Switchbacks News

Vargish's View: Colorado Springs Switchbacks Prepared For Wednesday Clash With Bold FC

Midweek madness awaits at Weidner Field as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC welcome the Austin Bold to Southern Colorado on Wednesday night in a match presented by the Better Business Bureau and Accelerated Wealth. It will be the only meeting of the 2020 campaign between the Switchbacks and Bold, with Wednesday’s opponents being realigned into separate groups following the suspension of the season due to the global coronavirus crisis.

Abraham Rodriguez kept his first professional clean sheet on Saturday night as the Switchbacks battled out a goalless draw against visiting El Paso Locomotive at Weidner Field. Said Rodriguez on Monday, “First I give all the honor and glory to God! The clean sheet meant a lot to me. I had my family there watching and that entire week our mentality was to keep them from scoring – that was our goal. We’re going to need the whole group to keep working together on Wednesday, as we did against El Paso. We had some chances this last game and on Wednesday we’ll have more chances and we’re going to have to take them. For us the mental part is big with all these games happening so fast, but I think we’re ready and we took a big step on Saturday, and the goal on Wednesday is to get three points. Communication is key for us defensively. As a group, we had a clean sheet this last game and communication and mentality is big for us. Having that strong mentality where we’re just not going to give up goals is key.”

“We were conceding a lot of goals in our other games, and getting the clean sheet helped us grow a lot and have a lot of confidence for the next games,” said Andorran left back Joan Cervós. “It means a lot for us. We are doing things well and the goals will arrive – we keep another clean sheet and the goals will happen for us. I think the team is prepared for all these games in just a few days – we are prepared mentally and also physically. On Wednesday, we have to focus on us and do the same job that we did in the last game, with a lot of intensity from everybody and a lot of great work in defense, and then try to score.”

“I think the two things we really identified to strive for were putting in a 90-plus minute performance together and getting a clean sheet,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Alan Koch on Monday afternoon. “We got the clean sheet so we’ve made progress there, now we just need to make sure we put the 90-plus minute performance together. We were pretty close to it this last week, but one or two little details – maybe not capitalizing on a chance here or there, but we’re edging in the right direction.”

Wednesday’s trip to Colorado Springs will be the fourth straight road game for the Austin Bold. Head Coach Marcelo Serrano’s club won a wild match 3-2 over the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros at H-E-B Park on Saturday night behind a brace from Ates Diouf. Diouf was named a starter on the USL Championship Team of the Week on Tuesday Morning. Turks and Caicos international Billy Forbes had opened the scoring for the Bold with a crisp left-footed strike, before Senegalese striker Diouf decided the match. Diouf and Forbes are tied atop Austin Bold’s goal-scoring charts with three goals each.

Austin are unbeaten in their last four matches in the USL Championship, and have not been held scoreless in 2020. Behind the aforementioned output of Diouf and Forbes, the Bold have scored ten goals in their last four matches, with former Switchbacks fullback Ish Jome finding the net twice in a 4-1 win over RGV FC on August 8th.

“I think we need to do the same sort of thing we did this last Saturday,” said Head Coach Koch when asked about limiting Austin Bold’s offensive opportunities. “We prevented El Paso from scoring, and they had scored a lot against us the previous time. If we can stay true to what we did on Saturday, hopefully we can nullify chances for Austin. They are a creative team and do take their chances, so we want to limit the opportunities that we give them. But we also want to get back to what we were doing initially where we were scoring a lot of goals and we need to make sure that we can continue to do that: so just doing a little bit more of what we did on Saturday defensively, and then get back to what we were doing attack-wise when we started the season back up again. None of these games are easy but we need to just keep edging forward.”

The Switchbacks will continue their rapid-fire home stand on Saturday evening as they welcome New Mexico United to Weidner Field. “We’re just going to go game-by-game and really just assess with the medical group every day to see where people are,” said Koch. “I have ideas and I’m always working games ahead, and training days ahead, so nothing changes from our perspective. We just have to go one day at a time and see where the guys are, regroup, get a medical report, and start planning for the next challenge.”

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs Austin Bold FC

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC are taking on Austin Bold FC on August 26th! Gates will open at 6:00 PM MT! Kickoff will be at 7:00 PM MT. This game is sponsored by Centura Sports Medicine! This game is available for Season Ticket Members only.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Battle to Draw El Paso

Colorado Springs, CO (August 22, 2020) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC picked up a point at home from a 0-0 draw with El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at Weidner Field.

The Switchbacks came out of the gate strong as Hiroki Kurimoto won possession of the ball before finding Luke Ferreira on top of the penalty area but his shot was right at El Paso goalkeeper Logan Ketterer. Ferreira had another shot saved by Ketterer in the 22nd minute from a tight angle.

In a tight second half, the best chance fell to El Paso Locomotive in the 82nd minute but Switchbacks defender Everardo Rubio came to the rescue to block the shot before it could threaten Switchbacks goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez. The final chance of the game went to Colorado Springs as George Lebese's corner kick in stoppage time was directed towards goal before being cleared out. The Switchbacks held El Paso to zero shots on target to record their first clean sheet of the season in Saturday night's 0-0 draw.

The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field Wednesday night to take on Austin Bold FC at 7pm MT. All home matches in 2020 at Weidner Field will be available for Switchbacks Season Ticket Members only.

Colorado Springs, CO (August 22, 2020) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC picked up a point at home from a 0-0 draw with El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at Weidner Field.

The Switchbacks came out of the gate strong as Hiroki Kurimoto won possession of the ball before finding Luke Ferreira on top of the penalty area but his shot was right at El Paso goalkeeper Logan Ketterer. Ferreira had another shot saved by Ketterer in the 22nd minute from a tight angle.

In a tight second half, the best chance fell to El Paso Locomotive in the 82nd minute but Switchbacks defender Everardo Rubio came to the rescue to block the shot before it could threaten Switchbacks goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez. The final chance of the game went to Colorado Springs as George Lebese’s corner kick in stoppage time was directed towards goal before being cleared out. The Switchbacks held El Paso to zero shots on target to record their first clean sheet of the season in Saturday night’s 0-0 draw.

The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field Wednesday night to take on Austin Bold FC at 7pm MT. All home matches in 2020 at Weidner Field will be available for Switchbacks Season Ticket Members only.

Alan Koch
On earning a 0-0 draw with a strong El Paso side:
"I'm very, very proud of the group. I know I say it every single week. We’re building something. Tonight the guys got a little bit of a carrot. It's obviously a reward for the work they put in. We want to keep building, we want to work towards getting three points at home of course."

On finding continuity in the back four to earn the team's first clean sheet of 2020:
"We speak of continuity and I’ve said that about our opponents that we play against in our group. They all have the same coach, they all have for the most part, the same players. We have a new coaching staff, we have new players. It's going to take time for us to get that continuity. But today we played the same goalkeeper and the same back four and you can see the growth for them as a group. But how we defend is just not the back four and the goalkeeper. It’s the entire 11 players that have to be committed to defend and you saw that tonight. The guys worked their backsides off to get their clean sheet."

Joan Cervos
On coach Alan Koch talking about building on positivity in the game:
"I think this match we were improving a lot in defence, in the attack, in transition, in possession, without the ball. I think The team has done a very great job and that helped us to keep going and we do a clean sheet and that helped us a lot because we were conceding a lot of goals [during] these big matches and [we’re] very happy that point that we [got] today because when we played over there, it seemed that they were better than us, but today we showed that we can compete against everybody."

On a different starting 11 and players taking on different roles:
"It doesn’t matter if we are [the same] back four or if [it was] someone else, i think the group is very compact, it doesn't matter who plays in the group, everybody knows [their] job. We’re doing good in training and this is the way to go."

Jordan Burt
On making his 150th regular-season appearance for the Switchbacks:
"I feel so blessed. I look back on how I got here and it just feels like, you know, God’s fingerprints are all over this and I’m supposed to be here. So, that’s a very comforting feeling."

On playing six games in three weeks:
"I feel comfortable doing it. Obviously a lot less training. You know, I'm a gamer. That's what I get up for and I'm looking forward to it, to be honest."

Alan Koch
On earning a 0-0 draw with a strong El Paso side:
“I’m very, very proud of the group. I know I say it every single week. We’re building something. Tonight the guys got a little bit of a carrot. It’s obviously a reward for the work they put in. We want to keep building, we want to work towards getting three points at home of course.”

On finding continuity in the back four to earn the team’s first clean sheet of 2020:
“We speak of continuity and I’ve said that about our opponents that we play against in our group. They all have the same coach, they all have for the most part, the same players. We have a new coaching staff, we have new players. It’s going to take time for us to get that continuity. But today we played the same goalkeeper and the same back four and you can see the growth for them as a group. But how we defend is just not the back four and the goalkeeper. It’s the entire 11 players that have to be committed to defend and you saw that tonight. The guys worked their backsides off to get their clean sheet.”

Joan Cervos
On coach Alan Koch talking about building on positivity in the game:
“I think this match we were improving a lot in defence, in the attack, in transition, in possession, without the ball. I think The team has done a very great job and that helped us to keep going and we do a clean sheet and that helped us a lot because we were conceding a lot of goals [during] these big matches and [we’re] very happy that point that we [got] today because when we played over there, it seemed that they were better than us, but today we showed that we can compete against everybody.”

On a different starting 11 and players taking on different roles:
“It doesn’t matter if we are [the same] back four or if [it was] someone else, i think the group is very compact, it doesn’t matter who plays in the group, everybody knows [their] job. We’re doing good in training and this is the way to go.”

Jordan Burt
On making his 150th regular-season appearance for the Switchbacks:
“I feel so blessed. I look back on how I got here and it just feels like, you know, God’s fingerprints are all over this and I’m supposed to be here. So, that’s a very comforting feeling.”

On playing six games in three weeks:
“I feel comfortable doing it. Obviously a lot less training. You know, I’m a gamer. That’s what I get up for and I’m looking forward to it, to be honest.”

Man of the Match// Joan Cervos
Scoring Summary// COS: None | ELP: None
Saves// COS: Rodriguez (0) | ELP: Ketterer (3)
Discipline// COS: Rubio (18'), Volesky (89') | ELP: King (16'), Rebellon (51'), Ryan (82')

Man of the Match// Joan Cervos
Scoring Summary// COS: None | ELP: None
Saves// COS: Rodriguez (0) | ELP: Ketterer (3)
Discipline// COS: Rubio (18′), Volesky (89′) | ELP: King (16′), Rebellon (51′), Ryan (82′)

Alan Koch & Kris Reaves Preview El Paso Locomotive | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Vargish's View: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Looking For Win in Locomotive Rematch

Desperate for a win at Weidner Field, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC welcome El Paso Locomotive to Southern Colorado on Saturday afternoon, in a match presented by Coldwell Banker and Pikes Peak Brewing Company.

The Switchbacks started their six-match home stand last Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 loss to New Mexico United. “We spoke after the game and obviously we were disappointed, but we were happy with parts of the performance,” said South African winger George Lebese. “The result was not a reflection of the game on that day, but we lost the game and that was disappointing – like I said, the performance was good, but of course we need to work on our results.”

Central midfielder Rony Argueta added, “We did talk about the positives after the game against New Mexico. Coach keeps reinforcing that we’re playing well – it’s just that we’re not putting the ball in the back of the net – but we’re all staying positive and looking for a big win this weekend. Once we’re able to win at home, I think that will be the turnaround for us. To get that confidence and be able to build on that will help us a lot and it will be something to push us to get more wins.”

El Paso Locomotive have won back-to-back matches in the USL Championship. After defeating the Switchbacks 4-2 in Far West Texas on August 8th, El Paso traveled to Sandy, Utah last Saturday and came away from the home of the defending champions with a priceless 1-0 win. Scottish midfielder Nick Ross scored the winner for the Locomotive in Utah, which led the Inverness native to be named on the USL Championship Team of the Week.

The Switchbacks fought back after falling behind 4-0 at Southwest University Park in El Paso, with Uvaldo Luna scoring twice for the Switchbacks in the final 8 minutes of the match. “We will take the confidence from those two goals,” said George Lebese. “We saw that we can score goals, but we need to work more on our defense. We are still very confident. We are building a team and we are taking small steps and growing – and we can’t wait to have a positive result at home, so hopefully that will be this weekend. It would mean a lot to win this weekend and it would be a big confidence boost. We are working very hard every day at training and like I said, we are taking small steps and are a growing team. We do so many good things, it’s just that we don’t have the results to show for it. So we need to work on executing and getting more goals and finally winning these games.”

“Getting those goals at the end in El Paso gave us some confidence,” said Rony Argueta. “I think down there we started a little slow and a little low in energy, but I think that if we can start our game with high-energy then we can improve.”

“To be honest, we got punched in the face four times in El Paso,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Alan Koch. “And if you get punched in the face four times, you need to have a reaction. We responded well at the end of the game but we need to have a positive reaction right from the start. I think, honestly, the most important thing for us is that this is a rebuild. We’re rebuilding a club. We’re rebuilding a team. And that takes time. We have to stay true to the process. We’ve only played six games so we’re still a very new group that’s trying to come together and we’re trying to figure out everybody’s strengths and everybody’s weaknesses and it’s important to get some sort of continuity. We’re playing in a group of some very big hitters, but the big advantage these teams have over us is they have continuity and El Paso are an excellent example of that. They have the same coach, the same group of players, they have a very clearly defined identity and style of play and we’re working on our style of play and trying to put that in place and evolve as a club and create a new identity. I’m happy with how we’re progressing but we’ve got a long way still to go.”

After scoring the brace in El Paso, Uvaldo Luna missed the loss to New Mexico United through injury, with Coach Koch confirming that Luna faces a battle to be ready for Saturday’s match. “He rolled his ankle before the match against New Mexico and he’s progressing,” said Koch on Wednesday evening. “We’re optimistic that he’s going to be good to go for the game on Saturday. I think he was one of the catalysts that gave us energy at the end of the game down in El Paso. Obviously, we need to have that energy right from the start, but he had individual success in that game and he’s a big part of our team. We’re dealing with so many injuries and we want everybody back as soon as possible.”

El Paso Locomotive will return to Weidner Field on Wednesday, September 2nd. The Switchbacks will conclude their 2020 USL Championship rivalry with the Locomotive on Wednesday, September 16th at Southwest University Park in Far West Texas.

“We have to stay true to what we’re trying to do,” said Koch. “We’ve come in with a new staff, new players, and there’s a long-term vision. That vision is to get us going in the right direction for moving into the new stadium. We’re doing that, but we’re also playing in the group of death at the same time, so it’s certainly not easy playing all of these challenging games against the top teams. We’re learning a lot and really this is a season of growth-potential and how we grow from these tough challenges off the pitch, and on the pitch. We want to learn as much as we can so as we’re evolving and we continue to grow, we’re taking this club in the right direction.”

Next Wednesday the Switchbacks will welcome Austin Bold FC to Weidner Field as Alan Koch’s team continue to fight their way through a span of five matches in just fifteen days.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Fall 1-0 to New Mexico United

Colorado Springs, CO (August 15, 2020) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC lost 1-0 to New Mexico United behind a first-half goal from Chris Wehan Saturday afternoon at Weidner Field.

The first clear cut chance of the game fell to the foot of Austin Dewing in the 30th minute as he curled his left-footed effort, but New Mexico Goalkeeper Cody Mizell got a strong hand to push the shot wide. Andre Lewis had the next best opportunity for the Switchbacks with a shot from outside the box that drifted just wide of the right post. New Mexico United took the lead just before halftime when Chris Wehan met a cross from Amando Moreno and got a slight touch to redirect the ball past Abraham Rodriguez.

After a brief lightning delay at the beginning of the second half, New Mexico thought they doubled their advantage on two different occasions from Alex Bruce and a bicycle kick from Devon Sandoval, but they were denied both times by the offside flag. Five minutes from full time, a clever move from the Switchbacks found Christian Volesky inside the penalty area but his shot was saved from point-blank range by Mizell. A minute later, it was Abraham Rodriguez who came up big for the Switchbacks to deny Chris Wehan a 1-on-1 opportunity to keep the game at 1-0.

The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field for the next five games starting with a rematch against El Paso Locomotive FC on August 22nd. All home matches in 2020 at Weidner Field will be available for Switchbacks Season Ticket Members only.

Colorado Springs, CO (August 15, 2020) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC lost 1-0 to New Mexico United behind a first-half goal from Chris Wehan Saturday afternoon at Weidner Field.

Alan Koch
On his overall thoughts from the game:
"To be frank, I thought we actually played well tonight. Obviously, we made a mistake, and it’s certainly not just Abe. It’s the collective group. When you concede a goal, it’s an entire team. But I think we came out with the required energy. Even though we lost tonight, it’s probably one of our best performances, and I feel like the group is coming together."

On the team's morale after a third straight loss:
"Everybody is still very very disappointed to lose, but I told them to walk out of the tent tonight, heads up high, chests up. Because, we’re building, and I know I sound like a broken record when I say that, but, it is a work in progress. You don’t go from the bottom of the league to the top in a hurry. Particularly going through COVID. Particularly having to deal with this group we are in. It would be great if we came in tonight and we played one of the weaker teams in the league, and we won 3 or 4 [to] nothing, and everybody would feel great. I’d feel great. Fans would feel great too, of course. It’s frustrating to lose, but, we have to stay true to what we’re trying to do. There were a lot of good performances, and I think the collective energy from the group tonight was significantly better than last week, and we’ll continue to push. We’re not worried about the table. We’re just focusing on one game at a time."

On playing a tight game with New Mexico United:
"You could see, the energy was sucked out of the entire group when they conceded that goal, because they worked so hard to try to get a clean sheet. So, that’s something we are going to continue to strive for. I think the collective response to defend tonight was very very good. We limited a very very good team to only a few chances. Then, on the flip side, we have got to be a little bit more creative, and, obviously, a little bit more clinical when we get those chances. Because we had chances tonight. We could’ve won this game, but, unfortunately, it didn’t go our way."

Austin Dewing
On coach Alan Koch talking about building on positivity in the game:
"It’s a coaching technique for sure, and I am fully committed to the positives as well, right? I think we would be naive to not learn from the negatives, right? But, focus on what we did do positive. Let’s build on that. Let’s identify the negative, and make them positive. I like it, but we can’t ignore the negatives either."

On a different starting 11 and players taking on different roles:
"I think that’s part of the challenge of this league. We are constantly adjusting, but we are constantly needing to play a different 11. So, with a different 11, comes a different formation, a lot of times that, ideally, suits that 11 better. I think it’s just part of the challenges unique to this league. We’re still, 6 games now, I believe, as a team, which is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Like, it feels like a long time since we had the pandemic in between, but we didn’t really train any of that time or have a chance to actually build chemistry. Definitely a tough part of it, but to be expected."

Hiroki Kurimoto
On the Switchbacks progression so far:
"First of all, obviously, to this game, we were getting better than last week against El Paso. So we are still progressing right now. [Making a] team from scratch is difficult, so we need to be more patient to get results."

On losing a third straight game:
"We felt frustrated. We want to win, you know? [But] we couldn’t get the result right now."

On mistakes costing the Switchbacks points:
"Everyone [made] a mistake in the game. This game. Last game. Every game. Everyone. I think the most important thing is how we react."

Alan Koch
On his overall thoughts from the game:
“To be frank, I thought we actually played well tonight. Obviously, we made a mistake, and it’s certainly not just Abe. It’s the collective group. When you concede a goal, it’s an entire team. But I think we came out with the required energy. Even though we lost tonight, it’s probably one of our best performances, and I feel like the group is coming together.”

On the team’s morale after a third straight loss:
“Everybody is still very very disappointed to lose, but I told them to walk out of the tent tonight, heads up high, chests up. Because, we’re building, and I know I sound like a broken record when I say that, but, it is a work in progress. You don’t go from the bottom of the league to the top in a hurry. Particularly going through COVID. Particularly having to deal with this group we are in. It would be great if we came in tonight and we played one of the weaker teams in the league, and we won 3 or 4 [to] nothing, and everybody would feel great. I’d feel great. Fans would feel great too, of course. It’s frustrating to lose, but, we have to stay true to what we’re trying to do. There were a lot of good performances, and I think the collective energy from the group tonight was significantly better than last week, and we’ll continue to push. We’re not worried about the table. We’re just focusing on one game at a time.”

On playing a tight game with New Mexico United:
“You could see, the energy was sucked out of the entire group when they conceded that goal, because they worked so hard to try to get a clean sheet. So, that’s something we are going to continue to strive for. I think the collective response to defend tonight was very very good. We limited a very very good team to only a few chances. Then, on the flip side, we have got to be a little bit more creative, and, obviously, a little bit more clinical when we get those chances. Because we had chances tonight. We could’ve won this game, but, unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”

Austin Dewing
On coach Alan Koch talking about building on positivity in the game:
“It’s a coaching technique for sure, and I am fully committed to the positives as well, right? I think we would be naive to not learn from the negatives, right? But, focus on what we did do positive. Let’s build on that. Let’s identify the negative, and make them positive. I like it, but we can’t ignore the negatives either.”

On a different starting 11 and players taking on different roles:
“I think that’s part of the challenge of this league. We are constantly adjusting, but we are constantly needing to play a different 11. So, with a different 11, comes a different formation, a lot of times that, ideally, suits that 11 better. I think it’s just part of the challenges unique to this league. We’re still, 6 games now, I believe, as a team, which is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Like, it feels like a long time since we had the pandemic in between, but we didn’t really train any of that time or have a chance to actually build chemistry. Definitely a tough part of it, but to be expected.”

Hiroki Kurimoto
On the Switchbacks progression so far:
“First of all, obviously, to this game, we were getting better than last week against El Paso. So we are still progressing right now. [Making a] team from scratch is difficult, so we need to be more patient to get results.”

On losing a third straight game:
“We felt frustrated. We want to win, you know? [But] we couldn’t get the result right now.”

On mistakes costing the Switchbacks points:
“Everyone [made] a mistake in the game. This game. Last game. Every game. Everyone. I think the most important thing is how we react.”

Man of the Match// Hiroki Kurimoto
Scoring Summary// COS: None | NM: Wehan (45')
Saves// COS: Rodriguez (2) | NM: Mizell (3)
Discipline// COS: Rubio (63'), Ferreira (90+4') | NM: Tinari (30'), Najem (66'), Ryden (90+1')

Man of the Match// Hiroki Kurimoto
Scoring Summary// COS: None | NM: Wehan (45′)
Saves// COS: Rodriguez (2) | NM: Mizell (3)
Discipline// COS: Rubio (63′), Ferreira (90+4′) | NM: Tinari (30′), Najem (66′), Ryden (90+1′)

Alan Koch & Aidan Daniels Preview New Mexico United Game | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Vargish's View: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Start 6 Game Homestand vs New Mexico

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC begin a six-game home stand on Saturday afternoon as they welcome New Mexico United to Weidner Field in a crucial Group C matchup.

“Having these games at home doesn’t change our preparation, but it does change our mentality,” said center back Kris Reaves. “We know we have to start getting results at home. It’s important that we have the support of the crowd. Mentally we need to lock-in and start getting things right and we need to take advantage of this home stretch.”

Uvaldo Luna was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after his brace in the stifling West Texas heat last Saturday night as the Switchbacks fell 4-2 to El Paso Locomotive. “To be honest, it gives me a lot of confidence,” said Luna. “The goals went in, but the result didn’t come, so hopefully in the next game I can score and the team can win.”

“It was nice to see him score – he’s looked dangerous when he’s played,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Alan Koch. “He had the deflected goal against Oklahoma City, he hit the post in the first game against New Mexico, and it’s good to see him put the ball in the back of the net and get credit for it. He’s been doing some good work all season. We haven’t won at home yet and that’s clearly something we want to do. Part of playing these six games at home is getting some continuity and becoming familiar with playing and being successful here. We want to get the players to a position where they’re comfortable and confident at home and hopefully that will lead to positive outcomes in terms of getting points.”

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC begin a six-game home stand on Saturday afternoon as they welcome New Mexico United to Weidner Field in a crucial Group C matchup.

A man-of-the-match performance from Chris Wehan masterminded a 2-1 victory for New Mexico United over the Switchbacks on July 11th at Weidner Field. Wehan’s 87th minute winner came after a stunning opener from New Mexico holding midfielder Saalih Muhammad. “Every week this year feels like a month, so it feels like several months since that game happened,” said Head Coach Koch. “New Mexico have obviously got themselves going onto an incredibly hot start, and we’ve had a little bit of a slower start than we’d like, but we know this is going to be a huge game. New Mexico will come in with confidence; they know they can play, but we also have confidence in our group. We’re going in the right direction. There are things we need to continue to push. One is putting in a 90-plus minute performance – I don’t think we’ve actually done that yet all season, and that’s the goal that we’re striving towards every week.”

“A loss is a lesson and we’re fortunate that we get to look at the game against New Mexico,” said Kris Reaves. “I think we can use looking back at that game to see what we need to improve on and find their weaknesses and our strengths and go from there and do all we can to be better this time. We’ve talked a lot about unity and being together – we still have a lot of games to play and a lot of points to play for. Everything is still in front of us. If we can get it together at the right moment we can hopefully get some good results.”

“We’ve been studying New Mexico and that’s a big factor for us to know how to attack them and knowing about that game is going to be key for us,” said Uvaldo Luna. “Being at home fills us with confidence. Getting back home and getting to play in front of our fans is good for us – knowing the fans will be supporting us counts for a lot. We have to try to slow down New Mexico’s attackers and we have to worry about ourselves. Getting results in our stadium is important and we have to make teams come here and know that they have to be worried about us.”

On Saturday night, New Mexico United suffered their first defeat of 2020 as they lost 5-2 to a rampant Phoenix Rising in the Valley of the Sun. Jamaican striker Romeo Parkes and New York native Andrew Tinari notched the goals for New Mexico United. Former Switchback Josh Suggs wore the armband for Troy Lesesne’s club against Phoenix.

“This shortened season is really an assessment tool,” said Koch. “If we were playing a 34-game season then there are different outcomes that you’re looking for. But playing such a shortened season with a relatively new group we’ve really had, shifts the focus as to what our outcomes are. We want to win every game – that’s the goal. But there are definitely different outcomes we are trying to achieve this year. The primary goal is staying healthy and the second one is showing growth as a group and as individuals. Going on these trips to Salt Lake and El Paso, you really learn about the resilience that’s required to be successful. Now that we’re at home, we need to adjust the focus a little and focus on good quality performances that will hopefully lead to positive points.”

The aforementioned Uvaldo Luna came on at halftime for the Switchbacks in El Paso on Saturday, along with Austin Dewing and Rony Argueta, and Head Coach Alan Koch confirmed that further changes will be necessary on Saturday against New Mexico United. “Every week you have to earn your spot in the starting lineup,” said Koch on Tuesday afternoon. “Having said that, with what we’re going through during Covid and some of these long bus rides that we’ve been on now a few times already, we need to use the squad. There are already players that have come in today for the first day of training this week that are not feeling 100% just based on sitting on a bus for twelve hours, and that’s part of what we’re going through. We have to adjust. We’re fighting to get through the season on and off the field. We will not use the same eleven players – I anticipate we’re going to have to rotate a few players this week and I think we’re going to have to continue to rotate players as this season goes along. We’re going to start having a lot of games in a short amount of time and we’re going to need a big squad.”

The Switchbacks will host their second consecutive match at Weidner Field on August 22nd as they host El Paso.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks Midfielder Uvaldo Luna Named toUSL Championship Team of the Week

Colorado Springs, CO (August 11, 2020) – The USL Championship officially announced today that Uvaldo Luna was named to the Team of the Week Bench for week 7 of the 2020 season, presented by Cleer Audio.

Luna made the Team of the Week after coming off the bench and scoring two goals in the final eight minutes of the Switchbacks game against the El Paso Locomotive FC. Luna also recorded four key passes in just 45 minutes of play on Saturday night.

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 7

GK – Eric De La Cerda, Reno 1868 FC
D – Ish Jome, Austin Bold FC
D – Akeem Ward, North Carolina FC
D – Jonathan Dean, Birmingham Legion FC
M – Robbie Mertz, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
M – Cristian Parano, San Antonio FC
M – Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union II
M – Chapa Herrera, El Paso Locomotive FC
F – Junior Flemmings, Phoenix Rising FC
F – Neco Brett, Birmingham Legion FC
F – Alec Diaz, Tacoma Defiance

Bench: Alex Tambakis (NC), AJ Cochran (PHX), Hayden Sargis (SAC), Lewis Hilton (TBR), Uvaldo Luna (COS), Soloman Asante (PHX), Ropapa Mensah (PIT)

The Switchbacks return to Weidner Field to take on New Mexico United on Saturday, August 15th with gates opening at 2pm for a 3pm kickoff. This game was originally scheduled to be played in New Mexico, but it was moved to Colorado Springs due to the fluid nature of COVID-19 restrictions. All home matches in 2020 at Weidner Field will be available for Switchbacks Season Ticket Members only.

Weidner Field 2020 Safety Precautions | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Thanks to Centura Sports Medicine, the Switchbacks will be following all of these Safety Measures in 2020 at Weidner Field.

All employees and vendors at Weidner Field will follow strict protocols including temperature checks, proper wearing and use of PPE including face coverings, and training on proper hygiene.
Do not attend events if you currently or in the last 14 days have been sick, experienced a fever or other symptoms, or reside with anyone who has these symptoms.
All those who are ticketed for games during this time will enter the gate closest to their seats. Gates will open 60 minutes prior to kick-off.
All fans entering Weidner Field are required to wear face coverings.
All of the entrances at Weidner Field will have markings on the ground to keep fans who arrive together spaced at least 6ft apart from others. Only fans who arrive together will be allowed to enter the stadium together. Extra sanitizer stations will be set up at each entrance.
To alleviate crowding in the restrooms, staff will control access to limit the number of people inside at any given time. The restrooms will have sanitizer stations and they will be sanitized throughout the game using the appropriate EPA-registered disinfectants.
Cashless transactions preferred.
Only clear bags will be allowed.
Failure to comply with the requirements of the protocols in place may result in the individual being removed from the venue and denied access in the future.
Protocols may be adjusted without notice in accordance with guidelines from government and public health officials and the USL.

All employees and vendors at Weidner Field will follow strict protocols including temperature checks, proper wearing and use of PPE including face coverings, and training on proper hygiene.
Do not attend events if you currently or in the last 14 days have been sick, experienced a fever or other symptoms, or reside with anyone who has these symptoms.
All those who are ticketed for games during this time will enter the gate closest to their seats. Gates will open 60 minutes prior to kick-off.
All fans entering Weidner Field are required to wear face coverings.
All of the entrances at Weidner Field will have markings on the ground to keep fans who arrive together spaced at least 6ft apart from others. Only fans who arrive together will be allowed to enter the stadium together. Extra sanitizer stations will be set up at each entrance.
To alleviate crowding in the restrooms, staff will control access to limit the number of people inside at any given time. The restrooms will have sanitizer stations and they will be sanitized throughout the game using the appropriate EPA-registered disinfectants.
Cashless transactions preferred.
Only clear bags will be allowed.
Failure to comply with the requirements of the protocols in place may result in the individual being removed from the venue and denied access in the future.
Protocols may be adjusted without notice in accordance with guidelines from government and public health officials and the USL.

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