The Switchbacks FC got off to a blazing start to 2022, winning their first five matches of the year before they were solved by Memphis 901 just over a month into their season. However, the regular season in the USL Championship is a long road and there was certainly going to be adversity at some point, a lesson the team learned this past week when they lost back-to-back matches for the first time since the final two matches of the 2021 season. The Switchbacks still sit second in the Western Conference despite their recent struggles, behind only San Antonio FC who holds a narrow 4-point lead for the top spot in the West. As the squad nears the midway mark in their 2022 campaign, lets review some of the highlights thus far.
The Switchbacks showcase one of the highest-powered offenses in the league as they are sixth overall in total goals scored (31), and second in the league in conversion rate (23%) trailing only San Diego. The team is home to three players in the top 20 for goals scored as Michee Ngalina owns seven goals with Hadji Barry and Elvis Amoh both sitting on six goals. Barry is atop the USL in the assist department with six and his teammates Cam Lindley (5) and Michee Ngalina (4) join him in the top ten! Lindley has emerged as a quiet champion of the mid-field in his first year in the Springs, as he also leads the league in both crosses (95) and chances created (42).
Behind them Jeff Caldwell has been one of the toughest keepers to beat in the USL Championship thus far. His five clean sheets are good for third in the West (sixth in the USL Championship), and his sixth shutout performance would move him into a tie for the best in the Western Conference in that category. Caldwell and fellow Switchbacks keeper Christian Herrera have only allowed 18 balls into the defending net which puts Colorado Springs among the ten teams that have conceded the fewest goals so far.
Looking ahead, the Switchbacks have 19 matches to play before the regular season wraps up in October, 10 of which will be played in the Springs. The month of July will be a crucial test for the team with lots of soccer being played before August arrives. Colorado Springs will play seven total matches this month, four of which are against teams that currently hold a spot in the postseason (vs SAC, vs SD, @ ELP, @ SD). Only one July opponent sits more than three points behind a playoff position (CHS sits 12 points behind seventh in the Eastern Conference.)
The boys in the black and blue have no time to waste after dropping back-to-back matches last weekend, as they host fourth place Sacramento Republic FC on Friday, and third place San Diego Loyal SC on Monday. Both teams sit five points back of the Switchbacks and look to drag Colorado Springs further down the standings.