorrow [Thursday].  We know who will play in Salt Lake and it’s good to know after tonight’s win that we have depth.  Now guys should take confidence going forward.  Danny [Dan Jackson], Connor [Bevans], and Diego [Gutierrez] all did really well and it was good to see [Jun Gyeong] Park get his goal.  We’ve had injuries and suspensions so we need to have the depth that all our players showed tonight.  We are happy to be in the next round but the most important thing is our league and getting points in our next game against the Monarchs.”

“I think the key for our team and in this league is depth,” said veteran striker Aaron King who played the final 25 minutes against FC Tucson.  “It’s excellent for everyone to get minutes tonight – it sets us up well.”

Goalkeeper Dan Jackson, who started against FC Tucson and helped his team keep a clean sheet with a commanding performance between the sticks, echoed his Head Coach’s sentiments following the match.  “This feels really great – it’s my first pro shutout.  Most of all I’m happy for the rest of the guys.  It’s great for the guys who got to play tonight.  Diego [Gutierrez] and Connor [Bevans] were great.  Kevaughn [Frater] was powerful and [Jacob] Cawsey did really well-breaking things up for us.  Eddy [Prugh] played really well too…really; everyone was great!  It’s exciting to win and we’re ready to move on to the next round and I’m most happy for the guys who were able to come in tonight and play.”

“It’s totally awesome – the adrenaline is in full-flow,” said second-half substitute Jack Jones immediately following the victory over FC Tucson.  “It’s great that we came out tonight and got a strong victory.  The clean sheet gives us momentum which we need before this weekend!”

“A win is a win,” said midfielder Jacob Cawsey after logging 90 minutes in the center of the Switchbacks’ midfield.  “Putting two good team goals in the net will help our confidence.  For both [Jun Gyeong] Park and Kevaughn [Frater] to get a goal is great for both of them – they’ve both been working hard.”

Arguably the most improved team in the USL’s Western Conference, the Real Monarchs SLC have won four consecutive games since their loss in Colorado Springs in mid-April.  With ten goals scored in that four-match span, the Monarchs are one of the hottest offensive teams in the league.

The Monarchs had two players feature in the USL Team of the Week with midfielder Sebastian Velasquez being named a starter after a brilliant offensive performance that saw the 26-year-old Colombian combine for an assist and two goals in the Monarchs’ two most recent matches.  Wednesday, May 10th saw the Monarchs thrash the Los Angeles Galaxy II by 3-0 at the StubHub Center Track Stadium in Carson, California before the Monarchs returned to Sandy, Utah’s Ro Tinto Stadium where they defeated Sacramento Republic 2-0 last Saturday.  Former Creighton University standout Connor Sparrow earned a place on the Team of the Week bench after back-to-back clean sheets in the two aforementioned games.

Velasquez is tied for the team-lead in goals in 2017 with former Switchbacks striker Chandler Hoffman, who himself has 3 assists to lead the Monarchs’ stat sheet alongside midfield playmaker Charlie Adams.  

The victory against FC Tucson in the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup gives the Switchbacks another home Open Cup match: on May 31st Weidner Field will welcome the Oklahoma City Energy FC for a Third Round showdown.  OKC will again visit Colorado Springs just four days later on June 3rd for a USL encounter on the St. Francis Medical Center and Pediatric ER Galactic Night that includes a Saber Giveaway.  The winner of the OKC – Switchbacks match in the U.S. Open Cup will travel to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, City, Colorado to face Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids in the Fourth Round.

The Energy FC earned their Third Round trip to Weidner Field courtesy of a 5-1 thrashing of the USPL’s Moreno Valley FC at the University of Oklahoma’s Crain Field in Norman, Oklahoma.

“I just heard and I’m looking forward to it,” said Aaron King when asked about the upcoming league-cup doubleheader with the OKC Energy.  “We match up well with OKC but now we look at the Monarchs.  We have a little rivalry with OKC so I’m excited about those games.  But our focus will be on this weekend.”

“It’s going to be good,” said Trittschuh about facing the Energy FC twice inside the span of just four early-summer days.  “It’s a couple weeks away and we’ll have to look at the team then.  The guys that played against Tucson will be part of the next Open Cup round against OKC.  We want to go even further in the Open Cup and hopefully, the players can help us do that.  I’m most happy we got out tonight with no injuries and that we were able to rest a lot of our starters.  Now we’ll go in fresh and ready to battle a really good team in Salt Lake City!”

 

With their place booked in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to USL action with a Saturday trip Rio Tinto Stadium to face their Rocky Mountain Rivals, the Real Monarchs of Salt Lake City.  

Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado was the site of a 2-1 victory for the Switchbacks over the Monarchs on April 15th as early Switchbacks goals from Masta Kacher and Aaron King was enough to overcome a Sebastian Velasquez strike on the hour-mark.  

Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over FC Tucson in the U.S. Open Cup came as welcome relief for the Switchbacks after a frustrating two match USL road trip.  Head Coach Steve Trittschuh’s men picked up a solitary point from a 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers before succumbing to a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on May 14th.  

The Switchbacks started against FC Tucson with an almost entirely changed starting XI from what fans have been accustomed to seeing in USL play.  Stalwart left back Josh Suggs kept his place in the lineup along with midfielder Eddy Prugh.

“I’m happy we got the result against Tucson and were able to rest a lot of our guys,” said Trittschuh.  “We will start to get ready for SLC tomorrow [Thursday].  We know who will play in Salt Lake and it’s good to know after tonight’s win that we have depth.  Now guys should take confidence going forward.  Danny [Dan Jackson], Connor [Bevans], and Diego [Gutierrez] all did really well and it was good to see [Jun Gyeong] Park get his goal.  We’ve had injuries and suspensions so we need to have the depth that all our players showed tonight.  We are happy to be in the next round but the most important thing is our league and getting points in our next game against the Monarchs.”

“I think the key for our team and in this league is depth,” said veteran striker Aaron King who played the final 25 minutes against FC Tucson.  “It’s excellent for everyone to get minutes tonight – it sets us up well.”

Goalkeeper Dan Jackson, who started against FC Tucson and helped his team keep a clean sheet with a commanding performance between the sticks, echoed his Head Coach’s sentiments following the match.  “This feels really great – it’s my first pro shutout.  Most of all I’m happy for the rest of the guys.  It’s great for the guys who got to play tonight.  Diego [Gutierrez] and Connor [Bevans] were great.  Kevaughn [Frater] was powerful and [Jacob] Cawsey did really well-breaking things up for us.  Eddy [Prugh] played really well too…really; everyone was great!  It’s exciting to win and we’re ready to move on to the next round and I’m most happy for the guys who were able to come in tonight and play.”

“It’s totally awesome – the adrenaline is in full-flow,” said second-half substitute Jack Jones immediately following the victory over FC Tucson.  “It’s great that we came out tonight and got a strong victory.  The clean sheet gives us momentum which we need before this weekend!”

“A win is a win,” said midfielder Jacob Cawsey after logging 90 minutes in the center of the Switchbacks’ midfield.  “Putting two good team goals in the net will help our confidence.  For both [Jun Gyeong] Park and Kevaughn [Frater] to get a goal is great for both of them – they’ve both been working hard.”

Arguably the most improved team in the USL’s Western Conference, the Real Monarchs SLC have won four consecutive games since their loss in Colorado Springs in mid-April.  With ten goals scored in that four-match span, the Monarchs are one of the hottest offensive teams in the league.

The Monarchs had two players feature in the USL Team of the Week with midfielder Sebastian Velasquez being named a starter after a brilliant offensive performance that saw the 26-year-old Colombian combine for an assist and two goals in the Monarchs’ two most recent matches.  Wednesday, May 10th saw the Monarchs thrash the Los Angeles Galaxy II by 3-0 at the StubHub Center Track Stadium in Carson, California before the Monarchs returned to Sandy, Utah’s Ro Tinto Stadium where they defeated Sacramento Republic 2-0 last Saturday.  Former Creighton University standout Connor Sparrow earned a place on the Team of the Week bench after back-to-back clean sheets in the two aforementioned games.

Velasquez is tied for the team-lead in goals in 2017 with former Switchbacks striker Chandler Hoffman, who himself has 3 assists to lead the Monarchs’ stat sheet alongside midfield playmaker Charlie Adams.  

The victory against FC Tucson in the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup gives the Switchbacks another home Open Cup match: on May 31st Weidner Field will welcome the Oklahoma City Energy FC for a Third Round showdown.  OKC will again visit Colorado Springs just four days later on June 3rd for a USL encounter on the St. Francis Medical Center and Pediatric ER Galactic Night that includes a Saber Giveaway.  The winner of the OKC – Switchbacks match in the U.S. Open Cup will travel to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, City, Colorado to face Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids in the Fourth Round.

The Energy FC earned their Third Round trip to Weidner Field courtesy of a 5-1 thrashing of the USPL’s Moreno Valley FC at the University of Oklahoma’s Crain Field in Norman, Oklahoma.

“I just heard and I’m looking forward to it,” said Aaron King when asked about the upcoming league-cup doubleheader with the OKC Energy.  “We match up well with OKC but now we look at the Monarchs.  We have a little rivalry with OKC so I’m excited about those games.  But our focus will be on this weekend.”

“It’s going to be good,” said Trittschuh about facing the Energy FC twice inside the span of just four early-summer days.  “It’s a couple weeks away and we’ll have to look at the team then.  The guys that played against Tucson will be part of the next Open Cup round against OKC.  We want to go even further in the Open Cup and hopefully, the players can help us do that.  I’m most happy we got out tonight with no injuries and that we were able to rest a lot of our starters.  Now we’ll go in fresh and ready to battle a really good team in Salt Lake City!”