The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to Switchbacks Stadium this Wednesday evening looking for a precious three points against the Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Two games away from Colorado Springs yielded two points for Head Coach Steve Trittschuh’s squad after draws against the Portland Timbers 2 and Real Monarchs SLC.
Sunday evening’s 0-0 tie in Sandy, Utah against the Monarchs left the Switchbacks with just two days of preparation ahead of Wednesday’s match – the only time this season the Switchbacks and Roughnecks will meet. Tulsa were awarded the bonus of a full week of training ahead of their visit to Colorado Springs after their most recent USL fixture was postponed.
Originally scheduled for Saturday at Tulsa’s ONEOK Field, the Roughnecks will now host Swope Park Rangers on Wednesday, September 21st in what will be the penultimate match of the season for both teams. The original fixture, set for last Saturday, was called off after torrential rain in the Tulsa region.
TULSA ROUGHNECKS FC
Tulsa has endured an underwhelming second season in the USL as they enter Thursday’s contest at the bottom of the USL’s Western Conference. Despite winning their opening match of 2016 the Roughnecks quickly fell off the playoff pace with five losses in their opening seven matches.
Off-season roster turnover ensures a much-changed Tulsa Roughnecks squad from the team that defeated the Switchbacks 1-0 at Switchbacks Stadium on August 5th , 2015. Welsh midfielder Chad Bond, now plying his trade with Saint Louis FC, has been greatly missed in the heart of the Roughnecks’ midfield as Tulsa have struggled mightily to create goal scoring opportunities.
Roger Graham, co-host of the Tulsa Soccer Show, was quick to point to a rather glaring statistic that accurately summarizes the Roughnecks’ season: Tulsa have been out-shot in twenty of their twenty-one matches during 2016. The Roughnecks out shot Saint Louis FC by a lone strike on July 15 th – a 2-0 Tulsa victory at ONEOK Field.
“I think somewhere between frustration and disappointment,” was Graham’s assessment of this campaign. “Fans had high expectations coming into the season and thought the team would have a chance to make a run at the playoffs. We ran into a lot of injuries and had some key departures too. At times we were playing with a MASH unit and when you couple that with a lack of offensive production it really hurt the team.”
With ten goals and five assists, striker Sammy Ochoa has established himself as one of the most fearsome forwards in the USL – despite playing on a Roughnecks squad which possess the worst goal differential in the conference. Born in Mexico, Ochoa has represented the United States at youth international level and was the scorer of the Roughnecks’ goal in their most recent match, a 2-1 loss to the Orange County Blues FC on August 4th .
“It starts and ends with Sammy and his production,” said Roger Graham. “He’s a very fiery player and he’s also going to be 25lbs lighter than when you saw him last season. He’s looked different this season– he’s done well but the team just hasn’t had that secondary goal scorer.”
In addition to Sammy Ochoa, fellow forward Cristian Mata has impressed in 2016. Second among his teammates in goals and assists, Mata is at his best when played just behind Ochoa. Mata scored both goals in Tulsa’s 2-1 victory against Arizona United SC on July 30th and assisted Ochoa’s aforementioned goal versus the Orange County Blues FC.
SWITCHBACKS
One of the more fascinating sub-plots of the Switchbacks’ season revolves around the team’s scoring race. With just eight matches remaining in the regular season the
Switchbacks’ scoring chart reads as follows:
Goals
Marty Maybin- 6
Miguel Gonzaelez- 5
Mike Seth- 5
Luke Vercollone-3
Saeed Robinson-3
Sunday’s 0-0 in Sandy, Utah saw the Switchbacks start with a forward three of Gonzalez, Robinson, and Vercollone with striker’s Maybin and Aaron King both coming off the bench. It’s anyone’s guess which combination of forward players will begin Thursday’s match for Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh as his squad looks for their first home win since July 16th .
“We had a tough road trip because we could have walked away with six points,” said Saeed Robinson. “But on the positive side, points on the road isn’t bad.” “We did alright on the road,” said Trittschuh. “Through our own mistakes we gave away some opportunities. We’re getting chances but not putting them away right now – that’s how it’s going but we played really well defensively in both games.”
Center backs Christian Ibeagha and Josh Phillips have comported themselves brilliantly in recent weeks, while left back Josh Suggs has added four assists and a goal to his tireless defensive contribution.
Defensively the Switchbacks will be tested on Thursday – no matter the league positioning of the Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Three goals in their last two matches prove that the offseason hasn’t yet beckoned the Roughnecks’ players with its siren song.
“The way we prepare is always the same and it doesn’t matter if we’re playing the first team or the last,” stressed Christian Ibeagha. “There’s not much time before the game but every game at this point is a must win. We need to win every game from now on and we think only of that – that’s one of the best ways to keep our focus.”
“They’re [Tulsa] bottom of the league so we can’t let them into the game. We have to make sure to come out and take the game to them,” said Steve Trittschuh. “We’ve got to win our next three home games – it’s beyond important.”
Following Thursday’s match the Switchbacks will host Rio Grande Valley FC on August 21st and Oklahoma City Energy FC on August 24th at Switchbacks Stadium. Only beaten once in Colorado Springs this season – by Rocky Mountain rivals Real Monarchs SLC on June 26th – the Switchbacks maintain one of the most dominant home field advantages in the USL and have taken 21 of 30 home points on offer in 2016.
“It’s good to be back home. This will be the first of three straight home games so hopefully we can use our home advantage to go on a winning streak,” said Saeed Robinson. “It’s natural for people to look at the match and say we should win with no problems, but soccer doesn’t work like that. We have to go out on the pitch ready to work as a team, play hard and convert our chances.”
The Tulsa Roughnecks FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC have met only twice – both coming in 2015, the inaugural season for both franchises. Tulsa ran away winners on both occasions last season and has continued to produce committed displays despite their league position.
When asked for an honest assessment of Thursday’s match from a Roughnecks fans perspective, Tulsa Soccer Show host Roger Graham didn’t mince his words: “Realistically we look at the table and we know there’s a big gap for a reason – we’re happy to play well and get a point. [Tulsa Roughnecks] will play back and defend and be conservative and use the counter attack. Any sort of points against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks will be great.”
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC return to Switchbacks Stadium this Wednesday evening looking for a precious three points against the Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Two games away from Colorado Springs yielded two points for Head Coach Steve Trittschuh’s squad after draws against the Portland Timbers 2 and Real Monarchs SLC.
Sunday evening’s 0-0 tie in Sandy, Utah against the Monarchs left the Switchbacks with just two days of preparation ahead of Wednesday’s match – the only time this season the Switchbacks and Roughnecks will meet. Tulsa were awarded the bonus of a full week of training ahead of their visit to Colorado Springs after their most recent USL fixture was postponed.
Originally scheduled for Saturday at Tulsa’s ONEOK Field, the Roughnecks will now host Swope Park Rangers on Wednesday, September 21st in what will be the penultimate match of the season for both teams. The original fixture, set for last Saturday, was called off after torrential rain in the Tulsa region.
TULSA ROUGHNECKS FC
Tulsa has endured an underwhelming second season in the USL as they enter Thursday’s contest at the bottom of the USL’s Western Conference. Despite winning their opening match of 2016 the Roughnecks quickly fell off the playoff pace with five losses in their opening seven matches.
Off-season roster turnover ensures a much-changed Tulsa Roughnecks squad from the team that defeated the Switchbacks 1-0 at Switchbacks Stadium on August 5th , 2015. Welsh midfielder Chad Bond, now plying his trade with Saint Louis FC, has been greatly missed in the heart of the Roughnecks’ midfield as Tulsa have struggled mightily to create goal scoring opportunities.
Roger Graham, co-host of the Tulsa Soccer Show, was quick to point to a rather glaring statistic that accurately summarizes the Roughnecks’ season: Tulsa have been out-shot in twenty of their twenty-one matches during 2016. The Roughnecks out shot Saint Louis FC by a lone strike on July 15 th – a 2-0 Tulsa victory at ONEOK Field.
“I think somewhere between frustration and disappointment,” was Graham’s assessment of this campaign. “Fans had high expectations coming into the season and thought the team would have a chance to make a run at the playoffs. We ran into a lot of injuries and had some key departures too. At times we were playing with a MASH unit and when you couple that with a lack of offensive production it really hurt the team.”
With ten goals and five assists, striker Sammy Ochoa has established himself as one of the most fearsome forwards in the USL – despite playing on a Roughnecks squad which possess the worst goal differential in the conference. Born in Mexico, Ochoa has represented the United States at youth international level and was the scorer of the Roughnecks’ goal in their most recent match, a 2-1 loss to the Orange County Blues FC on August 4th .
“It starts and ends with Sammy and his production,” said Roger Graham. “He’s a very fiery player and he’s also going to be 25lbs lighter than when you saw him last season. He’s looked different this season– he’s done well but the team just hasn’t had that secondary goal scorer.”
In addition to Sammy Ochoa, fellow forward Cristian Mata has impressed in 2016. Second among his teammates in goals and assists, Mata is at his best when played just behind Ochoa. Mata scored both goals in Tulsa’s 2-1 victory against Arizona United SC on July 30th and assisted Ochoa’s aforementioned goal versus the Orange County Blues FC.
SWITCHBACKS
One of the more fascinating sub-plots of the Switchbacks’ season revolves around the team’s scoring race. With just eight matches remaining in the regular season the
Switchbacks’ scoring chart reads as follows:
Goals
Marty Maybin- 6
Miguel Gonzaelez- 5
Mike Seth- 5
Luke Vercollone-3
Saeed Robinson-3
Sunday’s 0-0 in Sandy, Utah saw the Switchbacks start with a forward three of Gonzalez, Robinson, and Vercollone with striker’s Maybin and Aaron King both coming off the bench. It’s anyone’s guess which combination of forward players will begin Thursday’s match for Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh as his squad looks for their first home win since July 16th .
“We had a tough road trip because we could have walked away with six points,” said Saeed Robinson. “But on the positive side, points on the road isn’t bad.” “We did alright on the road,” said Trittschuh. “Through our own mistakes we gave away some opportunities. We’re getting chances but not putting them away right now – that’s how it’s going but we played really well defensively in both games.”
Center backs Christian Ibeagha and Josh Phillips have comported themselves brilliantly in recent weeks, while left back Josh Suggs has added four assists and a goal to his tireless defensive contribution.
Defensively the Switchbacks will be tested on Thursday – no matter the league positioning of the Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Three goals in their last two matches prove that the offseason hasn’t yet beckoned the Roughnecks’ players with its siren song.
“The way we prepare is always the same and it doesn’t matter if we’re playing the first team or the last,” stressed Christian Ibeagha. “There’s not much time before the game but every game at this point is a must win. We need to win every game from now on and we think only of that – that’s one of the best ways to keep our focus.”
“They’re [Tulsa] bottom of the league so we can’t let them into the game. We have to make sure to come out and take the game to them,” said Steve Trittschuh. “We’ve got to win our next three home games – it’s beyond important.”
Following Thursday’s match the Switchbacks will host Rio Grande Valley FC on August 21st and Oklahoma City Energy FC on August 24th at Switchbacks Stadium. Only beaten once in Colorado Springs this season – by Rocky Mountain rivals Real Monarchs SLC on June 26th – the Switchbacks maintain one of the most dominant home field advantages in the USL and have taken 21 of 30 home points on offer in 2016.
“It’s good to be back home. This will be the first of three straight home games so hopefully we can use our home advantage to go on a winning streak,” said Saeed Robinson. “It’s natural for people to look at the match and say we should win with no problems, but soccer doesn’t work like that. We have to go out on the pitch ready to work as a team, play hard and convert our chances.”
The Tulsa Roughnecks FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC have met only twice – both coming in 2015, the inaugural season for both franchises. Tulsa ran away winners on both occasions last season and has continued to produce committed displays despite their league position.
When asked for an honest assessment of Thursday’s match from a Roughnecks fans perspective, Tulsa Soccer Show host Roger Graham didn’t mince his words: “Realistically we look at the table and we know there’s a big gap for a reason – we’re happy to play well and get a point. [Tulsa Roughnecks] will play back and defend and be conservative and use the counter attack. Any sort of points against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks will be great.”
