It’s an Independence Day Fireworks Extravaganza at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs as the Switchbacks FC host San Diego Loyal SC. The largest fireworks show in Southern Colorado will follow the fulltime whistle. Gates open at 4:30pm, with the first 500 fans receiving a pair of sunglasses, courtesy of Pikes Peak National Bank. Tickets are available HERE.
On Friday evening, the Switchbacks defeated Sacramento Republic 3-0 behind a brilliant brace from the reigning USL Championship MVP Hadji Barry and a delightful goal from Elvis Amoh. San Diego Loyal haven’t played since a 2-1 victory over Orange County SC on June 29th. Loyal top scorer Kyle Vassell will be suspended for Monday’s match against the Switchbacks after being sent off during the win over Orange County.
What the Switchbacks Say:
Switchbacks Assistant Coach James Chambers: “It’s obviously a quick turnaround. I think [our preparation] is solely focused on regen and recovery for the guys; resting up, sleeping and eating right and preparing as best we can for San Diego on the short turnaround. I think the players feed off the energy [at Weidner Field]. I think it works in tandem; the players feed off the energy of the fans, and the fans feed off the energy of the players, and as a staff it’s great to be around it and obviously we enjoy it and when we win games, it’s even better. I think the atmosphere that’s created here at Weidner Field is pretty special and we hope that a full house continues to do that.”
Goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell: “That [clean sheet] was important for us [against Sacramento Republic] so obviously it feels very good and it helps us turn around our first kind of quote-unquote skid of the year and we build on that going into Monday. That was as complete a performance as we’ve had this year and we need to build on that. [San Diego] are a very good team and it’s obviously a big one at the top of the [Western] Conference. This is one of those situations where maybe the quick turnaround is a benefit – we get to carry momentum and get back at it as soon as possible. We’ve had a huge home advantage this year. The crowd was great [against Sacramento Republic] and with the holiday weekend we’re expecting it to be popping in here and we hope we can give them something to cheer about.”
Midfielder Zach Zandi: “We had a great game last night [vs. Sacramento Republic] so it’s really just continuing that momentum [against San Diego]. Guys stepped up and made big performances and with so many tight games you need guys to be able to do that. We have a deep squad and I think that really showed and it’s going to need to show again against San Diego who’s a really good team. It’s incredible for us [to play at Weidner Field]. Last year [on July 4th] we had a [big] crowd so if we can get that same energy it’s that 12th man and it can give us that extra energy to push and get through it.”
San Diego Loyal Scouting Report: “Obviously [Kyle] Vassell springs to mind when it comes to San Diego – but he’s suspended for Monday and that will hopefully turn in our favor,” said James Chambers. “But apart from [Vassell] they have Thomas [Amang] who was here [with the Switchbacks in 2021 & ‘22] and we have experience of him and he’s a top player. They have a lot of quality throughout the team right from back to front, including the goalkeeper. They can call on any number of players and they won’t change their game-model and they won’t change their style; they’ll stick to what they know and they’re a very, very good team so we’re excited for another top game.”
Vargish’s View: The Switchbacks were back to their unbeatable best on Friday evening at Weidner Field against Sacramento Republic. Brendan Burke’s team are going to need a packed house on Monday to propel them to victory against a San Diego Loyal team that have won two in a row.
The loss of San Diego’s leading scorer Kyle Vassell will be a big hurdle for Head Coach Landon Donovan’s team to overcome. The Switchbacks are more familiar with the quality of Thomas Amang than any team in the USL Championship. The blueprint for a home victory was on full display against Sacramento: press as a team, soak up pressure when needed, and hit decisively with pace on the counter.