The Colorado Springs Switchbacks host top-of- the-table Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 this Friday in the marquee matchup of the USL’s Western Conference. One of the most pronounced home-field advantages awaits the Whitecaps 2 for their only regular season trip to Colorado: the Switchbacks have won six of their nine matches at Switchbacks Stadium in 2016.
Fine form and five victories away from the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird Stadium have helped propel the Whitecaps 2 into top spot in the Western Conference.
A come-from- behind 2-1 victory in Vancouver over Sacramento Republic FC arrested a two game slide for the Whitecaps 2, who had previously been shut out at Rio Grande Valley FC and San Antonio FC. Striker Thomas Sanner was named a starter on the USL Team of the Week after his stoppage-time winner against the Republic FC – the first professional goal of Sanner’s career. Free flowing offensive performances see the Whitecaps 2 enter Friday’s game having been outscored only by the Los Angeles Galaxy II in the Western Conference.
“Vancouver has top players and is a top team,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “I hope we can step up – we usually perform our best when we play top teams so hopefully that continues on Friday. We’ve got to be ready and be better – Vancouver is a very good and solid team so that means we need to be on top of our game.”
Still sitting in third place, the Switchbacks enter Friday’s clash looking to return to winning ways after having taken just five points from the last fifteen available. A Marty Maybin strike wasn’t enough for the Switchbacks to avoid defeat in their last USL outing as overwhelming heat and humidity greeted the Switchbacks in Fenton, Missouri on Saturday evening.
Changes rang through the starting XI for the Switchbacks against Saint Louis FC with the visitors playing their third match in just eight days. Billy Thompson was given the start in net, while Kim Taeseong played next to Rony Argueta in the Switchbacks’ midfield.
Saint Louis FC leapt into a two-goal first half lead before Maybin’s 54th minute strike. “It’s always good to score, but three points is the most important thing – especially at the moment,” stressed the center forward. “We’re so disappointed with the loss in Saint Louis, but now we regroup together. We know Vancouver is where we should be at the top of the league and we know that to be the best we have to beat the best. Friday’s game is different than against Saint Louis because we know there’s no more room for mistakes and that we must get the win.”
Argueta, who has been one of the outstanding performers for the Switchbacks this season, was named captain against Saint Louis FC after a string of first-class performances. “Obviously I felt I had to step up,” said Argueta when asked about the effects of the captaincy. “I’m not a very vocal player – I lead by example and hard work. With the armband I had to step up and position myself as more of a forward leader. Coach let me know at the pre-game meal and I was so happy and very honored. It felt great to hear I’d be the captain and I’m very thankful. Unluckily we didn’t get the win, but now we get back to work and make sure we’re ready for Friday.”
The task of trying to cool Vancouver’s offense on Friday may partly fall to Switchbacks central defender Christian Ibeagha. Starting this season next to multiple different center back partners, Ibeagha has established himself as a cornerstone to one of the league’s most frugal defenses. “I’ve already had game- time with each partner this season,” said Ibeagha about his defensive teammates. “At this point we understand each other and it’s a matter of us thinking alike. We have what it takes to win on Friday. We slipped up [in Saint Louis] but now we get back on track as a group. I think we need to start a new winning streak now and the best way to do that is to beat the top team in the league.”
Tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy II on 35 points, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 lead the Western Conference on the strength of their ten wins this season. A wild 4-3 victory over the Galaxy II on May 15 th gave the Whitecaps 2 their standout win of the season. Vancouver had previously tied the Galaxy 2-2 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on April 22nd .
Striker Kyle Greig leads the Whitecaps 2 with 10 goals in 2016, having stared last season with the Oklahoma City Energy FC. Homegrown attacking midfielder Marco Bustos dictates offensive play for the Whitecaps 2, while 15-year- old Alphonso Davies has appeared in nine matches this season for WFC2. The third youngest player to ever sign an MLS contract, Davies has already represented the Whitecaps at MLS level and is the youngest ever goal scorer in the USL.
Canadian international striker Daniel Haber has 3 assists to support his 5 goals this season and adds yet another striking option for Whitecaps 2 Head Coach Alan Koch. Ghanaian forward Abdul Fatawu Safiu played 23 minutes as a substitute in WFC2’s win against Sacramento Republic and has impressed this season in the USL.
“We play our best at home so that really helps us on Friday,” said Coach Trittschuh before being asked about his potential starting lineup for Vancouver’s visit. “We’re ready to get back to our best results and so we’re looking for players to press hard and defend well on Friday. The question now is who is going to do that and who is going to step up this week and take their chance.”
Saeed Robinson, introduced as a substitute against Saint Louis FC after performing recently as both a winger and striker, echoed his Head Coach’s enthusiasm for the return to Switchbacks Stadium. “We need to win our home games to stay in playoff contention and we know Friday will give us a boost being here. It helps Vancouver is coming because you always want to beat the best teams so it’s perfect for us.”
Despite being top of the Western Conference the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 have only claimed one victory from their last six games away from British Columbia. A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Rio Grande Valley FC on July 13 th was followed just three days later by a 2-0 defeat at San Antonio FC’s Toyota Field in Vancouver’s last road action before Friday’s visit to Colorado Springs.
The first back-to- back road losses of 2016 weren’t enough to sufficiently derail the Whitecaps FC 2’s season, as the aforementioned bounce-back 2-1 home win against resurgent Sacramento Republic FC can attest.
Consecutive one-nil victories in Colorado Springs – against the Real Monarchs SLC and Sacramento Republic FC respectively – furthered the Switchbacks’ reputation as one of the most difficult teams to defeat in the USL, before July 20 saw the Switchbacks held 1-1 at Switchbacks Stadium by Swope Park Rangers.
With the Switchbacks having lost just once at Switchbacks Stadium in 2016 the onus to score will be on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 this Friday. A win would see the Switchbacks close the gap on the Whitecaps 2 to just a single point.
The chance to impress a national audience against the current conference leaders was not lost on Rony Argueta: “If we want to be up at the top of the table we have to beat the top teams,” stressed the Switchbacks’ midfield lynchpin. “Vancouver have good talent going forward and we will do all we can to contain and pressure them. We need to up our level at home and that starts Friday.”
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks host top-of- the-table Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 this Friday in the marquee matchup of the USL’s Western Conference. One of the most pronounced home-field advantages awaits the Whitecaps 2 for their only regular season trip to Colorado: the Switchbacks have won six of their nine matches at Switchbacks Stadium in 2016.
Fine form and five victories away from the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird Stadium have helped propel the Whitecaps 2 into top spot in the Western Conference.
A come-from- behind 2-1 victory in Vancouver over Sacramento Republic FC arrested a two game slide for the Whitecaps 2, who had previously been shut out at Rio Grande Valley FC and San Antonio FC. Striker Thomas Sanner was named a starter on the USL Team of the Week after his stoppage-time winner against the Republic FC – the first professional goal of Sanner’s career. Free flowing offensive performances see the Whitecaps 2 enter Friday’s game having been outscored only by the Los Angeles Galaxy II in the Western Conference.
“Vancouver has top players and is a top team,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “I hope we can step up – we usually perform our best when we play top teams so hopefully that continues on Friday. We’ve got to be ready and be better – Vancouver is a very good and solid team so that means we need to be on top of our game.”
Still sitting in third place, the Switchbacks enter Friday’s clash looking to return to winning ways after having taken just five points from the last fifteen available. A Marty Maybin strike wasn’t enough for the Switchbacks to avoid defeat in their last USL outing as overwhelming heat and humidity greeted the Switchbacks in Fenton, Missouri on Saturday evening.
Changes rang through the starting XI for the Switchbacks against Saint Louis FC with the visitors playing their third match in just eight days. Billy Thompson was given the start in net, while Kim Taeseong played next to Rony Argueta in the Switchbacks’ midfield.
Saint Louis FC leapt into a two-goal first half lead before Maybin’s 54th minute strike. “It’s always good to score, but three points is the most important thing – especially at the moment,” stressed the center forward. “We’re so disappointed with the loss in Saint Louis, but now we regroup together. We know Vancouver is where we should be at the top of the league and we know that to be the best we have to beat the best. Friday’s game is different than against Saint Louis because we know there’s no more room for mistakes and that we must get the win.”
Argueta, who has been one of the outstanding performers for the Switchbacks this season, was named captain against Saint Louis FC after a string of first-class performances. “Obviously I felt I had to step up,” said Argueta when asked about the effects of the captaincy. “I’m not a very vocal player – I lead by example and hard work. With the armband I had to step up and position myself as more of a forward leader. Coach let me know at the pre-game meal and I was so happy and very honored. It felt great to hear I’d be the captain and I’m very thankful. Unluckily we didn’t get the win, but now we get back to work and make sure we’re ready for Friday.”
The task of trying to cool Vancouver’s offense on Friday may partly fall to Switchbacks central defender Christian Ibeagha. Starting this season next to multiple different center back partners, Ibeagha has established himself as a cornerstone to one of the league’s most frugal defenses. “I’ve already had game- time with each partner this season,” said Ibeagha about his defensive teammates. “At this point we understand each other and it’s a matter of us thinking alike. We have what it takes to win on Friday. We slipped up [in Saint Louis] but now we get back on track as a group. I think we need to start a new winning streak now and the best way to do that is to beat the top team in the league.”
Tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy II on 35 points, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 lead the Western Conference on the strength of their ten wins this season. A wild 4-3 victory over the Galaxy II on May 15 th gave the Whitecaps 2 their standout win of the season. Vancouver had previously tied the Galaxy 2-2 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on April 22nd .
Striker Kyle Greig leads the Whitecaps 2 with 10 goals in 2016, having stared last season with the Oklahoma City Energy FC. Homegrown attacking midfielder Marco Bustos dictates offensive play for the Whitecaps 2, while 15-year- old Alphonso Davies has appeared in nine matches this season for WFC2. The third youngest player to ever sign an MLS contract, Davies has already represented the Whitecaps at MLS level and is the youngest ever goal scorer in the USL.
Canadian international striker Daniel Haber has 3 assists to support his 5 goals this season and adds yet another striking option for Whitecaps 2 Head Coach Alan Koch. Ghanaian forward Abdul Fatawu Safiu played 23 minutes as a substitute in WFC2’s win against Sacramento Republic and has impressed this season in the USL.
“We play our best at home so that really helps us on Friday,” said Coach Trittschuh before being asked about his potential starting lineup for Vancouver’s visit. “We’re ready to get back to our best results and so we’re looking for players to press hard and defend well on Friday. The question now is who is going to do that and who is going to step up this week and take their chance.”
Saeed Robinson, introduced as a substitute against Saint Louis FC after performing recently as both a winger and striker, echoed his Head Coach’s enthusiasm for the return to Switchbacks Stadium. “We need to win our home games to stay in playoff contention and we know Friday will give us a boost being here. It helps Vancouver is coming because you always want to beat the best teams so it’s perfect for us.”
Despite being top of the Western Conference the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 have only claimed one victory from their last six games away from British Columbia. A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Rio Grande Valley FC on July 13 th was followed just three days later by a 2-0 defeat at San Antonio FC’s Toyota Field in Vancouver’s last road action before Friday’s visit to Colorado Springs.
The first back-to- back road losses of 2016 weren’t enough to sufficiently derail the Whitecaps FC 2’s season, as the aforementioned bounce-back 2-1 home win against resurgent Sacramento Republic FC can attest.
Consecutive one-nil victories in Colorado Springs – against the Real Monarchs SLC and Sacramento Republic FC respectively – furthered the Switchbacks’ reputation as one of the most difficult teams to defeat in the USL, before July 20 saw the Switchbacks held 1-1 at Switchbacks Stadium by Swope Park Rangers.
With the Switchbacks having lost just once at Switchbacks Stadium in 2016 the onus to score will be on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 this Friday. A win would see the Switchbacks close the gap on the Whitecaps 2 to just a single point.
The chance to impress a national audience against the current conference leaders was not lost on Rony Argueta: “If we want to be up at the top of the table we have to beat the top teams,” stressed the Switchbacks’ midfield lynchpin. “Vancouver have good talent going forward and we will do all we can to contain and pressure them. We need to up our level at home and that starts Friday.”