Match Preview

On Saturday night, the Switchbacks begin their 2021 USL Championship Playoff campaign with a Conference Quarterfinal matchup against Orange County SC at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, California.  Saturday’s match in SoCal will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm MT.  The Trailheads Supporters Group will be hosting a watch party at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. 

The Switchbacks and Orange County SC have faced off twice in 2021, with a preseason match at Weidner Field ending 2-2 on April 24th after a brace from the USL Championship’s Golden Boot winner Hadji Barry.  During the regular season, OCSC were victorious 2-0 in Colorado Springs on July 1st, behind goals from Finnish striker Eero Markkanen and SoCal native Eric Calvillo.

On Saturday night, the Switchbacks begin their 2021 USL Championship Playoff campaign with a Conference Quarterfinal matchup against Orange County SC at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, California.  Saturday’s match in SoCal will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm MT.  The Trailheads Supporters Group will be hosting a watch party at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. 

The Switchbacks and Orange County SC have faced off twice in 2021, with a preseason match at Weidner Field ending 2-2 on April 24th after a brace from the USL Championship’s Golden Boot winner Hadji Barry.  During the regular season, OCSC were victorious 2-0 in Colorado Springs on July 1st, behind goals from Finnish striker Eero Markkanen and SoCal native Eric Calvillo.

“We’ve been hit on the counter a number of times this year, so the pace of OC is a concern for us more so than anything else,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “Markkanen hurt us with his size last time he was here, and the reality is that they [OC] have a lot they can throw at you.  They’re a very, very big-budget franchise – it’s a very different look for us in terms of the quality of players they can bring from anywhere in their squad.  For the most part, everyone [on OC] is experienced and has played at a really high level.” 

“OC are a different looking team from when we faced them before,” said Switchbacks defender Matt Mahoney.   “Ronaldo [Damus] is a very quick player up top but OC can also be big and strong and combative.  We know what Saturday is going to be.  These playoff games are going to be a dogfight, so no matter what lineup they throw at us, we know what we’re going to have to do defensively to keep them off the scoresheet, and we know that we have the power going forward to get a goal.”

Orange County SC have compiled a home record of 7-5-4 in 2021, and have won five consecutive matches.  OCSC goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after recording a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy II on Saturday evening in Carson, California.  Haitian striker Ronaldo Damus leads OCSC’s scoring-charts with 14.

“We’ve been hit on the counter a number of times this year, so the pace of OC is a concern for us more so than anything else,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “Markkanen hurt us with his size last time he was here, and the reality is that they [OC] have a lot they can throw at you.  They’re a very, very big-budget franchise – it’s a very different look for us in terms of the quality of players they can bring from anywhere in their squad.  For the most part, everyone [on OC] is experienced and has played at a really high level.” 

“OC are a different looking team from when we faced them before,” said Switchbacks defender Matt Mahoney.   “Ronaldo [Damus] is a very quick player up top but OC can also be big and strong and combative.  We know what Saturday is going to be.  These playoff games are going to be a dogfight, so no matter what lineup they throw at us, we know what we’re going to have to do defensively to keep them off the scoresheet, and we know that we have the power going forward to get a goal.”

Orange County SC have compiled a home record of 7-5-4 in 2021, and have won five consecutive matches.  OCSC goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after recording a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy II on Saturday evening in Carson, California.  Haitian striker Ronaldo Damus leads OCSC’s scoring-charts with 14.

“It’s kind of exciting for us to go to a new atmosphere in Orange County,” said Matt Mahoney.  “We know it’s going to be nice weather in California and it’ll be kind of refreshing to see new faces and play a team that we haven’t seen in a while.  I’m sure the coaches are excited to prep for a new team and the whole feel for us is excitement at getting into the playoffs.  This club and organization haven’t had a lot of success in the last few years and we’re looking to re-set that and set a new precedent and level for this club.”

Last Saturday night the Switchbacks lost in San Antonio, but qualified for the playoffs as the 3rd-seed in the Mountain Division after going 13-9-10 this season.  “We have to forget what’s happened the past couple weeks in terms of the strength of our performances and obviously the result at the weekend,” added Matt Mahoney.  “We need a good hard week of training to get going – that will set the tone for the weekend.  If we have a good sharp week of training, we’ll go into the game feeling confident.  At the end of the day, it’s now four games to win a championship.  It’s win or go home, and we know that we can beat anybody in the league.  We have to go to OC, but that’s ok; we know we’re a good team on the road, no matter where we’re playing, and we’re going to go there, give our all, and hopefully get a win.”

“It’s refreshing to not be playing El Paso or San Antonio or New Mexico or Austin or RGV – that’s 16 to 20 of our games [this season] right there, which is kind of ridiculous,” said Head Coach Burke.  “It’s great to have fresh faces to look at.  We’re going to be missing a few guys this weekend and we were missing a whole handful last weekend.  Even some of the guys we had on the bench were hurting in San Antonio so we couldn’t use them, so we’re limping in a little bit.  We have a process and we need to stick to it – nothing changes for us this week.  Everything will be a normal week of preparation.  I think everyone in our locker room understands that we’re not happy to be here [on the road for the Conference Quarterfinals] – we still have a lot of work to do and there’s a lot of potential in the group if we get it right.”  

The winner of Saturday’s match will face either El Paso Locomotive or the Oakland Roots in the Conference Semifinals next week.  

“It’s kind of exciting for us to go to a new atmosphere in Orange County,” said Matt Mahoney.  “We know it’s going to be nice weather in California and it’ll be kind of refreshing to see new faces and play a team that we haven’t seen in a while.  I’m sure the coaches are excited to prep for a new team and the whole feel for us is excitement at getting into the playoffs.  This club and organization haven’t had a lot of success in the last few years and we’re looking to re-set that and set a new precedent and level for this club.”

Last Saturday night the Switchbacks lost in San Antonio, but qualified for the playoffs as the 3rd-seed in the Mountain Division after going 13-9-10 this season.  “We have to forget what’s happened the past couple weeks in terms of the strength of our performances and obviously the result at the weekend,” added Matt Mahoney.  “We need a good hard week of training to get going – that will set the tone for the weekend.  If we have a good sharp week of training, we’ll go into the game feeling confident.  At the end of the day, it’s now four games to win a championship.  It’s win or go home, and we know that we can beat anybody in the league.  We have to go to OC, but that’s ok; we know we’re a good team on the road, no matter where we’re playing, and we’re going to go there, give our all, and hopefully get a win.”

“It’s refreshing to not be playing El Paso or San Antonio or New Mexico or Austin or RGV – that’s 16 to 20 of our games [this season] right there, which is kind of ridiculous,” said Head Coach Burke.  “It’s great to have fresh faces to look at.  We’re going to be missing a few guys this weekend and we were missing a whole handful last weekend.  Even some of the guys we had on the bench were hurting in San Antonio so we couldn’t use them, so we’re limping in a little bit.  We have a process and we need to stick to it – nothing changes for us this week.  Everything will be a normal week of preparation.  I think everyone in our locker room understands that we’re not happy to be here [on the road for the Conference Quarterfinals] – we still have a lot of work to do and there’s a lot of potential in the group if we get it right.”  

The winner of Saturday’s match will face either El Paso Locomotive or the Oakland Roots in the Conference Semifinals next week.  

Already guaranteed a place in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, the Switchbacks head to San Antonio knowing a win on Saturday night secures a home playoff match at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  A tie or a loss to San Antonio FC would see the Switchbacks finish in third place in the Mountain Division, while the win would clinch second place, and with it a home match to begin the postseason, with tickets available HERE.

The voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, will broadcast Saturday’s match in the Lone Star State on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6pm MT.

Already guaranteed a place in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, the Switchbacks head to San Antonio knowing a win on Saturday night secures a home playoff match at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  A tie or a loss to San Antonio FC would see the Switchbacks finish in third place in the Mountain Division, while the win would clinch second place, and with it a home match to begin the postseason, with tickets available HERE.

The voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, will broadcast Saturday’s match in the Lone Star State on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6pm MT.

The Switchbacks tied 1-1 with the Real Monarchs SLC last Friday night in Herriman, Utah through a 95th-minute equalizer from Andre Lewis.  The Monarchs were down to 10 men for the majority of the match on Friday, after Julio Benitez was shown a straight red card in the 13th minute.  “We were poor [in Utah] – there’s just no way around that,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Tuesday.  “We didn’t have the right intensity level from the start of the game on either side of the ball.  We didn’t play poorly technically or tactically, but our intensity level was low all night.  We allowed 10 men to stay in the game – which you see a lot and happens all the time – but it shouldn’t be happening to us with our style of play and the players we have on the field.  We were very disappointed with a point, but we recognize that we kept pushing until the final whistle, and that point meant that San Antonio couldn’t get away from us.” 

San Antonio FC and the Switchbacks are tied in the USL Championship Mountain Division on 49 points, with Saturday’s hosts holding the tiebreaker over the Switchbacks due to the 2021 head-to-head record.  In the opening game of the season on May 1st, Colombian striker Santiago Patiño scored a hat-trick to propel San Antonio FC to a 3-0 win over the Switchbacks at Toyota Field.  Patiño was sent off against the Switchbacks on June 5th at Weidner Field in a match that finished 1-1 after the USL Championship’s top scorer Hadji Barry gave the Switchbacks the lead after just six minutes.  The Switchbacks fell 3-2 to San Antonio FC on July 17th in Colorado Springs.  

Brazilian striker Nathan leads San Antonio FC in goals with seven, while the owner of the biggest beard in the USL Championship, Matt Cardone, remains Head Coach Alen Marcina’s top-choice goalkeeper.  Former Cal Poly Mustangs striker Justin Dhillon is an ever-present threat in front of a midfield containing the play-making ability of Alamo City-native Jose Gallegos.

The Switchbacks tied 1-1 with the Real Monarchs SLC last Friday night in Herriman, Utah through a 95th-minute equalizer from Andre Lewis.  The Monarchs were down to 10 men for the majority of the match on Friday, after Julio Benitez was shown a straight red card in the 13th minute.  “We were poor [in Utah] – there’s just no way around that,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Tuesday.  “We didn’t have the right intensity level from the start of the game on either side of the ball.  We didn’t play poorly technically or tactically, but our intensity level was low all night.  We allowed 10 men to stay in the game – which you see a lot and happens all the time – but it shouldn’t be happening to us with our style of play and the players we have on the field.  We were very disappointed with a point, but we recognize that we kept pushing until the final whistle, and that point meant that San Antonio couldn’t get away from us.” 

San Antonio FC and the Switchbacks are tied in the USL Championship Mountain Division on 49 points, with Saturday’s hosts holding the tiebreaker over the Switchbacks due to the 2021 head-to-head record.  In the opening game of the season on May 1st, Colombian striker Santiago Patiño scored a hat-trick to propel San Antonio FC to a 3-0 win over the Switchbacks at Toyota Field.  Patiño was sent off against the Switchbacks on June 5th at Weidner Field in a match that finished 1-1 after the USL Championship’s top scorer Hadji Barry gave the Switchbacks the lead after just six minutes.  The Switchbacks fell 3-2 to San Antonio FC on July 17th in Colorado Springs.  

Brazilian striker Nathan leads San Antonio FC in goals with seven, while the owner of the biggest beard in the USL Championship, Matt Cardone, remains Head Coach Alen Marcina’s top-choice goalkeeper.  Former Cal Poly Mustangs striker Justin Dhillon is an ever-present threat in front of a midfield containing the play-making ability of Alamo City-native Jose Gallegos.

“San Antonio are a very direct team and we know it will be a good battle,” said Switchbacks veteran Rony Argueta.  “If we stick to what we’ve been doing, stick to our style of play, and stick to the ideas and the philosophies that coach has instilled in us, we’ll be ok.  We’re hungry for that home playoff spot.  It would be big to have the home playoff game, with the entire stadium behind us.  With the fresh energy coming into this season because of the new stadium, we’ve seen the support just growing and that’s because of the good product on the field – everybody wants to see a winning team and an exciting style of playing football.  Saturday is going to come down to who wants it more and the energy and the willingness to go 90 minutes plus to get the result.”

San Antonio lead the entire USL Championship in yellow cards with 89, and have been booked nine times against the Switchbacks in 2021.  “San Antonio are just viciously combative,” said Head Coach Burke.  “You would have thought the league would have gotten ahold of them by now, but they’re big, they’re physical, they play for set pieces – it’s a messy style of play, but they are what they are and they have an identity, they’re good at it, and they deserve credit for being good at what they do.  We need to put on a performance that’s far better than the one we put on the first time we were down there in the first game of the season.  Saturday has been circled for us since that game [on May 1st].”

“Saturday is a playoff game,” continued Burke.  “At the very least it’s a great dress-rehearsal for the playoffs.  We know we’re going to see OC [Orange County SC] or San Diego [Loyal] – probably OC – but the reality is that we’re going down to San Antonio with a free-swing in a playoff environment, which is more than we could ask for at the start of the season.” 

“San Antonio are a very direct team and we know it will be a good battle,” said Switchbacks veteran Rony Argueta.  “If we stick to what we’ve been doing, stick to our style of play, and stick to the ideas and the philosophies that coach has instilled in us, we’ll be ok.  We’re hungry for that home playoff spot.  It would be big to have the home playoff game, with the entire stadium behind us.  With the fresh energy coming into this season because of the new stadium, we’ve seen the support just growing and that’s because of the good product on the field – everybody wants to see a winning team and an exciting style of playing football.  Saturday is going to come down to who wants it more and the energy and the willingness to go 90 minutes plus to get the result.”

San Antonio lead the entire USL Championship in yellow cards with 89, and have been booked nine times against the Switchbacks in 2021.  “San Antonio are just viciously combative,” said Head Coach Burke.  “You would have thought the league would have gotten ahold of them by now, but they’re big, they’re physical, they play for set pieces – it’s a messy style of play, but they are what they are and they have an identity, they’re good at it, and they deserve credit for being good at what they do.  We need to put on a performance that’s far better than the one we put on the first time we were down there in the first game of the season.  Saturday has been circled for us since that game [on May 1st].”

“Saturday is a playoff game,” continued Burke.  “At the very least it’s a great dress-rehearsal for the playoffs.  We know we’re going to see OC [Orange County SC] or San Diego [Loyal] – probably OC – but the reality is that we’re going down to San Antonio with a free-swing in a playoff environment, which is more than we could ask for at the start of the season.” 

With just two regular season matches remaining, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC head west for a Friday night matchup with the Real Monarchs SLC in Herriman, Utah.  Friday’s match in the Beehive State will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

The Switchbacks currently sit in third-place in the USL Championship’s Mountain Division, and a second-place finish is needed to host a playoff game.  At the time of writing, San Antonio FC are tied with the Switchbacks on 48 points, but San Antonio FC has played one fewer match.  On Wednesday night, New Mexico United will host San Antonio FC at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque.  The Switchbacks will end their regular season campaign on October 30th against San Antonio FC at Toyota Field in the Alamo City, in what could be a chance for the winner to secure a first-round home playoff match.

With just two regular season matches remaining, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC head west for a Friday night matchup with the Real Monarchs SLC in Herriman, Utah.  Friday’s match in the Beehive State will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

The Switchbacks currently sit in third-place in the USL Championship’s Mountain Division, and a second-place finish is needed to host a playoff game.  At the time of writing, San Antonio FC are tied with the Switchbacks on 48 points, but San Antonio FC has played one fewer match.  On Wednesday night, New Mexico United will host San Antonio FC at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque.  The Switchbacks will end their regular season campaign on October 30th against San Antonio FC at Toyota Field in the Alamo City, in what could be a chance for the winner to secure a first-round home playoff match.

Last Saturday night saw the Switchbacks take a massive step towards the playoffs with a dramatic last-gasp win over the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, courtesy of a 94th minute winner from Thomas Amang at a sold-out Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  “I was so happy to play and score after coming back from injury and that three points was really important for us,” said Amang on Tuesday morning.  “We will try to do everything these next two games to get second spot [in the Mountain Division] and a home playoff game.”  

“That probably put us over the line,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke about Amang’s game-winning goal.  “We’ve been very conservative with bringing Thomas back from the hamstring injury and that was a great introduction, but now we need to get him back to full-fitness before the playoffs.  We were all waiting for the breakthrough that night.  They [RGV FC] came here and sat back even though they needed to win, and that tells you everything about how everyone perceives us right now –  which is great.  We’re top three in both conferences combined in possession and in goals.  We have a deadly group of players and if people don’t respect it, they’ll get hurt and they know that.  But we need to be honest about our defending and making sure that we continue to try to keep clean sheets.  I’d say that Seb’s [Sebastian Anderson] play on the other end [defensively] is just as important.”

Real Monarchs’ Leo Torres was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after bagging a brace in the Monarchs’ wild 4-3 win over the Austin Bold on Saturday in Utah.  The Monarchs finished the match against Austin with nine men after Bode Davis was sent off in the 84th minute, while Fernando Delgado received his marching orders just two minutes later.  Both Davis and Delgado will be suspended for the match against the Switchbacks on Friday.  Real Monarchs Head Coach Jámison Olave has been absent for the last two matches due to health and safety protocols regarding Covid-19. 

Last Saturday night saw the Switchbacks take a massive step towards the playoffs with a dramatic last-gasp win over the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, courtesy of a 94th minute winner from Thomas Amang at a sold-out Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  “I was so happy to play and score after coming back from injury and that three points was really important for us,” said Amang on Tuesday morning.  “We will try to do everything these next two games to get second spot [in the Mountain Division] and a home playoff game.”  

“That probably put us over the line,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke about Amang’s game-winning goal.  “We’ve been very conservative with bringing Thomas back from the hamstring injury and that was a great introduction, but now we need to get him back to full-fitness before the playoffs.  We were all waiting for the breakthrough that night.  They [RGV FC] came here and sat back even though they needed to win, and that tells you everything about how everyone perceives us right now –  which is great.  We’re top three in both conferences combined in possession and in goals.  We have a deadly group of players and if people don’t respect it, they’ll get hurt and they know that.  But we need to be honest about our defending and making sure that we continue to try to keep clean sheets.  I’d say that Seb’s [Sebastian Anderson] play on the other end [defensively] is just as important.”

Real Monarchs’ Leo Torres was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after bagging a brace in the Monarchs’ wild 4-3 win over the Austin Bold on Saturday in Utah.  The Monarchs finished the match against Austin with nine men after Bode Davis was sent off in the 84th minute, while Fernando Delgado received his marching orders just two minutes later.  Both Davis and Delgado will be suspended for the match against the Switchbacks on Friday.  Real Monarchs Head Coach Jámison Olave has been absent for the last two matches due to health and safety protocols regarding Covid-19. 

“They’re playing with complete freedom,” said Head Coach Burke when asked about the Real Monarchs.  “I’ve been on that side of it before with a really young team, and they have talent and they can hurt you in a number of different ways.  There’s really nothing on the line for them and when they play with real freedom that makes them that much more dangerous.”

This season has showcased the Real Monarchs’ youth, with 13-year-old Axel Kei making his professional debut against the Switchbacks in a 0-0 draw at Zions Bank Stadium on October 8th.  That match saw over half the Monarchs’ starting XI made up of players from Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.  Entering Friday’s game, the Real Monarchs sit in last place in the USL Championship’s Mountain Division and have been eliminated from 2021 postseason contention.  

“We know exactly what we need to do [against the Monarchs] and we’re laser-focused on it,” said Head Coach Burke.  “Ultimately, Friday has to be about us and our style of play and it wasn’t to my liking last time there, so if we get back to doing what we do well it shouldn’t be an issue which players they play.”  

“This week we will watch video [on the Real Monarchs] and see what we can plan with the coaches and what we have to do,” said Thomas Amang.  “We just want to go there and get a positive result.  We will stick to the plans from the coaches and make sure we go there with the right mentality and do everything 100%.” 

“They’re playing with complete freedom,” said Head Coach Burke when asked about the Real Monarchs.  “I’ve been on that side of it before with a really young team, and they have talent and they can hurt you in a number of different ways.  There’s really nothing on the line for them and when they play with real freedom that makes them that much more dangerous.”

This season has showcased the Real Monarchs’ youth, with 13-year-old Axel Kei making his professional debut against the Switchbacks in a 0-0 draw at Zions Bank Stadium on October 8th.  That match saw over half the Monarchs’ starting XI made up of players from Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.  Entering Friday’s game, the Real Monarchs sit in last place in the USL Championship’s Mountain Division and have been eliminated from 2021 postseason contention.  

“We know exactly what we need to do [against the Monarchs] and we’re laser-focused on it,” said Head Coach Burke.  “Ultimately, Friday has to be about us and our style of play and it wasn’t to my liking last time there, so if we get back to doing what we do well it shouldn’t be an issue which players they play.”  

“This week we will watch video [on the Real Monarchs] and see what we can plan with the coaches and what we have to do,” said Thomas Amang.  “We just want to go there and get a positive result.  We will stick to the plans from the coaches and make sure we go there with the right mentality and do everything 100%.” 

Hadji Barry looks to set the USL Championship record for goals in a season on Saturday evening at Weidner Field as the Switchbacks host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.  

Saturday’s match against the Toros is the Switchbacks’ final regular season home match of 2021, and will be broadcast by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com. 

On Wednesday, the Switchbacks fell 4-2 to Mountain Division leaders El Paso Locomotive at Southwest University Park in Far West Texas.  The Switchbacks led 2-1 at halftime through goals from Hadji Barry and Deshane Beckford and were desperately unlucky to have not been granted an opportunity from the penalty spot just before the interval.  Barry’s 25th goal of 2021 tied the all-time USL Championship record for goals in a season – set by Cameron Lancaster at Louisville City FC in 2018.  

Hadji Barry looks to set the USL Championship record for goals in a season on Saturday evening at Weidner Field as the Switchbacks host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.  

Saturday’s match against the Toros is the Switchbacks’ final regular season home match of 2021, and will be broadcast by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com. 

On Wednesday, the Switchbacks fell 4-2 to Mountain Division leaders El Paso Locomotive at Southwest University Park in Far West Texas.  The Switchbacks led 2-1 at halftime through goals from Hadji Barry and Deshane Beckford and were desperately unlucky to have not been granted an opportunity from the penalty spot just before the interval.  Barry’s 25th goal of 2021 tied the all-time USL Championship record for goals in a season – set by Cameron Lancaster at Louisville City FC in 2018.  

“Just before half time El Paso should have had a red card and a penalty and we’d have won the game,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Thursday.  “The level of refereeing was abhorrent.  Because of the refereeing decision last night this kind of becomes a home playoff game on Saturday, so hopefully people treat it like that and this place is rocking on Saturday night because we can put [RGV FC] to bed.  The intensity level and finishing off what we started in the first half last night [vs El Paso Locomotive] is important.”

Wednesday’s wild match in El Paso also saw Triston Hodge’s forced removal just after the hour-mark after a collision with Diego Luna.  Jimmy Ockford replaced Hodge, and Ockford’s booking in the 95th minute will rule the Switchbacks captain out of the match on Saturday against RGV for yellow card accumulation.

“There will be a couple changes,” confirmed Head Coach Burke.  “With Jimmy taking the yellow card he’ll be out – that one hurts and kind of changes our ability to play a different shape.  Triston may be injured so that will impact us as well.  We have a fair bit of concern on our end defensively going into Saturday night.  But on the attacking side, we should see [Zach] Zandi and [Thomas] Amang back into the team which is a huge boost to us, and hopefully we’ll get [Philip] Mayaka back soon too.”

“Just before half time El Paso should have had a red card and a penalty and we’d have won the game,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Thursday.  “The level of refereeing was abhorrent.  Because of the refereeing decision last night this kind of becomes a home playoff game on Saturday, so hopefully people treat it like that and this place is rocking on Saturday night because we can put [RGV FC] to bed.  The intensity level and finishing off what we started in the first half last night [vs El Paso Locomotive] is important.”

Wednesday’s wild match in El Paso also saw Triston Hodge’s forced removal just after the hour-mark after a collision with Diego Luna.  Jimmy Ockford replaced Hodge, and Ockford’s booking in the 95th minute will rule the Switchbacks captain out of the match on Saturday against RGV for yellow card accumulation.

“There will be a couple changes,” confirmed Head Coach Burke.  “With Jimmy taking the yellow card he’ll be out – that one hurts and kind of changes our ability to play a different shape.  Triston may be injured so that will impact us as well.  We have a fair bit of concern on our end defensively going into Saturday night.  But on the attacking side, we should see [Zach] Zandi and [Thomas] Amang back into the team which is a huge boost to us, and hopefully we’ll get [Philip] Mayaka back soon too.”

“The guys have put last night in the past – it is what it is, and right now we just control what we can,” said Jimmy Ockford.  “The guys are set for Saturday against RGV.  We have a very deep team so it doesn’t matter who is in the rotation; the guys are all ready to perform and it’s crunch time now and the team is ready to grind out these last few games of the regular season.  The boys will be ready and focused.”  

The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros tied New Mexico United 1-1 last Saturday night at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque after taking the lead just five minutes into the match through Elvis Amoh.  Amoh leads RGV in goals during the 2021 USL Championship season with 11, and will be a fitness worry for Saturday’s match in Colorado Springs after being withdrawn from the aforementioned draw last weekend just six minutes after putting the Toros ahead.  

“We should know more later today when we get their [injury] report,” said Burke on Thursday when asked about RGV’s potential absences.  “But obviously it would be a benefit to us if Amoh isn’t available because then it makes them more predictable.”  

Saturday’s match at Weidner Field will be the fourth and final regular season meeting between the Switchbacks and Toros.  A brace from Hadji Barry and goals from Thomas Amang, Michee Ngalina and Darren Yapi sealed a 5-2 win for the Switchbacks on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  Matt Mahoney scored an injury-time equalizer on September 11th as the Switchbacks fought back to draw RGV 1-1 at Weidner Field.  A week later, on September 18th, the Switchbacks won 2-1 in the Lone Star State behind two more goals from the USL Championship’s leading-scorer Hadji Barry.  

Next Friday night the Switchbacks will cross the Rocky Mountains to face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  The 2021 USL Championship regular season will conclude for the Switchbacks on Saturday, October 30th at Toyota Field in the Alamo City against Mountain Division rivals San Antonio FC.

“The guys have put last night in the past – it is what it is, and right now we just control what we can,” said Jimmy Ockford.  “The guys are set for Saturday against RGV.  We have a very deep team so it doesn’t matter who is in the rotation; the guys are all ready to perform and it’s crunch time now and the team is ready to grind out these last few games of the regular season.  The boys will be ready and focused.”  

The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros tied New Mexico United 1-1 last Saturday night at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque after taking the lead just five minutes into the match through Elvis Amoh.  Amoh leads RGV in goals during the 2021 USL Championship season with 11, and will be a fitness worry for Saturday’s match in Colorado Springs after being withdrawn from the aforementioned draw last weekend just six minutes after putting the Toros ahead.  

“We should know more later today when we get their [injury] report,” said Burke on Thursday when asked about RGV’s potential absences.  “But obviously it would be a benefit to us if Amoh isn’t available because then it makes them more predictable.”  

Saturday’s match at Weidner Field will be the fourth and final regular season meeting between the Switchbacks and Toros.  A brace from Hadji Barry and goals from Thomas Amang, Michee Ngalina and Darren Yapi sealed a 5-2 win for the Switchbacks on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  Matt Mahoney scored an injury-time equalizer on September 11th as the Switchbacks fought back to draw RGV 1-1 at Weidner Field.  A week later, on September 18th, the Switchbacks won 2-1 in the Lone Star State behind two more goals from the USL Championship’s leading-scorer Hadji Barry.  

Next Friday night the Switchbacks will cross the Rocky Mountains to face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  The 2021 USL Championship regular season will conclude for the Switchbacks on Saturday, October 30th at Toyota Field in the Alamo City against Mountain Division rivals San Antonio FC.

Just four games remain for the Switchbacks in the 2021 USL Championship regular season as they head to Far West Texas for a Wednesday night clash with El Paso Locomotive at Southwest University Park.  Mountain Division leaders El Paso are unbeaten in eight matches, which includes two draws with the Switchbacks at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs: 0-0 on September 15th and 1-1 on October 2nd.  

Wednesday’s match against the Locomotive will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

On Friday night, the Switchbacks tied the Real Monarchs SLC 0-0 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  “Personally that felt like a couple points lost,” said defender Matt Mahoney when asked about Friday’s match.  “We know they had a couple MLS guys coming down, but I think with the squad we have and the kind of power we’ve had all season going forward – and the playoff race that we’re in – we were kind of hoping that we’d go there and get three points.  But at the end of the day, you try to find the positives as well.  Clean sheets were hard to come by for the first part of the season and now we’ve only given up four goals total in the last seven [games] so we have to think of the positives on the defensive side.  And we know what we can bring on the attacking side, so we just have to get back to that and what we’re good at.  Friday was two points lost, but now we have to turn the corner and look at El Paso.” 

In this season’s previous matchup in El Paso, the Switchbacks tied the Locomotive 1-1 on June 12th at Southwest University Park behind a 73rd minute equalizer from the USL Championship’s leading goal-scorer Hadji Barry.  

“I think against El Paso it comes down to us keeping a clean sheet, and then trying to strike first and fast,” said Matt Mahoney.  “We know that our conference is the toughest of the four [USL Conferences] this year.  El Paso have a ten-point lead on us – with a game in hand – but they’re banged up a little bit, just like everyone in this league.  If we can go down there and bring the energy and play like we know we can, we know that we should be able to get something out of the game.”

The Locomotive took a two-goal lead on Saturday night at ONEOK Field against Tulsa FC, eventually winning the match 2-1.  Luis Solignac’s 14th minute goal gave the Argentine striker the lead atop the Locomotive’s scoring charts with eight goals.  Aaron Gómez, who put El Paso ahead against Tulsa FC, has found the net seven times in 2021.  Attacking midfielder Diego Luna has also scored seven times this season and has been one of the most impressive young players in the USL Championship.  

A November playoff matchup could well be in store for the Switchbacks and Locomotive, and while El Paso have already secured a place in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, Mahoney says the Switchbacks are not looking that far ahead.  “We go game-by-game, so even though we only have four games left and playoffs are around the corner, we can really only focus on what we can control in the moment,” said Mahoney.  “Our focus now is on Wednesday in El Paso and then it’ll be on RGV on Saturday, and so on.  The goal for us right now is securing that second-place spot, and then we’ll go from there.”

“The thing is that we’ve now played a lot of these [Mountain Division] teams three times so we know what we’re going to get from El Paso,” continued Mahoney.  “With these short weeks it’s more about making sure we’re rested, fresh to go, and can bring the energy.  The quality will have to come out.  We know what we have to do to go down there and beat them, so if we play like we know we can, then we should be able to get a result.” 

On Saturday, October 16th the Switchbacks play their final regular season home game of 2021 at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.

Just four games remain for the Switchbacks in the 2021 USL Championship regular season as they head to Far West Texas for a Wednesday night clash with El Paso Locomotive at Southwest University Park.  Mountain Division leaders El Paso are unbeaten in eight matches, which includes two draws with the Switchbacks at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs: 0-0 on September 15th and 1-1 on October 2nd.  

Wednesday’s match against the Locomotive will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

On Friday night, the Switchbacks tied the Real Monarchs SLC 0-0 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  “Personally that felt like a couple points lost,” said defender Matt Mahoney when asked about Friday’s match.  “We know they had a couple MLS guys coming down, but I think with the squad we have and the kind of power we’ve had all season going forward – and the playoff race that we’re in – we were kind of hoping that we’d go there and get three points.  But at the end of the day, you try to find the positives as well.  Clean sheets were hard to come by for the first part of the season and now we’ve only given up four goals total in the last seven [games] so we have to think of the positives on the defensive side.  And we know what we can bring on the attacking side, so we just have to get back to that and what we’re good at.  Friday was two points lost, but now we have to turn the corner and look at El Paso.” 

In this season’s previous matchup in El Paso, the Switchbacks tied the Locomotive 1-1 on June 12th at Southwest University Park behind a 73rd minute equalizer from the USL Championship’s leading goal-scorer Hadji Barry.  

“I think against El Paso it comes down to us keeping a clean sheet, and then trying to strike first and fast,” said Matt Mahoney.  “We know that our conference is the toughest of the four [USL Conferences] this year.  El Paso have a ten-point lead on us – with a game in hand – but they’re banged up a little bit, just like everyone in this league.  If we can go down there and bring the energy and play like we know we can, we know that we should be able to get something out of the game.”

The Locomotive took a two-goal lead on Saturday night at ONEOK Field against Tulsa FC, eventually winning the match 2-1.  Luis Solignac’s 14th minute goal gave the Argentine striker the lead atop the Locomotive’s scoring charts with eight goals.  Aaron Gómez, who put El Paso ahead against Tulsa FC, has found the net seven times in 2021.  Attacking midfielder Diego Luna has also scored seven times this season and has been one of the most impressive young players in the USL Championship.  

A November playoff matchup could well be in store for the Switchbacks and Locomotive, and while El Paso have already secured a place in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, Mahoney says the Switchbacks are not looking that far ahead.  “We go game-by-game, so even though we only have four games left and playoffs are around the corner, we can really only focus on what we can control in the moment,” said Mahoney.  “Our focus now is on Wednesday in El Paso and then it’ll be on RGV on Saturday, and so on.  The goal for us right now is securing that second-place spot, and then we’ll go from there.”

“The thing is that we’ve now played a lot of these [Mountain Division] teams three times so we know what we’re going to get from El Paso,” continued Mahoney.  “With these short weeks it’s more about making sure we’re rested, fresh to go, and can bring the energy.  The quality will have to come out.  We know what we have to do to go down there and beat them, so if we play like we know we can, then we should be able to get a result.” 

On Saturday, October 16th the Switchbacks play their final regular season home game of 2021 at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.

The Rocky Mountain rivalry is rekindled this Friday as the Switchbacks head to Herriman, Utah to face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium.  The match against the Monarchs will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on KVOR 740 AM and KVOR.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

Friday’s opponents have played twice this season, with the Switchbacks winning both matches at Weidner Field.  On Independence Day, goals from Deshane Beckford, Hadji Barry, and Michael Edwards led the Switchbacks to a 3-1 win over the Monarchs.  Hadji Barry opened the scoring on September 8th, before a stunning strike from José Torres sealed a 2-0 win for the Switchbacks.  

The Rocky Mountain rivalry is rekindled this Friday as the Switchbacks head to Herriman, Utah to face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium.  The match against the Monarchs will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on KVOR 740 AM and KVOR.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

Friday’s opponents have played twice this season, with the Switchbacks winning both matches at Weidner Field.  On Independence Day, goals from Deshane Beckford, Hadji Barry, and Michael Edwards led the Switchbacks to a 3-1 win over the Monarchs.  Hadji Barry opened the scoring on September 8th, before a stunning strike from José Torres sealed a 2-0 win for the Switchbacks.  

The Real Monarchs SLC enter Friday’s match with an overall record of 4-18-5.  Head Coach Jámison Olave has used 42 different players during the 2021 USL Championship season, with further changes possible for the visit of the Switchbacks.  The Monarchs’ Major League Soccer parent club, Real Salt Lake, will not play until Saturday, October 16th when they host the Colorado Rapids at Rio Tinto Stadium.  

“I expect [the Monarchs] to drop first-team players – a lot of first-team players – into Friday’s game,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “So on Friday it’s not the bottom-of-the-Mountain Division team that we’re playing: it’s the back end of the first-team that’s in a playoff position in MLS.  Unfortunately for us, that’s just how the timing worked out.  But Friday has to be about us.  Every game for the next five is a playoff game for us if we want any chance at a home playoff game.  And more importantly, this would be the first time we’ve made the playoffs in five years, so it’s vitally important that we stay focused on nights like Friday.”

The Real Monarchs SLC enter Friday’s match with an overall record of 4-18-5.  Head Coach Jámison Olave has used 42 different players during the 2021 USL Championship season, with further changes possible for the visit of the Switchbacks.  The Monarchs’ Major League Soccer parent club, Real Salt Lake, will not play until Saturday, October 16th when they host the Colorado Rapids at Rio Tinto Stadium.  

“I expect [the Monarchs] to drop first-team players – a lot of first-team players – into Friday’s game,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “So on Friday it’s not the bottom-of-the-Mountain Division team that we’re playing: it’s the back end of the first-team that’s in a playoff position in MLS.  Unfortunately for us, that’s just how the timing worked out.  But Friday has to be about us.  Every game for the next five is a playoff game for us if we want any chance at a home playoff game.  And more importantly, this would be the first time we’ve made the playoffs in five years, so it’s vitally important that we stay focused on nights like Friday.”

“We take every opponent the same,” said the USL Championship’s leading-scorer Hadji Barry.  “We have to respect every opponent we’re playing against and we have to go into every game with the same mindset, which is all about getting three points.  We’re on the road and we won’t take the Monarchs lightly – they’re in this league for a reason and we’ll be ready.  We just have to keep doing what we have been.  We deserved three points on Saturday [against El Paso] but we were just unfortunate that we couldn’t put a couple [goals] in.  And we have to go into the Monarchs game with the same mindset and just keep pushing, try to get in behind, and try to create as many chances as we can.” 

The Switchbacks are undefeated in their last six games after a 1-1 draw with El Paso Locomotive on Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  Saturday’s match saw the return of Dillon Serna to the starting lineup after a long-term injury layoff.  

“He’s a really experienced guy, so it’s a huge boost to the group to have him back,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke when asked about Serna.  “This is a guy that’s played a hundred-plus games in MLS and he showed that quality in a lot of critical moments against El Paso and that helped us stay on top of the game and have 60% of the ball.  When you have balance and technical ability all over the place, it’s a different look for us because we now have the technical ability to throw at you, but also the pace – especially when we get Becky [Deshane Beckford] and [Thomas] Amang back.  We’re gradually getting better and better – and at the right time of the season.” 

“We take every opponent the same,” said the USL Championship’s leading-scorer Hadji Barry.  “We have to respect every opponent we’re playing against and we have to go into every game with the same mindset, which is all about getting three points.  We’re on the road and we won’t take the Monarchs lightly – they’re in this league for a reason and we’ll be ready.  We just have to keep doing what we have been.  We deserved three points on Saturday [against El Paso] but we were just unfortunate that we couldn’t put a couple [goals] in.  And we have to go into the Monarchs game with the same mindset and just keep pushing, try to get in behind, and try to create as many chances as we can.” 

The Switchbacks are undefeated in their last six games after a 1-1 draw with El Paso Locomotive on Saturday evening at Weidner Field.  Saturday’s match saw the return of Dillon Serna to the starting lineup after a long-term injury layoff.  

“He’s a really experienced guy, so it’s a huge boost to the group to have him back,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke when asked about Serna.  “This is a guy that’s played a hundred-plus games in MLS and he showed that quality in a lot of critical moments against El Paso and that helped us stay on top of the game and have 60% of the ball.  When you have balance and technical ability all over the place, it’s a different look for us because we now have the technical ability to throw at you, but also the pace – especially when we get Becky [Deshane Beckford] and [Thomas] Amang back.  We’re gradually getting better and better – and at the right time of the season.” 

“It was a pretty significant injury and it’s been a long road, but I’m happy to be fit again and on the field – it was a long time coming for me,” said Serna before looking ahead to Friday’s matchup in Utah.  “The mentality stays the same this week and we’re focusing on ourselves.  We’re going to keep playing the same way – we know that we can compete with anybody in the league.  It doesn’t matter who we’re playing; we’re going to continue to play our game and hopefully get three points.  The biggest thing we want to do is turn the chances that we created against El Paso into goals on Friday.  We got a result, but I think at the same time we all felt a bit disappointed.  I think we left a lot on the table – we controlled a lot of the first half and had plenty of chances, but going down 1-0 late and being able to come back with the equalizer was big and we’re happy with that.”

Next Wednesday, the Switchbacks will head to Far West Texas to face El Paso Locomotive at 7pm.  On Saturday, October 16th the Switchbacks play their final regular season game of 2021 at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.

“It was a pretty significant injury and it’s been a long road, but I’m happy to be fit again and on the field – it was a long time coming for me,” said Serna before looking ahead to Friday’s matchup in Utah.  “The mentality stays the same this week and we’re focusing on ourselves.  We’re going to keep playing the same way – we know that we can compete with anybody in the league.  It doesn’t matter who we’re playing; we’re going to continue to play our game and hopefully get three points.  The biggest thing we want to do is turn the chances that we created against El Paso into goals on Friday.  We got a result, but I think at the same time we all felt a bit disappointed.  I think we left a lot on the table – we controlled a lot of the first half and had plenty of chances, but going down 1-0 late and being able to come back with the equalizer was big and we’re happy with that.”

Next Wednesday, the Switchbacks will head to Far West Texas to face El Paso Locomotive at 7pm.  On Saturday, October 16th the Switchbacks play their final regular season game of 2021 at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Soccer Ball Night.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm will receive a complimentary soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets are available HERE.

It’s Free Underwear Night at Weidner Field as the Switchbacks host El Paso Locomotive this Saturday.  When gates open at 5pm, the first 1,000 fans will receive a pair of underwear, courtesy of Sheath.  Tickets for Saturday’s match are available HERE.

For those unable to attend, the match against El Paso Locomotive will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 5:30pm MT.

It’s Free Underwear Night at Weidner Field as the Switchbacks host El Paso Locomotive this Saturday.  When gates open at 5pm, the first 1,000 fans will receive a pair of underwear, courtesy of Sheath.  Tickets for Saturday’s match are available HERE.

For those unable to attend, the match against El Paso Locomotive will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 5:30pm MT.

The Switchbacks are unbeaten in their last five matches, which included a 0-0 draw with El Paso Locomotive on September 15th at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  “When you have two good teams, tactically it’s going to be a bit of a battle,” said Switchbacks midfielder Zach Zandi.  “Both teams have pretty different styles of play.  El Paso are more of a possession-based team, and we like to counter attack.  El Paso try to minimize us countering against them by possessing and sitting back, so I think that game [on September 15th] was just two really good teams that cancelled each other out.  But I think the games against them have been good and entertaining and very high quality.  When you play against a team that’s as good as El Paso, it’s hard to break them down, so it’s normally a pretty cagey affair.”

Entering Saturday’s match, El Paso top the USL Championship’s Mountain Division, with the Switchbacks in second place.  The Locomotive are 14-2-8, and have tied the Switchbacks both times the teams have met this season; a 1-1 draw at Southwest University Park in Far West Texas on June 12th, and the aforementioned 0-0 stalemate at Weidner Field on September 15th. 

“El Paso are definitely the best team we’ve seen this year,” said Zach Zandi.  “They’re clearly the best that we’ve played in the Western Conference.  On Saturday we have to be creative in the final third and try to unlock them as best as possible and find different solutions.  We’re a goal-scoring team and it’s five games unbeaten for us, so we’re on a good string of form too.  Continuing that momentum –  especially the momentum that we have at home –  is really important.  Those were two massive victories for us against RGV and Austin and it’s huge for us to be able to carry that momentum into the El Paso game on Saturday.”

The Switchbacks are unbeaten in their last five matches, which included a 0-0 draw with El Paso Locomotive on September 15th at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs.  “When you have two good teams, tactically it’s going to be a bit of a battle,” said Switchbacks midfielder Zach Zandi.  “Both teams have pretty different styles of play.  El Paso are more of a possession-based team, and we like to counter attack.  El Paso try to minimize us countering against them by possessing and sitting back, so I think that game [on September 15th] was just two really good teams that cancelled each other out.  But I think the games against them have been good and entertaining and very high quality.  When you play against a team that’s as good as El Paso, it’s hard to break them down, so it’s normally a pretty cagey affair.”

Entering Saturday’s match, El Paso top the USL Championship’s Mountain Division, with the Switchbacks in second place.  The Locomotive are 14-2-8, and have tied the Switchbacks both times the teams have met this season; a 1-1 draw at Southwest University Park in Far West Texas on June 12th, and the aforementioned 0-0 stalemate at Weidner Field on September 15th. 

“El Paso are definitely the best team we’ve seen this year,” said Zach Zandi.  “They’re clearly the best that we’ve played in the Western Conference.  On Saturday we have to be creative in the final third and try to unlock them as best as possible and find different solutions.  We’re a goal-scoring team and it’s five games unbeaten for us, so we’re on a good string of form too.  Continuing that momentum –  especially the momentum that we have at home –  is really important.  Those were two massive victories for us against RGV and Austin and it’s huge for us to be able to carry that momentum into the El Paso game on Saturday.”

Switchbacks defender Sebastian Anderson was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after a Man of the Match performance that included two assists in the win against the Austin Bold last Saturday at Weidner Field.  “Seb is an incredible player,” said Zach Zandi.  “He’s been really good for us, and we talk a lot about our attacks on that right-hand side, and that’s credit to him.  His deliveries on the ball are spectacular and we saw that perfectly displayed with his cross to Deshane [Beckford].  His delivery of the ball is on-point and it’s just up to the other guys to get into the right positions because you know Seb will put something in with expertise and serious quality.  He’s a great asset to have, and he’s a great guy off the field as well.”

Following the 3-1 win against the Austin Bold on September 25th, the Switchbacks had a rare week to recover and game plan for the visit of El Paso on Saturday evening.  Meanwhile, the Locomotive defeated the Real Monarchs SLC on Wednesday evening at Southwest University Park behind a 68th-minute own goal from Monarchs midfielder Ibrahim Bancé.  

“I think it’s massive, honestly, to have this time to prepare,” said Zandi on Thursday morning.  “[Head Coach] Brendan [Burke] has talked about it a lot, with these last two weeks being the first time in a while that we’ve had a full week to prepare for games.  It helps us a lot when we don’t have the midweek games and you’re not focused on anything else and the team is singularly focused on the game at the weekend so that all our energy goes into that.  There’s a lot more preparation that can happen for us before Saturday, so I think just being home for this week is massive and hopefully we can show how much it’s helped this weekend against El Paso.” 

Next Friday, October 8th, the Switchbacks face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  On Wednesday, October 13th the Switchbacks will head to The Sun City to face the Locomotive at Southwest University Park.  Just three days later, the Switchbacks play their final regular season home match of 2021 at Weidner Field as they take on the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday, October 16th.  The match against RGV is Soccer Ball Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets for the regular season finale at Weidner Field are available HERE.

Switchbacks defender Sebastian Anderson was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after a Man of the Match performance that included two assists in the win against the Austin Bold last Saturday at Weidner Field.  “Seb is an incredible player,” said Zach Zandi.  “He’s been really good for us, and we talk a lot about our attacks on that right-hand side, and that’s credit to him.  His deliveries on the ball are spectacular and we saw that perfectly displayed with his cross to Deshane [Beckford].  His delivery of the ball is on-point and it’s just up to the other guys to get into the right positions because you know Seb will put something in with expertise and serious quality.  He’s a great asset to have, and he’s a great guy off the field as well.”

Following the 3-1 win against the Austin Bold on September 25th, the Switchbacks had a rare week to recover and game plan for the visit of El Paso on Saturday evening.  Meanwhile, the Locomotive defeated the Real Monarchs SLC on Wednesday evening at Southwest University Park behind a 68th-minute own goal from Monarchs midfielder Ibrahim Bancé.  

“I think it’s massive, honestly, to have this time to prepare,” said Zandi on Thursday morning.  “[Head Coach] Brendan [Burke] has talked about it a lot, with these last two weeks being the first time in a while that we’ve had a full week to prepare for games.  It helps us a lot when we don’t have the midweek games and you’re not focused on anything else and the team is singularly focused on the game at the weekend so that all our energy goes into that.  There’s a lot more preparation that can happen for us before Saturday, so I think just being home for this week is massive and hopefully we can show how much it’s helped this weekend against El Paso.” 

Next Friday, October 8th, the Switchbacks face the Real Monarchs SLC at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.  On Wednesday, October 13th the Switchbacks will head to The Sun City to face the Locomotive at Southwest University Park.  Just three days later, the Switchbacks play their final regular season home match of 2021 at Weidner Field as they take on the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday, October 16th.  The match against RGV is Soccer Ball Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a soccer ball, courtesy of Comcast Business.  Tickets for the regular season finale at Weidner Field are available HERE.

It’s Mustache Night at Weidner Field as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks host Austin Bold on Saturday evening.  Gates open at 5pm and tickets remain available HERE.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Jordan Burt stick-on mustache, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.  

The Austin Bold have recorded three wins and a draw since former University of Tampa Spartan Ryan Thompson took over as Head Coach on September 4th following a 4-1 loss to the Switchbacks on August 28th.  At the time of writing, the Bold sit in 4th place in the Mountain Division, four points behind the Switchbacks and with a game in hand.  

“Austin are entirely different now with Ryan coaching and it’s changed their identity,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “He’s moved a couple guys like Amobi [Okugo] into their natural positions and he’s kind of cut the team loose.  They’re now a lot more aggressive from what I can see so far, so I expect a totally different game from the last time we saw them.  They’re not conceding and they’re finding ways to win – they haven’t lost yet.  They’re absolutely more dangerous now under Ryan.”

On Wednesday night, the Austin Bold tied 2-2 with table-topping El Paso Locomotive at Bold Stadium after a 94th minute equalizer from Sonny Guadarrama.  Austin native Guadarrama rejoined the Bold on September 15th, having left his hometown club at the conclusion of the 2020 USL Championship season.  

Austin Bold’s French defender Fabien Garcia was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week following his game-winning free kick against FC Tulsa on September 18th.  Garcia is tied atop Austin’s goal scoring chart with Mexican midfielder Xavier Báez – each player has found the net four times in 2021.  

The USL Championship’s leading scorer Hadji Barry was also named to the Team of the Week, marking the fifth time the Guinean has garnered the award this season.  Barry’s brace led the Switchbacks to a 2-1 comeback win against the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros last Saturday night at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas. 

It’s Mustache Night at Weidner Field as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks host Austin Bold on Saturday evening.  Gates open at 5pm and tickets remain available HERE.  The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Jordan Burt stick-on mustache, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.  

The Austin Bold have recorded three wins and a draw since former University of Tampa Spartan Ryan Thompson took over as Head Coach on September 4th following a 4-1 loss to the Switchbacks on August 28th.  At the time of writing, the Bold sit in 4th place in the Mountain Division, four points behind the Switchbacks and with a game in hand.  

“Austin are entirely different now with Ryan coaching and it’s changed their identity,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “He’s moved a couple guys like Amobi [Okugo] into their natural positions and he’s kind of cut the team loose.  They’re now a lot more aggressive from what I can see so far, so I expect a totally different game from the last time we saw them.  They’re not conceding and they’re finding ways to win – they haven’t lost yet.  They’re absolutely more dangerous now under Ryan.”

On Wednesday night, the Austin Bold tied 2-2 with table-topping El Paso Locomotive at Bold Stadium after a 94th minute equalizer from Sonny Guadarrama.  Austin native Guadarrama rejoined the Bold on September 15th, having left his hometown club at the conclusion of the 2020 USL Championship season.  

Austin Bold’s French defender Fabien Garcia was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week following his game-winning free kick against FC Tulsa on September 18th.  Garcia is tied atop Austin’s goal scoring chart with Mexican midfielder Xavier Báez – each player has found the net four times in 2021.  

The USL Championship’s leading scorer Hadji Barry was also named to the Team of the Week, marking the fifth time the Guinean has garnered the award this season.  Barry’s brace led the Switchbacks to a 2-1 comeback win against the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros last Saturday night at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas. 

“We showed character to come back and dig it out and get a result [against RGV FC] and that shows that we’ve got a really strong team,” said Canadian goalkeeper Sean Melvin.  The win against the Toros rounded out a series of five matches in just 15 days for the Switchbacks.  “We had such a long schedule of travel and games, so being able to rest and prepare and refocus on the Austin game is huge for us,” added Melvin.  “Having this week to prepare really helps – we’ll prepare as we always do this week and be as ready as we can.  I think we did really well over that last stretch of games – we even went behind a goal [against RGV FC].  On Saturday we need to go out, start the game well and execute our game plan.”  

“We’ve been desperate for this [time to prepare] for weeks,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Tuesday at Weidner Field.  “No one has had a day off in probably three weeks now, and we’ll give the guys Wednesday off while Austin play, so it should be all about energy systems this weekend and having everyone ready to pop at the opening whistle.  Everyone has held up – some guys have needed a little more time to recover, but everyone has held up.”  

Saturday marks the fourth and final time the Switchbacks and Bold will meet in the 2021 USL Championship regular season.  The Switchbacks have won twice against Saturday’s opponents, while the Bold picked up a 2-1 win in Texas’ capital city on August 4th. 

“We showed character to come back and dig it out and get a result [against RGV FC] and that shows that we’ve got a really strong team,” said Canadian goalkeeper Sean Melvin.  The win against the Toros rounded out a series of five matches in just 15 days for the Switchbacks.  “We had such a long schedule of travel and games, so being able to rest and prepare and refocus on the Austin game is huge for us,” added Melvin.  “Having this week to prepare really helps – we’ll prepare as we always do this week and be as ready as we can.  I think we did really well over that last stretch of games – we even went behind a goal [against RGV FC].  On Saturday we need to go out, start the game well and execute our game plan.”  

“We’ve been desperate for this [time to prepare] for weeks,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke on Tuesday at Weidner Field.  “No one has had a day off in probably three weeks now, and we’ll give the guys Wednesday off while Austin play, so it should be all about energy systems this weekend and having everyone ready to pop at the opening whistle.  Everyone has held up – some guys have needed a little more time to recover, but everyone has held up.”  

Saturday marks the fourth and final time the Switchbacks and Bold will meet in the 2021 USL Championship regular season.  The Switchbacks have won twice against Saturday’s opponents, while the Bold picked up a 2-1 win in Texas’ capital city on August 4th. 

“We need to dominate the game from an energy system standpoint on Saturday to make sure we’re on top of people and to press and re-press,” said Head Coach Burke.  “And if Austin sit, we need to break them down early so that they can’t sit – we just have to be super aggressive.”

For those unable to attend, the match against the Austin Bold will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 5:30pm MT.

The Switchbacks will host the El Paso Locomotive at Weidner Field on October 2nd on Free Underwear Night, presented by Sheath, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm receiving a pair of underwear.  Tickets for the match against El Paso are available HERE.

“We need to dominate the game from an energy system standpoint on Saturday to make sure we’re on top of people and to press and re-press,” said Head Coach Burke.  “And if Austin sit, we need to break them down early so that they can’t sit – we just have to be super aggressive.”

For those unable to attend, the match against the Austin Bold will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 5:30pm MT.

The Switchbacks will host the El Paso Locomotive at Weidner Field on October 2nd on Free Underwear Night, presented by Sheath, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates at 5pm receiving a pair of underwear.  Tickets for the match against El Paso are available HERE.

Unbeaten in their last three matches, the Switchbacks make their way to border country for a Saturday evening showdown with the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros in Edinburg, Texas.  Saturday marks the second time in just eight days that the Switchbacks and Toros have faced off.  

Saturday’s match against the Toros will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6pm MT.

On Wednesday evening, the Switchbacks tied El Paso Locomotive 0-0 at Weidner Field.  “I think a point felt fair,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “El Paso got on top of us for two or three spells – they’re so technical and their team is so deep.  Obviously they’re heavily resourced in terms of their roster – when you’re able to bring Dylan Mares and Sebastián Velásquez off the bench you’re literally bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the game.  I was happy that we got a point and I think if we had nicked it one-nil it would have been fair, but I think nil-nil was the fairest result.”

RGV FC have not played since the aforementioned match against the Switchbacks on September 11th, and are winless since August 4th.  In the Switchbacks’ first matchup with RGV FC this season, the Switchbacks ran away 5-2 winners on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg behind a brace from the USL Championship’s leading scorer, Hadji Barry.  Striker Elvis Amoh continues to impress during the 2021 USL Championship campaign, with the Ghanaian leading the Toros with eight goals.

Unbeaten in their last three matches, the Switchbacks make their way to border country for a Saturday evening showdown with the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros in Edinburg, Texas.  Saturday marks the second time in just eight days that the Switchbacks and Toros have faced off.  

Saturday’s match against the Toros will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6pm MT.

On Wednesday evening, the Switchbacks tied El Paso Locomotive 0-0 at Weidner Field.  “I think a point felt fair,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “El Paso got on top of us for two or three spells – they’re so technical and their team is so deep.  Obviously they’re heavily resourced in terms of their roster – when you’re able to bring Dylan Mares and Sebastián Velásquez off the bench you’re literally bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the game.  I was happy that we got a point and I think if we had nicked it one-nil it would have been fair, but I think nil-nil was the fairest result.”

RGV FC have not played since the aforementioned match against the Switchbacks on September 11th, and are winless since August 4th.  In the Switchbacks’ first matchup with RGV FC this season, the Switchbacks ran away 5-2 winners on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg behind a brace from the USL Championship’s leading scorer, Hadji Barry.  Striker Elvis Amoh continues to impress during the 2021 USL Championship campaign, with the Ghanaian leading the Toros with eight goals.

The Switchbacks made numerous changes for the visit of El Paso to Weidner Field on Wednesday night, and further lineup rotation will occur on Saturday as the Switchbacks conclude a taxing stretch of games.   “This is our fifth game in 15 days so it’s just brutal,” said Burke.  “And to have to get on two flights to get down there is…yeah.  They should smack us, honestly; they really should.  But they won’t because we’ve rotated so heavily and Jimmy [Ockford] is coming off the suspension that he never should have had from the game against RGV, so we’re going in there angry.”

“There will be a lot of rotation for Saturday,” continued Burke.  “I think we’ll be in a position where in midfield we’re able to rotate because we have six or seven players who are performing at a very high level.  I was really pleased with how Stevie [Echevarria] and Bev [Makangila] and Rony [Argueta] played against El Paso.  And we have Maya [Philip Mayaka] and José [Torres] and Andre [Lewis] – and [Zach] Zandi could be coming back into the fold this weekend.”  

Switchbacks veteran Rony Argueta was particularly impressive against El Paso.  “Having him here has gotten us a lot of points this year,” said Burke when asked about Argueta.  “Down at RGV he was excellent and we got three points.  He was excellent against the top team in the league and we got a point against El Paso.  I can’t say enough about Rony.  He’s contributed a ton to this group.  I wasn’t sure coming in to the season if he could play in our style, but he suits us perfectly; especially in the role that he’s playing right now where he’s able to start or he’s able to come off the bench and kill a game.  He’s experienced, he’s level-headed, and he just does so much for us and so many good things.” 

The Switchbacks made numerous changes for the visit of El Paso to Weidner Field on Wednesday night, and further lineup rotation will occur on Saturday as the Switchbacks conclude a taxing stretch of games.   “This is our fifth game in 15 days so it’s just brutal,” said Burke.  “And to have to get on two flights to get down there is…yeah.  They should smack us, honestly; they really should.  But they won’t because we’ve rotated so heavily and Jimmy [Ockford] is coming off the suspension that he never should have had from the game against RGV, so we’re going in there angry.”

“There will be a lot of rotation for Saturday,” continued Burke.  “I think we’ll be in a position where in midfield we’re able to rotate because we have six or seven players who are performing at a very high level.  I was really pleased with how Stevie [Echevarria] and Bev [Makangila] and Rony [Argueta] played against El Paso.  And we have Maya [Philip Mayaka] and José [Torres] and Andre [Lewis] – and [Zach] Zandi could be coming back into the fold this weekend.”  

Switchbacks veteran Rony Argueta was particularly impressive against El Paso.  “Having him here has gotten us a lot of points this year,” said Burke when asked about Argueta.  “Down at RGV he was excellent and we got three points.  He was excellent against the top team in the league and we got a point against El Paso.  I can’t say enough about Rony.  He’s contributed a ton to this group.  I wasn’t sure coming in to the season if he could play in our style, but he suits us perfectly; especially in the role that he’s playing right now where he’s able to start or he’s able to come off the bench and kill a game.  He’s experienced, he’s level-headed, and he just does so much for us and so many good things.” 

“It’s always good to hear that I have their trust and their confidence,” said Argueta on Thursday evening.  “At the end of the day we’re all professionals and we just have to be ready whenever our number is called and that’s our mentality.  Coach has done a really good job in managing the players and we’re looking forward to getting three points down in RGV.  On Saturday we need to be patient with the ball in their half, move the ball side to side, and stay together – it’s a pretty tough place to play, but if we stick together I really think we can come away with points.”

On September 25th, the Switchbacks return to Weidner Field for Mustache Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a stick-on mustache, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.  Tickets are available HERE.

“It’s always good to hear that I have their trust and their confidence,” said Argueta on Thursday evening.  “At the end of the day we’re all professionals and we just have to be ready whenever our number is called and that’s our mentality.  Coach has done a really good job in managing the players and we’re looking forward to getting three points down in RGV.  On Saturday we need to be patient with the ball in their half, move the ball side to side, and stay together – it’s a pretty tough place to play, but if we stick together I really think we can come away with points.”

On September 25th, the Switchbacks return to Weidner Field for Mustache Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a stick-on mustache, courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.  Tickets are available HERE.

On Saturday evening the Switchbacks look to win their fourth straight match at Weidner Field as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Superhero Night.   The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 6pm will receive a pennant, courtesy of Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs.  Tickets for Saturday’s match are available HERE.

For those unable to attend, the match against RGV FC will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

Wednesday night saw the Switchbacks record their first shutout in the history of Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they blanked the Real Monarchs SLC 2-0.  Just before the hour mark, Hadji Barry extended his lead atop the league’s scoring charts with his 21st goal of the season.  Barry was named the USL Championship Player of the Month after scoring six times in August.  “Right now he can’t be stopped,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “It’s deserved and I think he’s making his case for Player of the Year with the way he’s carried us on the attacking front.”

José Torres opened his account for the Switchbacks in the 65th minute against the Real Monarchs with a sensational volley that’s destined to be a highlight reel favorite for years to come.  “José hit that about as well as you can hit a ball,” said Head Coach Burke.  “He definitely showed his class [against the Real Monarchs] and not just with that goal but in how he controlled the game.  I thought he was excellent for us from start to finish.”

On Saturday evening the Switchbacks look to win their fourth straight match at Weidner Field as they host the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Superhero Night.   The first 1,000 fans through the gates at 6pm will receive a pennant, courtesy of Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs.  Tickets for Saturday’s match are available HERE.

For those unable to attend, the match against RGV FC will be broadcast live by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, on XTRA Sports 1300 AM and xtrasports1300.com, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm MT.

Wednesday night saw the Switchbacks record their first shutout in the history of Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as they blanked the Real Monarchs SLC 2-0.  Just before the hour mark, Hadji Barry extended his lead atop the league’s scoring charts with his 21st goal of the season.  Barry was named the USL Championship Player of the Month after scoring six times in August.  “Right now he can’t be stopped,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke.  “It’s deserved and I think he’s making his case for Player of the Year with the way he’s carried us on the attacking front.”

José Torres opened his account for the Switchbacks in the 65th minute against the Real Monarchs with a sensational volley that’s destined to be a highlight reel favorite for years to come.  “José hit that about as well as you can hit a ball,” said Head Coach Burke.  “He definitely showed his class [against the Real Monarchs] and not just with that goal but in how he controlled the game.  I thought he was excellent for us from start to finish.”

“We needed the win,” said José Torres.  “It was important to get three points at home, and we knew we had to win the game and get a clean sheet, so I think the guys did a great job.  We played as a team.  At halftime we had a good talk, and we knew we had to finish the game and not concede a goal.”

Torres’ sensational goal is a shoo-in for USL Championship Goal of the Week, with Torres saying on Thursday that the strike reminded him of a goal he scored while playing in Mexico’s Liga MX.  “I was telling Zach Zandi after the game that at Tigres I had a similar one but that was closer to the left side of the box, almost without an angle, and the ball wasn’t that high…so it was pretty tough [against the Monarchs] because the ball was pretty high as it was coming to me.  I knew that I had to finish it and that’s what I did – I had nothing to lose.  If I hit it wrong it was just going to go over the goal and into the stands, and I thank God for putting me in that spot and me being able to finish it.  It felt so good being able to score and being able to do that at home in front of our fans, and with the [back flips] celebration I just wanted to show the fans that a 33-year-old still has that in him!”  

“We needed the win,” said José Torres.  “It was important to get three points at home, and we knew we had to win the game and get a clean sheet, so I think the guys did a great job.  We played as a team.  At halftime we had a good talk, and we knew we had to finish the game and not concede a goal.”

Torres’ sensational goal is a shoo-in for USL Championship Goal of the Week, with Torres saying on Thursday that the strike reminded him of a goal he scored while playing in Mexico’s Liga MX.  “I was telling Zach Zandi after the game that at Tigres I had a similar one but that was closer to the left side of the box, almost without an angle, and the ball wasn’t that high…so it was pretty tough [against the Monarchs] because the ball was pretty high as it was coming to me.  I knew that I had to finish it and that’s what I did – I had nothing to lose.  If I hit it wrong it was just going to go over the goal and into the stands, and I thank God for putting me in that spot and me being able to finish it.  It felt so good being able to score and being able to do that at home in front of our fans, and with the [back flips] celebration I just wanted to show the fans that a 33-year-old still has that in him!”  

The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros are winless in their last six matches, which includes a 5-2 loss to the Switchbacks on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  “They’ve not been in great form, so they’ll bring some desperation,” said Head Coach Burke.  “They’re a good team and they showed that at the start of the year.  We know they’re very experienced in almost every position, they’re clean on the ball and they like to have the ball, so I do expect it to be a really high-end game in terms of the technical side.  Elvis Amoh is quietly one of the best forwards in the league, so we’ll have our hands full.”

Ghanaian striker Amoh leads the Toros in goals with eight, while Venezuelan Juan Carlos Azócar has scored six times this season, including the opener in the aforementioned match against the Switchbacks on August 14th.  

“RGV have a great team and they have experienced players too,” said José Torres.  “Obviously we have to worry about them, but we also have to focus on ourselves and how we defend, and make sure we don’t concede goals.  And we need to make sure we put away the chances that we have – we have the talent, the quality, we have great players, and I think we’ll do well this weekend.”

With a stretch of five matches in just 15 days, Head Coach Brendan Burke confirmed that changes to the lineup are in the works for Saturday’s match against RGV FC.  “We’re having conversations about rotating in certain areas and there will definitely be at least two or three spots where we see different starters on Saturday because we have to turn around again to Wednesday,” said Burke.  

Next Wednesday, the Switchbacks will conclude their homestand by hosting Mountain Division leaders El Paso Locomotive FC.  Fireworks will follow the match and tickets are available HERE.

The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros are winless in their last six matches, which includes a 5-2 loss to the Switchbacks on August 14th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.  “They’ve not been in great form, so they’ll bring some desperation,” said Head Coach Burke.  “They’re a good team and they showed that at the start of the year.  We know they’re very experienced in almost every position, they’re clean on the ball and they like to have the ball, so I do expect it to be a really high-end game in terms of the technical side.  Elvis Amoh is quietly one of the best forwards in the league, so we’ll have our hands full.”

Ghanaian striker Amoh leads the Toros in goals with eight, while Venezuelan Juan Carlos Azócar has scored six times this season, including the opener in the aforementioned match against the Switchbacks on August 14th.  

“RGV have a great team and they have experienced players too,” said José Torres.  “Obviously we have to worry about them, but we also have to focus on ourselves and how we defend, and make sure we don’t concede goals.  And we need to make sure we put away the chances that we have – we have the talent, the quality, we have great players, and I think we’ll do well this weekend.”

With a stretch of five matches in just 15 days, Head Coach Brendan Burke confirmed that changes to the lineup are in the works for Saturday’s match against RGV FC.  “We’re having conversations about rotating in certain areas and there will definitely be at least two or three spots where we see different starters on Saturday because we have to turn around again to Wednesday,” said Burke.  

Next Wednesday, the Switchbacks will conclude their homestand by hosting Mountain Division leaders El Paso Locomotive FC.  Fireworks will follow the match and tickets are available HERE.