Opponent: Louisville City FC
Match Date: July 19
Location: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 6pm MT
How to Listen: XTRA Sports 1300am with the Voices of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman and Roland Vargish – coverage starts at 5:30pm MT.
Coach Chambers’ Comments: “[In the] first half [of a 2-1 loss at the Birmingham Legion last Saturday night in Alabama] we were pretty good – I thought we should have been ahead by more. I think a couple of individual errors costs us the game, but we were complacent in key
moments. We should have really capitalized on the chances that we had, and we left it on the table, and we got bit so we have to learn from that. [We are] disappointed overall, but it’s a new week now and we get back to work.” The Switchbacks have seen their week of preparation moved from Weidner Field due to the upcoming Y Fest featuring Jason Aldean on 719 Day, followed a day later by the Jonas Brothers! Limited tickets remain available HERE! “It’s been lovely to get on the grass and obviously a big thanks to Air Force for facilitating us,” continued Head Coach Chambers. “It’s been really enjoyable [at the Academy] – it’s a really nice place to be and [has been] very good for the boys to get on the grass [and] it’s something
different as well. So yeah, [it’s been] a little bit different this week [in terms of] preparation, but again it’s still training and it’s not like we’re jumping through hoops of fire here – it’s still the same thing.”
Look at Louisville: “I would definitely have [Louisville City] in the top one [of the league],” confirmed Head Coach Chambers. “They’re elite as an organization from top to bottom. They are the gold standard for this level – everybody aspires for that. [And] that being said, they have
had a really good season this year and they’ve been very, very strong at home, but we’re excited to get there and have a go. “I think similar to the last number of games, we’ve created chances – we’ve done really well to create chances, and we just haven’t capitalized on that. The turning point for us as a group now is to make sure that we put goals on the board. Chances are one thing, but we need to put goals on the board so that individual mistakes may not cost us later in the game. And if [we do have individual mistakes] we have enough goals in the bank that cover us. So that’s kind of
where we are – we’ve got to make sure that we put on another performance down [in Louisville], which will be difficult, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Vargish’s View: This is going to be a good game. You are what your record (and league standing) say that you are, and LouCity are currently the best team in the USL Championship. Louisville has the most points in the league and have the best goal differential – the team from the Derby City have scored a staggering 31 goals in just eight matches this season at Lynn Family Stadium. Two individual errors – and a lack of a cutting edge in front of goal – cost the Switchbacks at least a point in Alabama last weekend. On Friday evening, the Switchbacks must convert the chances they create. Louisville’s last match at Lynn Family Stadium in the Bluegrass State ended in a shocking 5-2 loss to Rhode Island on June 22 nd . It’s a LOT easier said than done, but the Switchbacks have to take a few pages from Rhode Island’s book: attack early, not be intimidated by the mystique of playing at Louisville City, and convert the chances that are offered by LouCity.
