The scenario is simple: Win on Saturday evening and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will secure home-field advantage throughout the USL’s Western Conference playoffs. In addition, a victory this weekend against the Orange County Blues FC in Irvine, California would see the Switchbacks crowned regular season Western Conference champions – thus giving Steve Trittschuh’s squad the No. 1 playoff seed in the West.
Tied with Sacramento Republic FC with 49 points, the Switchbacks’ path to being named the Western Conference’s regular season champion rests on Win Differential. The Switchbacks have won 14 matches in 2016, while both Sacramento Republic and Rio Grande Valley FC currently sit one victory behind with 13. No matter the results of Sacramento (Saturday vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Rio Grande Valley (Saturday vs. San Antonio FC in Edinburg, Texas), the Switchbacks control their playoff destiny.
Should the Switchbacks fail to defeat the OC Blues, and depending upon the aforementioned results of Sacramento and RGVFC, the Switchbacks could finish the regular season no lower than third place.
Win, lose or draw at Anteater Stadium against the OC Blues on Saturday, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks will host at least one playoff game – scheduled for Friday, September 30 th at Switchbacks Stadium, against an opponent to be determined.
A minimum of one playoff game at Switchbacks Stadium was confirmed after a last- gasp 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders FC 2 last Saturday evening in Colorado Springs.
A blistering eighth-minute strike from midfielder Rony Argueta gave the Switchbacks an early lead, and his Man of the Match performance drew admiration from Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh after the final whistle. “Rony’s been doing great all year long – right now he’s definitely playing some of his best for us. If his finish isn’t Goal of the Week I don’t know what is. It was an unbelievable goal and his play deserved a goal of that quality.”
Despite a Darwin Jones equalizer just before the half-hour mark that leveled the score at Switchbacks Stadium, the Switchbacks were persistent in their attacking endeavor and found a deserved winner deep into stoppage-time. Mike Seth, once again deployed in the lone striker’s role, was brilliantly played through on goal by winger Saeed Robinson. Seth, outpacing a desperately retreating Sounders 2 defense, calmly slid his left-footed finish under the onrushing Matt Bersano in S2’s goal to cue pandemonium among a Switchbacks Stadium record crowd of 4,308.
“To finish a game like that…there aren’t many words,” said a beaming Trittschuh. “Mike [Seth] was so composed with his finish. It was an incredible goal…Really, just unbelievable!”
What The Players Said After Defeating The Sounders 2:
GK Devala Gorrick – “I’m happy we got home-field advantage with this win. There’s no better feeling than to play in front of our home fans, but realistically we’re ready to play anywhere.”
DF Jordan Burt – “Being able to host playoff games is what we’ve been working for all season. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time and we can continue this run for as long as possible.”
DF Josh Phillips – “It means everything knowing we’ll be back here. We know teams don’t like coming here to play at over 6,000 feet, and we all know how hard we’ve worked this season to put ourselves in this position.”
DF Christian Ibeagha – “It’s definitely huge to be playing here in the playoffs. We always like our chances at home and it’s a big relief for all of us to know we’ll be back in front of these fans. We still have to take care of business and win in Orange County and we know that won’t be an easy game, but with the way we’re playing right now we’re ready for it.”
Saturday’s showdown in Irvine, California will mark the third time this season the Switchbacks have locked horns with the OC Blues. Goals from Saeed Robinson, Luke Vercollone, and Marty Maybin gave the Switchbacks a 3-0 win at Anteater Stadium on May 8 th . Just under three weeks later both teams fought out a physical 1-1 draw on May 27th at Switchbacks Stadium.
Led from the front by Trinidad and Tobago international striker Trevin Caesar and Swiss midfielder Didier Crettenand, the Orange County Blues face an uphill battle to qualify for the 2016 USL postseason. After a demoralizing loss to Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday evening at the University of California, Irvine’s Anteater Stadium, the OC Blues know nothing short of victory against the Switchbacks will earn the Blues a playoff berth.
No longer in control of their own destiny after the concession of a late winner to RGVFC’s second half substitute Dzenan Catic, the OC Blues will be hoping for slip- ups from both the Portland Timbers 2 and San Antonio FC if the Blues are to snatch a late playoff berth.
“Going into Orange County we know we have to get a result,” insisted Steve Trittschuh. “We want to go and win but we know OC’s going to have to win the game if they’re to have a chance. Last time there [May 8th ] we played well. It’s a nice field that suits our style, and we know we’ll have to be patient and compact defensively. To go into the playoffs playing these kinds of games helps us so much. The team will get three good training sessions in the week and we’ll go to California and play for all three points.”
The Switchbacks know their place in the 2016 USL playoffs is secure. A win on Saturday against a desperate Orange County Blues team would solidify the Switchbacks’ place in league history as regular season Western Conference winners.
The Western Conference’s overall No. 1 playoff seed awaits a Switchbacks victory on Saturday evening.
“It’s important to continue our form into the game in Orange County because we want to play this last game of the regular season exactly as we will in the playoffs,” said Switchbacks goalkeeper Devala Gorrick. “We will treat the O.C. game like it’s a playoff game – no doubt about that and no doubt we’ll go to win. We always do!”
The scenario is simple: Win on Saturday evening and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will secure home-field advantage throughout the USL’s Western Conference playoffs. In addition, a victory this weekend against the Orange County Blues FC in Irvine, California would see the Switchbacks crowned regular season Western Conference champions – thus giving Steve Trittschuh’s squad the No. 1 playoff seed in the West.
Tied with Sacramento Republic FC with 49 points, the Switchbacks’ path to being named the Western Conference’s regular season champion rests on Win Differential. The Switchbacks have won 14 matches in 2016, while both Sacramento Republic and Rio Grande Valley FC currently sit one victory behind with 13. No matter the results of Sacramento (Saturday vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Rio Grande Valley (Saturday vs. San Antonio FC in Edinburg, Texas), the Switchbacks control their playoff destiny.
Should the Switchbacks fail to defeat the OC Blues, and depending upon the aforementioned results of Sacramento and RGVFC, the Switchbacks could finish the regular season no lower than third place.
Win, lose or draw at Anteater Stadium against the OC Blues on Saturday, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks will host at least one playoff game – scheduled for Friday, September 30 th at Switchbacks Stadium, against an opponent to be determined.
A minimum of one playoff game at Switchbacks Stadium was confirmed after a last- gasp 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders FC 2 last Saturday evening in Colorado Springs.
A blistering eighth-minute strike from midfielder Rony Argueta gave the Switchbacks an early lead, and his Man of the Match performance drew admiration from Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh after the final whistle. “Rony’s been doing great all year long – right now he’s definitely playing some of his best for us. If his finish isn’t Goal of the Week I don’t know what is. It was an unbelievable goal and his play deserved a goal of that quality.”
Despite a Darwin Jones equalizer just before the half-hour mark that leveled the score at Switchbacks Stadium, the Switchbacks were persistent in their attacking endeavor and found a deserved winner deep into stoppage-time. Mike Seth, once again deployed in the lone striker’s role, was brilliantly played through on goal by winger Saeed Robinson. Seth, outpacing a desperately retreating Sounders 2 defense, calmly slid his left-footed finish under the onrushing Matt Bersano in S2’s goal to cue pandemonium among a Switchbacks Stadium record crowd of 4,308.
“To finish a game like that…there aren’t many words,” said a beaming Trittschuh. “Mike [Seth] was so composed with his finish. It was an incredible goal…Really, just unbelievable!”
What The Players Said After Defeating The Sounders 2:
GK Devala Gorrick – “I’m happy we got home-field advantage with this win. There’s no better feeling than to play in front of our home fans, but realistically we’re ready to play anywhere.”
DF Jordan Burt – “Being able to host playoff games is what we’ve been working for all season. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time and we can continue this run for as long as possible.”
DF Josh Phillips – “It means everything knowing we’ll be back here. We know teams don’t like coming here to play at over 6,000 feet, and we all know how hard we’ve worked this season to put ourselves in this position.”
DF Christian Ibeagha – “It’s definitely huge to be playing here in the playoffs. We always like our chances at home and it’s a big relief for all of us to know we’ll be back in front of these fans. We still have to take care of business and win in Orange County and we know that won’t be an easy game, but with the way we’re playing right now we’re ready for it.”
Saturday’s showdown in Irvine, California will mark the third time this season the Switchbacks have locked horns with the OC Blues. Goals from Saeed Robinson, Luke Vercollone, and Marty Maybin gave the Switchbacks a 3-0 win at Anteater Stadium on May 8 th . Just under three weeks later both teams fought out a physical 1-1 draw on May 27th at Switchbacks Stadium.
Led from the front by Trinidad and Tobago international striker Trevin Caesar and Swiss midfielder Didier Crettenand, the Orange County Blues face an uphill battle to qualify for the 2016 USL postseason. After a demoralizing loss to Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday evening at the University of California, Irvine’s Anteater Stadium, the OC Blues know nothing short of victory against the Switchbacks will earn the Blues a playoff berth.
No longer in control of their own destiny after the concession of a late winner to RGVFC’s second half substitute Dzenan Catic, the OC Blues will be hoping for slip- ups from both the Portland Timbers 2 and San Antonio FC if the Blues are to snatch a late playoff berth.
“Going into Orange County we know we have to get a result,” insisted Steve Trittschuh. “We want to go and win but we know OC’s going to have to win the game if they’re to have a chance. Last time there [May 8th ] we played well. It’s a nice field that suits our style, and we know we’ll have to be patient and compact defensively. To go into the playoffs playing these kinds of games helps us so much. The team will get three good training sessions in the week and we’ll go to California and play for all three points.”
The Switchbacks know their place in the 2016 USL playoffs is secure. A win on Saturday against a desperate Orange County Blues team would solidify the Switchbacks’ place in league history as regular season Western Conference winners.
The Western Conference’s overall No. 1 playoff seed awaits a Switchbacks victory on Saturday evening.
“It’s important to continue our form into the game in Orange County because we want to play this last game of the regular season exactly as we will in the playoffs,” said Switchbacks goalkeeper Devala Gorrick. “We will treat the O.C. game like it’s a playoff game – no doubt about that and no doubt we’ll go to win. We always do!”