Following a massive win in Oakland, the Switchbacks travel to California’s Central Coast for a Saturday evening matchup against Monterey Bay FC. The match in Seaside, California will kick off at 8pm from Cardinale Stadium on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay, with live coverage by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, beginning at 7:30pm on XTRA Sports1300AM.
Both Tyreek Magee and Juan Tejada were named to the USL Championship Team of the Week following the Switchbacks’ victory in Oakland last Saturday. On Independence Day, the Switchbacks defeated Monterey Bay 4-0 at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs behind a brilliant brace from Stevie Echeverria and goals from Juan Tejada and Romario Williams. Monterey Bay is winless since June 24th , and broke a five-game losing streak last Saturday evening after tying 0-0 with Phoenix Rising in the Valley of the Sun.
What the Switchbacks Say:
Tyreek Magee: “I think it was a really good win [in Oakland]. We’ve been struggling for a while on the road, and I think it’s nice that we got the win the other day. I was just happy that I could perform well for the team – Team of the Week is just like a little bonus. I was just really happy that I could help the team get the win. I feel like we should approach the game [on Saturday in Monterey] in the same way [as with Oakland] – just keep scoring goals, keep fighting for each other and we should be good.”
Technical Director and Assistant Coach James Chambers: “Tyreek is a special talent – he really is, and he probably hasn’t even scratched the surface of where he can go. For him it’s just finding consistency now – we all realize how good he can be, and we fully back him. It’s just a case of him proving it week in and week out to everyone outside of here.”
“It was a big three points [in Oakland] and it’s been long overdue. Performance wise, we weren’t ecstatic with it, but we were obviously happy with the three goals. We weren’t overly happy with conceding two [goals] as a group. But the boys showed a really gutsy and [high] character performance in the win and ironically, it was probably the weakest of our last three games performance-wise. I think Tulsa was our best one, and we got a point. And then the other two [games] we weren’t as good in, and we get three points. That’s just how it’s been so far [this season].”
Monterey Bay Breakdown:
“I think [Monterey] have had a rough vein of form,” said James Chambers. “They started the season on fire. [Alex] Dixon, [Christian] Volesky, [Sam] Gleadle, [Chase] Boone – they’ve had a lot of good players contribute with a lot of goals [and] they’ve dried up as of late and I’m sure that [Monterey Head Coach] Frank [Yallop] is focused on improving. We are under no illusions about the group that we’re going to face. We went there last year and we got smacked, so we know what we’re stepping into. [Monterey] is a group that has a lot of talent and is a really, really good team, and we’re just hoping to put another performance in [that’s] a little bit better than we did last weekend.”
“Both teams have evolved since [the Switchbacks’ 4-0 win over Monterey on July 4th ],” continued Assistant Coach Chambers. “We were very good that night – it was one of our better performances of the season. But we know what we’re stepping into in their environment – it’s a little different. Their fans there are really good and very energetic, the field is a little different, and they’re a wounded animal right now. So we kind of understand what we’re going into and the game here doesn’t show a true reflection of what Monterey are as a group and as an organization.”
Vargish’s View:
Despite Monterey Bay’s recent struggles, Frank Yallop’s team still hold a record of 4-5-4 at Cardinale Stadium and individual quality abounds on Monterey’s roster. Since winning four consecutive matches in June, Monterey have fallen into some of the worst form in the USL Championship. The Switchbacks’ performance in Oakland last weekend showed a relentlessness and spirit that will be needed against Monterey on Saturday as the host will scrap, harry, and ultimately try to grind out a desperately needed result. Another three points on the road would be a massive result for the Switchbacks on Saturday night before they return to Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs for matches against perennial powerhouses Louisville City and San Antonio.
