The 5-1 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC head back out on the road this Saturday evening for a clash with FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field. The match will kick off at 6:30pm MT, with live coverage by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, beginning at 6pm on XTRA Sports1300 AM.
Last Saturday, the Switchbacks suffered their first loss of the 2022 USL Championship season, falling 2-1 to Memphis 901 FC at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs. On Tuesday evening, FC Tulsa were knocked out of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
What the Switchbacks Say:
Switchbacks Head Coach and General Manager Brendan Burke: “I thought Memphis was better than us in terms of their energy – they brought more energy to the game over the weekend and we need to correct that in a big way. I thought it was a very winnable game. We played in a 20 to 30 mile per hour wind, and that didn’t help. But the reality was that we got outworked in a lot of different facets of the game. And we gave up a set piece goal, which is kind of gross because we’ve done that a couple times now and teams don’t really show that they can break us down. We’ve been hurt when we get our energy wrong or we lose track of set pieces. We’re on the road a lot and that wears on you no matter how well you’re doing. We couldn’t possibly be doing any better than we’re doing on the road, and it still grinds on you – that’s a real gut-check for the guys going back for two more on the road right away now. But I think we have it in us. I think the group will respond and if we get nothing else right, we will get our energy right this weekend.”
Issa Rayyan: “Being out for the first couple weeks with an injury was a difficult time, so finally getting some minutes felt good. With the players we have and how forward we want to be, [Saturday] is just about being able to break them down. It’s just about taking care of our bodies [this week]. We’ve had two high intensity trainings and [now] it’s about preparing and watching film and getting mentally focused for the game.”
Tulsa FC Ones to Watch: “Tulsa have some big bodies up top,” said Head Coach Burke. “Brian Brown is a great option for them, so is JJ [Williams]. They’re both good in the air and they’re both good with the ball at their feet – they can both run and they’re pretty complete, big bodied number 9’s. Obviously, [Rodrigo] da Costa is a real threat and they have a couple good wingers too. They have four or five really high quality attacking pieces – that’s why they score so many goals. And they have experience – guys like Lebo Moloto who run the game and dictate the tempo of the game. Tulsa also do a pretty good job of building out under pressure, so they present a lot of different challenges. Tulsa transition really well. They’re comfortable sitting behind the ball when they have to defend and not a lot of teams are. But they transition very precisely and very fast.”
Vargish’s View: Saturday’s match at ONEOK Field promises goals. FC Tulsa score for fun. But they’ve also left themselves vulnerable at the back on multiple occasions this season – their opponents have logged eight goals against Head Coach Michael Nsien’s men over FC Tulsa’s last three league matches.
The Switchbacks have not been held scoreless in league play this season. The loss to Memphis was a blip, not a harbinger of things to come. FC Tulsa are a tested, dynamic opponent with quality and experience strewn across the pitch, but the Switchbacks are undefeated on the road. An exciting encounter awaits on Saturday evening, and if the Switchbacks can slow FC Tulsa’s high-octane offense, the undefeated streak away from Weidner Field will continue.