The Switchbacks are gearing up for the 2022 season at Weidner Field, and the roster is starting to fill out! 

This page will be your go to for all things 2022 Switchbacks Roster – use this player tracker to follow along as we begin to roll out our announcements for the 2022 team! 

 

 

The Switchbacks are gearing up for the 2022 season at Weidner Field, and the roster is starting to fill out! 

This page will be your go to for all things 2022 Switchbacks Roster – use this player tracker to follow along as we begin to roll out our announcements for the 2022 team! 

 

 

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Returning players: 

Returning players: 

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New Players

New Players

Colorado Springs, CO (January 7th, 2022) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced Friday it had acquired defender Macauley King via transfer from fellow USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Switchbacks,” said the Narborough, England native. “After speaking to Brendan [Burke] about the ambitions the football club has and having been able to experience the atmosphere the fans create at Weidner Field, it is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to meet the rest of the team and get started on achieving our goals.”  

King, 26, began his professional career in the Championship in 2019 with Indy Eleven, where he made 22 appearances in his first season and recorded one goal and three assists, as well as 25 clearances and 14 interceptions defensively. The following year he was acquired via transfer by Locomotive FC from Indy midway through the 2020 season and notched one goal, as well as 22 clearances and 13 interceptions in the club’s final 16 games of the regular season before helping El Paso reach the Western Conference Final of the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs.
 
This past season, King notched six goals and three assists in attack while registering 47 clearances and an 83.3% passing accuracy rate, proving one of the most consistent performers as El Paso claimed the Mountain Division while King individually earned five USL Championship Team of the Week selections. 

“Macca is one of the top outside backs in this league and is versatile enough to play a few positions,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “I’ve always been impressed by the passion that he plays with and how much energy he puts into every game. I was surprised not to see him get all league recognition last season and I hope that adds a little fuel to the fire for him this season. This signing brings us one step closer to our goal of bringing silverware to Colorado Springs.” 

Previous to playing professionally, King was a three-time All-Peach Belt Conference selection during his career at NCAA Division II school Young Harris College in Georgia. 

Name: Macauley King
Position: Defender
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight:  165
Date of Birth: October 4, 1995
Age: 26
Hometown: Narborough, England

Colorado Springs, CO (January 5th, 2022) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Wednesday the club had signed Dennis Erdmann from Germany. Erdmann comes to Colorado Springs from 1. FC Saarbrucken, a 3 Liga team.

"After Coach Burke called me I immediately knew that I wanted to play for the Colorado Switchbacks and him," said Erdmann. "The club and the goals we want to achieve are very exciting and I can guarantee that I will do whatever I can to help the team to succeed. I cannot wait to meet my teammates, the staff, and the fans in Colorado Springs!" 

A veteran player, Erdmann has nearly a decade of professional experience under his belt in Germany, tallying 26,305 minutes in over 300 appearances. Erdmann began his professional career with SSG Bergisch Gladbach in 2011, where he notched 6 goals in 36 appearances. He played with Schalke 04 II from 2012-2014, where he earned 4 more goals, before moving on to Dynamo Dresden for the 2015-15 season. After one season there he was signed to Hansa Rostock until 2017, where he made 67 appearances. He was with 1. FC Magdeburg from 2017-2019, before being signed to 1860 Munich for two seasons.

"Obviously Dennis has played at clubs that many players in USL dream about playing at," said Head Coach Brendan Burke. "He is well rounded in his physicality, skill set, and positional versatility. Most importantly he has great experience and reads the game very well. I know that he is committed to bringing trophies to Colorado Springs and we are equally glad he will be here to drive this team to another level." 

Erdmann has amassed 21 goals and 9 assists in his career as a defensive player, and comes to the table with ten seasons of professional play to his name. Erdmann plays as a center back with holding midfielder as a secondary position. 

Name: Dennis Erdmann
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 192 
Date of Birth: November 22, 1990
Age: 31
Hometown: Kerpen, Germany

Colorado Springs, CO (January 5th, 2022) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Wednesday the club had signed Dennis Erdmann from Germany. Erdmann comes to Colorado Springs from 1. FC Saarbrucken, a 3 Liga team.

“After Coach Burke called me I immediately knew that I wanted to play for the Colorado Switchbacks and him,” said Erdmann. “The club and the goals we want to achieve are very exciting and I can guarantee that I will do whatever I can to help the team to succeed. I cannot wait to meet my teammates, the staff, and the fans in Colorado Springs!” 

A veteran player, Erdmann has nearly a decade of professional experience under his belt in Germany, tallying 26,305 minutes in over 300 appearances. Erdmann began his professional career with SSG Bergisch Gladbach in 2011, where he notched 6 goals in 36 appearances. He played with Schalke 04 II from 2012-2014, where he earned 4 more goals, before moving on to Dynamo Dresden for the 2015-15 season. After one season there he was signed to Hansa Rostock until 2017, where he made 67 appearances. He was with 1. FC Magdeburg from 2017-2019, before being signed to 1860 Munich for two seasons.

“Obviously Dennis has played at clubs that many players in USL dream about playing at,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “He is well rounded in his physicality, skill set, and positional versatility. Most importantly he has great experience and reads the game very well. I know that he is committed to bringing trophies to Colorado Springs and we are equally glad he will be here to drive this team to another level.” 

Erdmann has amassed 21 goals and 9 assists in his career as a defensive player, and comes to the table with ten seasons of professional play to his name. Erdmann plays as a center back with holding midfielder as a secondary position. 

Name: Dennis Erdmann
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 192 
Date of Birth: November 22, 1990
Age: 31
Hometown: Kerpen, Germany

Colorado Springs, CO (December 28th, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed striker Kharlton Belmar, pending league and federation approval.

 

“I'm extremely excited to be joining the Switchbacks franchise," said Belmar. "The direction, ambitions, and growth that has already been seen made this a no brainer! Getting to reunite with some familiar faces on the pitch that already enjoyed success was also an opportunity that couldn’t be passed. Can’t wait to touch down in the Springs and get to work on bringing some silverware to the city!”

 

In his seven seasons of play, Belmar has collected multiple awards, including USL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and a 2018 Player of the Month honor. He has also been named to Team of the Week nine times, as well as two honors of Player of the Week.  

 

Belmar, 29, has extensive professional experience both in the USL Championship and in Major League Soccer. He began his professional career in 2015 when he was signed to Portland Timbers II after being drafted in the 2nd round to the Portland Timbers in the MLS SuperDraft. His two seasons with the franchise saw him notch 15 goals and 6 assists, with 3,815 minutes played across the two seasons.

 

 In 2017, The Virginia Beach, VA native was signed to USL side Swope Park Rangers (now Sporting KC II) where he notched 15 goals and contributed 15 key passes to the season. He spent 2018 with the Swope Park Rangers where he again dominated the field with 10 more goals and 6 assists. Belmar spent the 2019 season with ULS side Nashville SC, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists to the team’s tally, before being signed to Sacramento Republic FC in 2020. Belmar scored his 45th career goal in the USL in 2021 with a passing accuracy of 75.16%.

 

“Kharlton has shown the ability to have big productive seasons in this league and had a great connection with Hadji on a few of those occasions,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “He can also play in a few different spots which will give us more flexibility. We are excited to be adding another experienced attacking player with plenty of playoff appearances to the group.”

 

Name: Kharlton Belmar 

Position: Forward

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 161

Date of Birth: December 1st, 1992

Age: 29

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Colorado Springs, CO (December 28th, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed striker Kharlton Belmar, pending league and federation approval.

 

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Switchbacks franchise,” said Belmar. “The direction, ambitions, and growth that has already been seen made this a no brainer! Getting to reunite with some familiar faces on the pitch that already enjoyed success was also an opportunity that couldn’t be passed. Can’t wait to touch down in the Springs and get to work on bringing some silverware to the city!”

 

In his seven seasons of play, Belmar has collected multiple awards, including USL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and a 2018 Player of the Month honor. He has also been named to Team of the Week nine times, as well as two honors of Player of the Week.  

 

Belmar, 29, has extensive professional experience both in the USL Championship and in Major League Soccer. He began his professional career in 2015 when he was signed to Portland Timbers II after being drafted in the 2nd round to the Portland Timbers in the MLS SuperDraft. His two seasons with the franchise saw him notch 15 goals and 6 assists, with 3,815 minutes played across the two seasons.

 

 In 2017, The Virginia Beach, VA native was signed to USL side Swope Park Rangers (now Sporting KC II) where he notched 15 goals and contributed 15 key passes to the season. He spent 2018 with the Swope Park Rangers where he again dominated the field with 10 more goals and 6 assists. Belmar spent the 2019 season with ULS side Nashville SC, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists to the team’s tally, before being signed to Sacramento Republic FC in 2020. Belmar scored his 45th career goal in the USL in 2021 with a passing accuracy of 75.16%.

 

“Kharlton has shown the ability to have big productive seasons in this league and had a great connection with Hadji on a few of those occasions,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “He can also play in a few different spots which will give us more flexibility. We are excited to be adding another experienced attacking player with plenty of playoff appearances to the group.”

 

Name: Kharlton Belmar 

Position: Forward

Height: 5′ 11″

Weight: 161

Date of Birth: December 1st, 1992

Age: 29

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Colorado Springs, CO (December 21st, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed forward Elvis Amoh, pending league and federation approval.
 
“First I want to thank God for the opportunity and to everyone who has helped me throughout this journey,” said Amoh. “I also want to say a big thank you to RGV. I am grateful to them for everything. I am excited to start this new journey with the Switchbacks. This is my new home now and I pray for more great memories here.”
 
Amoh, the Ghanian native, has played both internationally as well as stateside. Amoh began his professional career with Asante Kotoko SC of the Ghanaian Premier League in 2015 and after a year with the West African Football Academy, he rejoined Asante Kotoko SC once again in 2018. In 2017 Amoh also played for Capital City FC of the Canadian Soccer League. 

In 2019, Amoh joined the USL Championship with Loudon United FC. In his two seasons with the franchise, he tallied 8 goals and had 16 shots on target, with an average conversion rate of 18.3%. In 2021, he moved to Rio Grande Valley FC, where he scored 13 goals in 22 games, with a 34.2% conversion rate that earned him the top goal scoring position for the franchise. 

“Elvis was a top performer in our conference last year and dangerous in a number of different ways as his goals record showed,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “Adding a player with his size, pace and technical ability will give us a dimension that we didn’t really have last year.  We are delighted to be adding another humble, bright and hungry player to our group for ‘22.”


Name: Elvis Amoh 
Position: Forward
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 165
Date of Birth: February 2, 1992
Age: 29
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Colorado Springs, CO (December 21st, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed forward Elvis Amoh, pending league and federation approval.
 
“First I want to thank God for the opportunity and to everyone who has helped me throughout this journey,” said Amoh. “I also want to say a big thank you to RGV. I am grateful to them for everything. I am excited to start this new journey with the Switchbacks. This is my new home now and I pray for more great memories here.”
 
Amoh, the Ghanian native, has played both internationally as well as stateside. Amoh began his professional career with Asante Kotoko SC of the Ghanaian Premier League in 2015 and after a year with the West African Football Academy, he rejoined Asante Kotoko SC once again in 2018. In 2017 Amoh also played for Capital City FC of the Canadian Soccer League. 

In 2019, Amoh joined the USL Championship with Loudon United FC. In his two seasons with the franchise, he tallied 8 goals and had 16 shots on target, with an average conversion rate of 18.3%. In 2021, he moved to Rio Grande Valley FC, where he scored 13 goals in 22 games, with a 34.2% conversion rate that earned him the top goal scoring position for the franchise. 

“Elvis was a top performer in our conference last year and dangerous in a number of different ways as his goals record showed,” said Head Coach Brendan Burke. “Adding a player with his size, pace and technical ability will give us a dimension that we didn’t really have last year.  We are delighted to be adding another humble, bright and hungry player to our group for ‘22.”


Name: Elvis Amoh 
Position: Forward
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 165
Date of Birth: February 2, 1992
Age: 29
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Colorado Springs, CO (December 17th, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Friday the club had signed midfielder Yesin Van Der Pluijm, pending league and federation approval.

“I am thankful for this opportunity and very excited to get a chance to play for such a great organization with an amazing fan base,” said Van Der Pluijm." As a young boy, it has always been a dream of mine to work in a professional environment on a day-to-day basis. To do this with the great players and staff members that the Switchbacks have is something very exciting." 

Van Der Pluijm, the Netherlands native, joined the men’s soccer team of Young Harris College, a Division II team, in 2018. While there he has earned 4 goals and 6 assists, as well as a bevy of distinctions. In 2019 he was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region second team, CoSIDA Academic All-District III Men's Soccer Team, the All-Peach Belt Conference second team, and the Peach Belt Conference Men's Soccer Team of Academic Distinction. 

In 2021 he was also selected for the CoSIDA Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Team, and the Division II Academic All-District® III Men's Soccer First Team. 

“Yesin was a top performer in college this year and comes through a program with Mark that has put a number of highly successful players into the Championship over the last few years," said Coach Brendan Burke. "He is big and extremely technical and savvy, I don’t think it will take him long at all to translate here.”

 

Name: Yesin Van Der Pluijm

Position: Midfielder

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 160

Date of Birth: April 9th, 1999

Age: 22 

Hometown: Rotterdam, Netherlands 

Colorado Springs, CO (December 17th, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Friday the club had signed midfielder Yesin Van Der Pluijm, pending league and federation approval.

“I am thankful for this opportunity and very excited to get a chance to play for such a great organization with an amazing fan base,” said Van Der Pluijm.” As a young boy, it has always been a dream of mine to work in a professional environment on a day-to-day basis. To do this with the great players and staff members that the Switchbacks have is something very exciting.” 

Van Der Pluijm, the Netherlands native, joined the men’s soccer team of Young Harris College, a Division II team, in 2018. While there he has earned 4 goals and 6 assists, as well as a bevy of distinctions. In 2019 he was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region second team, CoSIDA Academic All-District III Men’s Soccer Team, the All-Peach Belt Conference second team, and the Peach Belt Conference Men’s Soccer Team of Academic Distinction. 

In 2021 he was also selected for the CoSIDA Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Team, and the Division II Academic All-District® III Men’s Soccer First Team. 

“Yesin was a top performer in college this year and comes through a program with Mark that has put a number of highly successful players into the Championship over the last few years,” said Coach Brendan Burke. “He is big and extremely technical and savvy, I don’t think it will take him long at all to translate here.”

 

Name: Yesin Van Der Pluijm

Position: Midfielder

Height: 5′ 9″

Weight: 160

Date of Birth: April 9th, 1999

Age: 22 

Hometown: Rotterdam, Netherlands