The two best teams in the USL Championship meet on Friday evening at Weidner Field as the Switchbacks welcome San Antonio FC to downtown Colorado Springs. The first 500 fans through the gates at 6pm will receive a wand / pirate hat giveaway, courtesy of Children’s Hospital Colorado, with tickets for Friday’s match available HERE
Winners of three in a row, the Switchbacks sit atop the Western Conference with an 11-2 record. Second place San Antonio FC are 10-3-1 this season and travel to Colorado Springs after a 1-1 draw against Oakland Roots SC last Saturday night at Toyota Field in the Alamo City.
Michee Ngalina and Hadji Barry were both named to the USL Championship Team of the Week following the Switchbacks’ 4-3 win at Weidner Field against Indy Eleven on Saturday evening. Ngalina notched a brace in the victory, while Barry scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
What the Switchbacks Say:
Switchbacks Head Coach and General Manager Brendan Burke: “I thought we were really good in the first half [vs. Indy Eleven], and I thought we were not good for the first 20 minutes of the second half, and then we showed up again to finish the game. Ultimately we’re still looking to put 90 minutes together.
“We’ve prepared for [how San Antonio FC like to play] tactically, but I think it’s more of a mentality than anything else when you play against those guys; it’s half soccer, half rugby. I think it’s massive for us [to be at Weidner Field]. The crowds have been big and the crowds have been lively and we’ll need all of it this weekend. As a group we’re looking ok – we have a couple still out injured, but it’s always going to be that way in the middle of the season. I like the group that we have to put out there [on Friday], and I know they’re confident right now.”
Midfielder Cam Lindley, who spent the 2021 season with San Antonio FC: “I think we took our chances [against Indy Eleven]. Obviously at 4-2 we can’t give up a set piece goal like that at the end, but we felt pretty comfortable and even when they got a second one I thought we were going to grab another [goal]. We just want to play football and play our way [against San Antonio]. We don’t really change for anyone, so we’ll play the same way we have all year and hopefully that can yield a result for us.
“I have a lot of friends on the other side of the field and I left [San Antonio] on great terms, so it’s going to be fun to see those guys. It’s definitely personal – you want to win against a team like that. And for us it’s one and two in the West and that’s kind of how I’m looking at it. It’s another game, but it’s probably the biggest game of the year. I’m so excited [to be at Weidner Field]. I think last week we got to 8,000 [fans] and hopefully we get that reception again because it’s going to be a fun one!”
Midfielder Issa Rayyan: “We’ve been playing well so [Friday] is about doing what we do best. [San Antonio] are obviously a top team so we know it’s going to be a fight – we have to do the hard grit. It’s a huge opportunity to play in front of our fans at home. This is the real test [against San Antonio] and it’s going to be in front of our home fans and at our own field and we have to take advantage of that.”
San Antonio FC Ones to Watch: “I don’t think you can look at one player [on San Antonio],” said Brendan Burke. “I think they’ve done a really good job with their roster building and they have options in every position.”
Former Cal Poly Mustang Justin Dhillon leads San Antonio FC’s goal chart with five goals in the USL Championship. New Zealand international Elliot Collier and Connecticut native Mitchell Taintor have each scored four times in 2022. Deshane Beckford, who spent the 2021 season with the Switchbacks, has started 11 games this season for San Antonio FC Head Coach Alen Marcina. Beckford scored the winning goal for San Antonio FC against The Miami FC on May 14th.
Vargish’s View: Colorado Springs and San Antonio are the class of the USL Championship in 2022, and they’ve reached the top of the table in different ways. The Switchbacks are open, free-flowing, and dynamic. San Antonio FC are gritty, tough, and relish an in-your-face contest. If San Antonio try to match the Switchbacks’ expansive style, they’ll be played off the pitch. If the Switchbacks let San Antonio turn the game into a scrappy, card-laden brawl, San Antonio will notch their eighth away win of the season.
Friday is the match we’ve all been waiting for. Head says a draw. Heart says a Switchbacks win. As Roxette told the world in 1988: “listen to your heart, there’s nothing else you can do.”
