Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Switchbacks FC headed to Fort Carson on Friday 7/20 where they gave away FREE 719 Brewfest tickets and Switchbacks tickets to the upcoming game. Soldiers and their families were delighted at the chance to win great giveaways from the Switchbacks!
Switchbacks FC headed to Fort Carson on Friday 7/20 where they gave away FREE 719 Brewfest tickets and Switchbacks tickets to the upcoming game. Soldiers and their families were delighted at the chance to win great giveaways from the Switchbacks!
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks lost 1-0 to a late goal against Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night in a game of inches.
Coming off of the 1-0 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night, the Switchbacks were looking to still come away with three points from their trip to Texas this week. Two of the best defenses in the league met with the "feels like" temperature at 105 degrees at kickoff. Although it was the Switchbacks third game in eight days, they came out the aggressors. Even though the Switchbacks had eight corners in the first half, compared to RGV's one, the sides went into the break scoreless.
The second half proved to still be a tight game. The biggest opportunity of the game for the Switchbacks came in the 72nd minute when the Switchbacks earned a free kick about 23 yards from goal and Josh Sugg's curled effort hit the top of the crossbar. In the 83rd minute, Pablo Aguilar found the ball at his feet inside the box before slotting the ball home. That proved to be the game-winner in a game of inches on Saturday night.
The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks lost 1-0 to a late goal against Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night in a game of inches.
Coming off of the 1-0 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night, the Switchbacks were looking to still come away with three points from their trip to Texas this week. Two of the best defenses in the league met with the “feels like” temperature at 105 degrees at kickoff. Although it was the Switchbacks third game in eight days, they came out the aggressors. Even though the Switchbacks had eight corners in the first half, compared to RGV’s one, the sides went into the break scoreless.
The second half proved to still be a tight game. The biggest opportunity of the game for the Switchbacks came in the 72nd minute when the Switchbacks earned a free kick about 23 yards from goal and Josh Sugg’s curled effort hit the top of the crossbar. In the 83rd minute, Pablo Aguilar found the ball at his feet inside the box before slotting the ball home. That proved to be the game-winner in a game of inches on Saturday night.
The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
H-E-B Park awaits as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC make their way to the southernmost tip of Texas to face Rio Grande Valley FC this Saturday evening. On Wednesday night, the Switchbacks fell 1-0 to San Antonio FC at Toyota Field behind a second half goal from SAFC defender Taylor Washington and a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Matt Cardone and his beard.
April 7th saw the Switchbacks defeat RGV FC 2-1 at Weidner Field behind goals from Josh Suggs and Jordan Burt. Aldo Quintanilla pulled a late, 80th minute goal back for RGV, but it was too little, too late as the Switchbacks held their lead for a vital three points.
Veteran midfielder Luke Vercollone made his return to the Switchbacks’ starting lineup on Wednesday at Toyota Field after missing time with a hamstring injury. “Honored and happy to get the start,” said Vercollone on Thursday morning in San Antonio. “I’m happy that my legs felt good physically and I’m hoping to build off it and keep it going forward.”
“It was really good for Luke to get 60 minutes,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “Jordy [Burt] was fatigued from the Sacramento game, so he needed to rest because he’s been working really hard for us. We’ll have to see what changes we need to make on Saturday in RGV. Shane [Malcolm] cramped up so that’s why he came off, but hopefully he’ll be ok. We’ll meet soon as a team to see how the guys are. But we’ll need to make changes because of the fatigue.”
Ghanaian Nicholas Amoako was a bright spot for the Switchbacks as he injected fresh legs into the visitors’ lineup after replacing Malcolm in the 81st minute against SAFC. “He did some good things and got into some good positions,” said Trittschuh of Amoako. We’ve got to keep working with him because he’s just not fully 90-minute match fit yet. But we’ll get him there. He brought a really good energy that we needed.”
AJ Ajeakwa will be suspended for the trip to Edinburg on Saturday after picking up a straight red card in stoppage time against San Antonio FC and will be replaced on the Switchbacks’ travelling roster by Colorado Rapids loanee Sam Hamilton. “We have to dress sixteen – it’s the league rules that we have sixteen players, so Sam Hamilton will be coming in,” confirmed Trittschuh. “He played on Tuesday night for the Rapids against Boca Juniors, and we’re going to need him on Saturday.”
The Rapids defeated the giants from Buenos Aires on penalty kicks at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City in the inaugural Western Union Cup friendly. Hamilton started for the Rapids, as did wing back Kip Colvey who has also featured for the Switchbacks this season on-loan.
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros have not played since a dour 0-0 draw with the Swope Park Rangers at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City last Sunday. Luckily, less than 1,000 fans were on hand to witness a match that saw RGV amass 18 shots – 7 of them on target – without finding the back of the net.
Mexican midfielder Aldo Quintanilla leads the Toros in goals with four – one strike above fellow Mexican Jesús Enríquez. The same two players lead RGV in assists, with three and two, respectively.
“RGV will be rested,” said Trittschuh. “They’re a young team with good players. They’re in every game, they compete, they’re dynamic in the attack, and they have some really good movement between Quintanilla and Enríquez. Quintanilla is good. RGV like to play where he combines with Enríquez so we have to be ready for them both. They’re a young team with nothing to lose and their players want to impress Houston [Dynamo of MLS] as well. It’s not easy to play there – it’s a big field, and it’ll be hot, so we’ve got to have a short memory. We’ve got to be good defensively and, like always, keep their strikers in front of us. We’ve got to go out and deal with the conditions and compete. We’ll have to make some changes.”
“We have to take care of our bodies and get fluid and good sleep,” said midfielder Jordan Schweitzer. “It’s our job so we’ll do what we have to in order to be ready. I’m looking forward to bouncing back on Saturday. When we come together and play for each other we can do anything in this league.”
“Saturday is a new game and a must-win,” said Vercollone. “We must focus on what we can control. We’ll have eleven fit and talented guys ready to go. There’s no reason to not win the game. RGV are a good team but we’re more worried about our game. We’re not too concerned about them – we just need to worry about ourselves and playing our best game.”
RGV FC will visit Weidner Field in Colorado Springs on September 15th on Super Hero Night. On August 4th, the Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field as they host the Oklahoma City Energy FC on Back to School Night with GE Johnson Construction Company sponsoring a Backpack Giveaway for the first 500 fans.
H-E-B Park awaits as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC make their way to the southernmost tip of Texas to face Rio Grande Valley FC this Saturday evening. On Wednesday night, the Switchbacks fell 1-0 to San Antonio FC at Toyota Field behind a second half goal from SAFC defender Taylor Washington and a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Matt Cardone and his beard.
April 7th saw the Switchbacks defeat RGV FC 2-1 at Weidner Field behind goals from Josh Suggs and Jordan Burt. Aldo Quintanilla pulled a late, 80th minute goal back for RGV, but it was too little, too late as the Switchbacks held their lead for a vital three points.
Veteran midfielder Luke Vercollone made his return to the Switchbacks’ starting lineup on Wednesday at Toyota Field after missing time with a hamstring injury. “Honored and happy to get the start,” said Vercollone on Thursday morning in San Antonio. “I’m happy that my legs felt good physically and I’m hoping to build off it and keep it going forward.”
“It was really good for Luke to get 60 minutes,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “Jordy [Burt] was fatigued from the Sacramento game, so he needed to rest because he’s been working really hard for us. We’ll have to see what changes we need to make on Saturday in RGV. Shane [Malcolm] cramped up so that’s why he came off, but hopefully he’ll be ok. We’ll meet soon as a team to see how the guys are. But we’ll need to make changes because of the fatigue.”
Ghanaian Nicholas Amoako was a bright spot for the Switchbacks as he injected fresh legs into the visitors’ lineup after replacing Malcolm in the 81st minute against SAFC. “He did some good things and got into some good positions,” said Trittschuh of Amoako. We’ve got to keep working with him because he’s just not fully 90-minute match fit yet. But we’ll get him there. He brought a really good energy that we needed.”
AJ Ajeakwa will be suspended for the trip to Edinburg on Saturday after picking up a straight red card in stoppage time against San Antonio FC and will be replaced on the Switchbacks’ travelling roster by Colorado Rapids loanee Sam Hamilton. “We have to dress sixteen – it’s the league rules that we have sixteen players, so Sam Hamilton will be coming in,” confirmed Trittschuh. “He played on Tuesday night for the Rapids against Boca Juniors, and we’re going to need him on Saturday.”
The Rapids defeated the giants from Buenos Aires on penalty kicks at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City in the inaugural Western Union Cup friendly. Hamilton started for the Rapids, as did wing back Kip Colvey who has also featured for the Switchbacks this season on-loan.
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros have not played since a dour 0-0 draw with the Swope Park Rangers at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City last Sunday. Luckily, less than 1,000 fans were on hand to witness a match that saw RGV amass 18 shots – 7 of them on target – without finding the back of the net.
Mexican midfielder Aldo Quintanilla leads the Toros in goals with four – one strike above fellow Mexican Jesús Enríquez. The same two players lead RGV in assists, with three and two, respectively.
“RGV will be rested,” said Trittschuh. “They’re a young team with good players. They’re in every game, they compete, they’re dynamic in the attack, and they have some really good movement between Quintanilla and Enríquez. Quintanilla is good. RGV like to play where he combines with Enríquez so we have to be ready for them both. They’re a young team with nothing to lose and their players want to impress Houston [Dynamo of MLS] as well. It’s not easy to play there – it’s a big field, and it’ll be hot, so we’ve got to have a short memory. We’ve got to be good defensively and, like always, keep their strikers in front of us. We’ve got to go out and deal with the conditions and compete. We’ll have to make some changes.”
“We have to take care of our bodies and get fluid and good sleep,” said midfielder Jordan Schweitzer. “It’s our job so we’ll do what we have to in order to be ready. I’m looking forward to bouncing back on Saturday. When we come together and play for each other we can do anything in this league.”
“Saturday is a new game and a must-win,” said Vercollone. “We must focus on what we can control. We’ll have eleven fit and talented guys ready to go. There’s no reason to not win the game. RGV are a good team but we’re more worried about our game. We’re not too concerned about them – we just need to worry about ourselves and playing our best game.”
RGV FC will visit Weidner Field in Colorado Springs on September 15th on Super Hero Night. On August 4th, the Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field as they host the Oklahoma City Energy FC on Back to School Night with GE Johnson Construction Company sponsoring a Backpack Giveaway for the first 500 fans.
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks couldn't find an equalizer when they lost to San Antonio FC 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Coming off of the 4-2 win against the Tulsa Roughnecks on Saturday, the Switchbacks were looking to distance themselves from the teams below them in the standings by getting a win in San Antonio. The first half had little going for both sides in the 90+ degree heat. Neither team could create a clear-cut chance from open play and they combined for a total of 14 fouls for a physical first half.
Ten minutes into the second half, San Antonio got on the board as Darnell King crossed the ball into Kyle Murphy who had an open header to put the ball by Steward Ceus. The Switchbacks would respond well as Marty Maybin put his effort on target but Matt Cardone made the save from the ground in the 57th minute. Both teams would have their chances at the end of the game, but neither could find the back of the net before the game ended 1-0 in favor of San Antonio FC.
The Switchbacks are staying in Texas for another away game when they play Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks couldn’t find an equalizer when they lost to San Antonio FC 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Coming off of the 4-2 win against the Tulsa Roughnecks on Saturday, the Switchbacks were looking to distance themselves from the teams below them in the standings by getting a win in San Antonio. The first half had little going for both sides in the 90+ degree heat. Neither team could create a clear-cut chance from open play and they combined for a total of 14 fouls for a physical first half.
Ten minutes into the second half, San Antonio got on the board as Darnell King crossed the ball into Kyle Murphy who had an open header to put the ball by Steward Ceus. The Switchbacks would respond well as Marty Maybin put his effort on target but Matt Cardone made the save from the ground in the 57th minute. Both teams would have their chances at the end of the game, but neither could find the back of the net before the game ended 1-0 in favor of San Antonio FC.
The Switchbacks are staying in Texas for another away game when they play Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The City of Colorado Springs today announced plans to move forward with the fourth City for Champions project; the Colorado Sports and Event Center. Comprised of two separate facilities, these will be state of the art, multi-purpose venues designed to host professional, Olympic and amateur sporting events as well as entertainment and cultural events. The outdoor downtown stadium will become the permanent home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks while the event center will serve as the new home of the Colorado College ice hockey team.
Partnering and providing private financial funding in the venture are Colorado College, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks and Weidner Apartment Homes. The next step in the project is presentation of the business plan and finding of commencement of substantial work toward the project by the Colorado Economic Development Commission at its meeting in September.
“It gives me great pride to announce that the City of Colorado Springs is ready to effectively leverage $27.7M in State City for Champions funding to build a downtown sports stadium and events center,” said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers. “Today’s announcement is the culmination of a lot of hard work and incredible collaboration between a number of private partners. While this project represents a significant benefit to our city’s economy and cultural and sports offerings, we have remained committed to the desire of our voters to accomplish this feat through private partnerships and investments and not with local general fund tax money. To that end, I’m incredibly pleased to announce that we have an excellent proposal and a plan to move forward on these facilities.”
The proposed downtown stadium will be located at the CityGate property bordered by Cimarron to the North, Moreno to the South, Sierra Madre to the West and Sahwatch to the east. The facility will be a mixed-use development which will feature a rectangular field of play and will serve as the permanent home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The stadium, containing 10,000 spectator seats for sporting events, will be a multi-use facility which can accommodate a wide variety of sporting and entertainment events. Capacity for concert events will be 20,000.
“I am very excited to see the City of Colorado Springs get behind professional soccer like numerous other leading cities around the country,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “The downtown stadium will help us compete at a higher level and represent the City well.”
“Two key elements were considered in awarding the Ragains a USL franchise back in 2013, namely Ed Ragain’s experience with sporting venues and the strong community support from Colorado Springs. The City for Champions downtown stadium project brings those two key elements together for the benefit of the community, the Switchbacks’ loyal fans, and the future long-term sustainability of the USL franchise in Colorado Springs,” said Alec Papadakis, CEO of the USL.
“In 2013, when I was looking to start a professional Soccer franchise somewhere in Colorado, Colorado Springs stuck out as a City that had a passion for sports and a vision for growth,” said Ed Ragain, owner of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. “It is amazing to be standing before you today announcing our plans to complete a long desired downtown sports stadium in this great City. In my professional career, I had the opportunity to be a part of designing and building some of the largest and most successful sports stadiums on the planet. It has been inspiring to witness the way that many of these facilities have changed the trajectory of neighborhoods and cities through lifestyle enhancement. While our stadium project is smaller in scale, we are committed to design features that bring forward a great sports environment.”
The stadium will be constructed together with a mixed-use residential and commercial development in partnership with Weidner Apartment Homes. Weidner will receive naming rights to the stadium and a minority position in the Switchbacks franchise. The combined project is estimated at $60 million dollars.
“On behalf of Dean Weidner and the 1,400 team members of Weidner Apartment Homes, I’d like to express our tremendous excitement at being a part of this downtown revitalization effort,” said Greg Cerbana, V.P. Public Relations and Government Affairs for Weidner Apartment Homes. “Weidner has been a part of the business community here in the Springs since 1993, but our roots in the community are much deeper as Dean Weidner himself grew up here. Our desire to elevate our level of support from that of a sponsor to now being a partner is based on the vision we’ve jointly developed regarding the new downtown stadium and it’s potential to help spur a sports and entertainment district in downtown Colorado Springs.”
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, a United Soccer League franchise, will be the primary tenant of the stadium, and Ragain Sports, a separate business, will be tasked to operate and program the facility with additional long field and other Olympic type events.
The City for Champions project envisions this venue coordinating with the Sports Center being built at Colorado College 1.5 miles away and the US Olympic Museum 2 blocks away to be a catalyst in bringing more sports tourism to the State to visit the Olympic Museum, Olympic Training Center, and the many other amenities available here in beautiful Colorado Springs.
City for Champions:
On July 8, 2013, the City of Colorado Springs began its pursuit of supplemental funding with the Regional Tourism Act of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The Regional Tourism Act promotes diversification of the state’s economic base by providing a financing mechanism for attracting, constructing and operating large-scale regional tourism projects, which include tourism or entertainment facilities that will attract significant investment and revenue from outside the state. The application, appropriately named “City for Champions,” highlights four unique and extraordinary venues
that will strengthen and diversify the economic impact of our regional and state visitor attractions:
Colorado College:
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its approximately 2,100 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 31⁄2-week segments. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree. In 2017 the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center became part of Colorado College, providing innovative, educational and multidisciplinary arts experiences for the campus and Colorado Springs communities. For more information, visit www.coloradocollege.edu
Switchbacks FC:
The Colorado Springs Switchbacks Football Club is a professional soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team is a member of the United Soccer League, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid and one of the most successful professional soccer leagues in the world reaching a population of more than 84 million people across North America. The Switchbacks began play in 2015 at Weidner Field where it invested 3.5 million dollars to improve a City-owned facility. The franchise is owned by the Ragain Family and lead by Ed Ragain, the former owner of a Colorado-based international engineering firm. All matches are broadcast on ESPN+ and home matches are available locally on the CW & FOX. For more information, please visit www.switchbacksfc.com Weidner Apartment Homes: Founded in 1977, Weidner Apartment Homes is a privately held real estate investment, development and management company that owes its success to its most important resource – the more than 1,400 associates that make up their onsite and regional teams. Weidner is ranked #14 on the NMHC list of the 50 largest Apartment Owners, and as of July 2018, owns and self-manages a portfolio consisting of 257 multi-family communities representing just over 51,500 apartment homes throughout twelve states in the US, and four provinces of Canada. Headquartered in Kirkland, WA, Weidner’s commitment to delivering value drives its vision to distinguish itself as an industry leader in each of its markets. For more information, please visit www.weidner.com
Fresh off a priceless home win, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC begin a two-game Lone Star State road trip on Wednesday evening against San Antonio FC. Last Saturday at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, the Switchbacks defeated the Tulsa Roughnecks FC 4-2 behind a thunderous brace from Northern Irish striker Marty Maybin.
“Unbelievable,” exclaimed Marty Maybin when asked about his double immediately following Saturday’s win. “We’ve been saying for weeks now that we need to get three points, especially at home. We can’t be dropping points so to win tonight was the most important thing…and it felt brilliant! I don’t care who gets the goals. Shane [Malcolm], Saeed [Robinson], anyone – it’s just about us scoring and winning games. Of course it felt good to score – it’s my job to do that as a striker. Tonight I tried to get about and hold the ball up and I’m really happy we got the win. We needed it.”
“I said to Marty before the game that tonight he’d get three goals,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “He’s a big part of this team and to see him do well is important for us. He helps connect our game. The more he’s playing, the more he’s getting into good positions and helping our team. He’s important for us going forward.”
Maybin’s goals against the Roughnecks bookended a Jordan Burt penalty kick, and Shane Malcolm added the Switchbacks’ fourth just before the full-time whistle. “That was a good battle with lots of ebbs and flows,” said Burt. “We showed a lot of character to come back and get the result and now we’ll look to take that into a long week on the road.”
Switchbacks captain Josh Suggs turned in a tireless performance at left back, with his inch-perfect cross falling perfectly at the feet of Marty Maybin for the Switchbacks’ opening goal. “Whew,” exhaled Suggs late Saturday night. “Great…it was great to get that win. It’s a big relief. Hopefully we can keep it going. We’re prepared for the busy schedule next week – we’ve dealt with it before and we’ll be ready.”
After Wednesday evening’s match at Toyota Field in San Antonio, the Switchbacks will make their way to Edinburg, Texas for a Saturday night match against Rio Grande Valley FC at H-E-B Park. The Switchbacks will stay in San Antonio after Wednesday’s match, before making the 230-mile drive south towards the Texas – Mexico border for the match with RGV FC.
“Games are coming thick and fast now,” said Maybin. “Now we need to take what we did against Tulsa on the road. We’re a good team, and we showed that tonight. We needed to win and we’re all glad we got it and we want this same feeling at the end of our trip.”
As hot as the Switchbacks’ offense is after their four-goal outburst against the Roughnecks, the weather that awaits Steve Trittschuh’s men in Texas is forecast to make the Switchbacks seem colder than a Breckenridge breakfast. High’s on Wednesday will easily reach into triple digits in the Alamo City, with Saturday in Edinburg scheduled to be even hotter. Mandatory water breaks for both matches are a certainty.
“Hopefully we have no injuries in the first game, because we’ll travel with just sixteen players,” said Trittschuh. “It’s not going to be easy. We have to make sure we focus on our recovery and hydration this week – the conditions down there are going to be tough. On this road trip we can win two games with the right mentality. We did a lot of things right against Tulsa, but I’m not happy with giving up two goals – we’ve got to be better defensively. And it’s going to be difficult because of just taking sixteen guys. We need the sixteen we travel with to step-up and play well in the heat and the humidity. We’re staying in San Antonio after the game to train and then drive down to RGV on Friday. We hope we’ll be able to train a little on Friday but it’s going to be tough because of the heat, so we’ve trained at home in the middle of the day to try and get ready.”
San Antonio turned in their best offensive performances of the season on Saturday evening, defeating USL Western Conference table-toppers Real Monarchs SLC 4-2 at Toyota Field.
Forward Owayne Omar Gordon remains San Antonio FC’s most dangerous goal-scoring threat, with the young Jamaican leading SAFC’s stat-sheet with four goals in 2018. Gordon found the net against the Monarchs, as did the always-dangerous Mexican striker Éver Guzmán.
The Switchbacks and SAFC tied 1-1 on June 30th after heavy hail fell in Colorado Springs prior to kickoff. Jordan Burt scored for the Switchbacks in first half stoppage time before Rafa Castillo equalized for SAFC in the 66th minute.
“We have to re-watch San Antonio’s win against the Monarch a few times and make a plan to stop them,” said Trittschuh. “They played well so we have to see what they’re about now. They’re a much different team than when we played them at home – that game was really changed because of the field conditions. We usually play well in San Antonio. In the Open Cup we did well there too. But this will be a different game and we need to prepare for that. Gordon is a really good player for them – he’s got speed, he’s technical, and we have to take him into account at all times.”
On August 4th, the Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field as they host the Oklahoma City Energy FC on Back to School Night with GE Johnson Construction Company sponsoring a Backpack Giveaway for the first 500 fans.
Fresh off a priceless home win, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC begin a two-game Lone Star State road trip on Wednesday evening against San Antonio FC. Last Saturday at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, the Switchbacks defeated the Tulsa Roughnecks FC 4-2 behind a thunderous brace from Northern Irish striker Marty Maybin.
“Unbelievable,” exclaimed Marty Maybin when asked about his double immediately following Saturday’s win. “We’ve been saying for weeks now that we need to get three points, especially at home. We can’t be dropping points so to win tonight was the most important thing…and it felt brilliant! I don’t care who gets the goals. Shane [Malcolm], Saeed [Robinson], anyone – it’s just about us scoring and winning games. Of course it felt good to score – it’s my job to do that as a striker. Tonight I tried to get about and hold the ball up and I’m really happy we got the win. We needed it.”
“I said to Marty before the game that tonight he’d get three goals,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “He’s a big part of this team and to see him do well is important for us. He helps connect our game. The more he’s playing, the more he’s getting into good positions and helping our team. He’s important for us going forward.”
Maybin’s goals against the Roughnecks bookended a Jordan Burt penalty kick, and Shane Malcolm added the Switchbacks’ fourth just before the full-time whistle. “That was a good battle with lots of ebbs and flows,” said Burt. “We showed a lot of character to come back and get the result and now we’ll look to take that into a long week on the road.”
Switchbacks captain Josh Suggs turned in a tireless performance at left back, with his inch-perfect cross falling perfectly at the feet of Marty Maybin for the Switchbacks’ opening goal. “Whew,” exhaled Suggs late Saturday night. “Great…it was great to get that win. It’s a big relief. Hopefully we can keep it going. We’re prepared for the busy schedule next week – we’ve dealt with it before and we’ll be ready.”
After Wednesday evening’s match at Toyota Field in San Antonio, the Switchbacks will make their way to Edinburg, Texas for a Saturday night match against Rio Grande Valley FC at H-E-B Park. The Switchbacks will stay in San Antonio after Wednesday’s match, before making the 230-mile drive south towards the Texas – Mexico border for the match with RGV FC.
“Games are coming thick and fast now,” said Maybin. “Now we need to take what we did against Tulsa on the road. We’re a good team, and we showed that tonight. We needed to win and we’re all glad we got it and we want this same feeling at the end of our trip.”
As hot as the Switchbacks’ offense is after their four-goal outburst against the Roughnecks, the weather that awaits Steve Trittschuh’s men in Texas is forecast to make the Switchbacks seem colder than a Breckenridge breakfast. High’s on Wednesday will easily reach into triple digits in the Alamo City, with Saturday in Edinburg scheduled to be even hotter. Mandatory water breaks for both matches are a certainty.
“Hopefully we have no injuries in the first game, because we’ll travel with just sixteen players,” said Trittschuh. “It’s not going to be easy. We have to make sure we focus on our recovery and hydration this week – the conditions down there are going to be tough. On this road trip we can win two games with the right mentality. We did a lot of things right against Tulsa, but I’m not happy with giving up two goals – we’ve got to be better defensively. And it’s going to be difficult because of just taking sixteen guys. We need the sixteen we travel with to step-up and play well in the heat and the humidity. We’re staying in San Antonio after the game to train and then drive down to RGV on Friday. We hope we’ll be able to train a little on Friday but it’s going to be tough because of the heat, so we’ve trained at home in the middle of the day to try and get ready.”
San Antonio turned in their best offensive performances of the season on Saturday evening, defeating USL Western Conference table-toppers Real Monarchs SLC 4-2 at Toyota Field.
Forward Owayne Omar Gordon remains San Antonio FC’s most dangerous goal-scoring threat, with the young Jamaican leading SAFC’s stat-sheet with four goals in 2018. Gordon found the net against the Monarchs, as did the always-dangerous Mexican striker Éver Guzmán.
The Switchbacks and SAFC tied 1-1 on June 30th after heavy hail fell in Colorado Springs prior to kickoff. Jordan Burt scored for the Switchbacks in first half stoppage time before Rafa Castillo equalized for SAFC in the 66th minute.
“We have to re-watch San Antonio’s win against the Monarch a few times and make a plan to stop them,” said Trittschuh. “They played well so we have to see what they’re about now. They’re a much different team than when we played them at home – that game was really changed because of the field conditions. We usually play well in San Antonio. In the Open Cup we did well there too. But this will be a different game and we need to prepare for that. Gordon is a really good player for them – he’s got speed, he’s technical, and we have to take him into account at all times.”
On August 4th, the Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field as they host the Oklahoma City Energy FC on Back to School Night with GE Johnson Construction Company sponsoring a Backpack Giveaway for the first 500 fans.
The United Soccer League officially announced today that Marty Maybin was named to the Week 19 USL Team of the Week.
Maybin played a key role in the Switchbacks' comeback win over the Tulsa Roughnecks FC Saturday night. The Man of the Match scored two goals in helping the Switchbacks earn an important win in the playoff race.
The United Soccer League officially announced today that Marty Maybin was named to the Week 19 USL Team of the Week.
Maybin played a key role in the Switchbacks’ comeback win over the Tulsa Roughnecks FC Saturday night. The Man of the Match scored two goals in helping the Switchbacks earn an important win in the playoff race.
USL Team of the Week – Week Nineteen
GK – Christian Herrera, Swope Park Rangers
D – Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati
D – Taylor Mueller, Charleston Battery
D – Nana Attakora, Ottawa Fury FC
M – Aodhan Quinn, Orange County SC
M – Junior Flemmings, Tampa Bay Rowdies
M – Charlie Ward, San Antonio FC
M – Sebastian Velazquez, Real Monarchs SLC
F – Marty Maybin, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
F – Ilija Ilic, Louisville City FC
F – Daniel Rios, North Carolina FC
Bench: Joe Kuzminsky (CHS), Cristian Casseres Jr. (NY), Kyle Bekker (NC), Emmanuel Ledesma (CIN), Giovanni Godoy (OC), Omar Salgado (LV), Georgi Hristov (TBR)
The Switchbacks are taking a road trip to Texas for two away games this week. On Wednesday, the Switchbacks will face San Antonio FC at 7pm MT and Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM
For media pass requests, please contact Communications Coordinator, Cody Costra.
USL Team of the Week – Week Nineteen
GK – Christian Herrera, Swope Park Rangers
D – Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati
D – Taylor Mueller, Charleston Battery
D – Nana Attakora, Ottawa Fury FC
M – Aodhan Quinn, Orange County SC
M – Junior Flemmings, Tampa Bay Rowdies
M – Charlie Ward, San Antonio FC
M – Sebastian Velazquez, Real Monarchs SLC
F – Marty Maybin, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
F – Ilija Ilic, Louisville City FC
F – Daniel Rios, North Carolina FC
Bench: Joe Kuzminsky (CHS), Cristian Casseres Jr. (NY), Kyle Bekker (NC), Emmanuel Ledesma (CIN), Giovanni Godoy (OC), Omar Salgado (LV), Georgi Hristov (TBR)
The Switchbacks are taking a road trip to Texas for two away games this week. On Wednesday, the Switchbacks will face San Antonio FC at 7pm MT and Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM
For media pass requests, please contact Communications Coordinator, Cody Costra.
The Switchbacks beat the Tulsa Roughnecks 4-2 in an exhilarating game at Weidner Field in front of 4,029 fans on Saturday night.
Coming off of a 1-0 loss against Sacramento Republic FC last weekend, the Switchbacks were looking to beat a struggling Tulsa Roughnecks' side. Tulsa's leading goal scorer, Joaquin Rivas, continued his strong season by scoring his breakaway opportunity in the 19th minute. The Switchbacks had a strong response after going down a goal, creating all of the opportunities before leveling the game through Marty Maybin's finish from a Josh Suggs cross in the 40th minute. Just before half-time, the Switchbacks earned a penalty kick and Jordan Burt stepped up to put the Switchbacks ahead 2-1 at the break.
In the 70th minute, Shane Malcolm found himself in space driving towards goal when he laid the ball off for Maybin and he made no mistake on the finish, blasting it by Tulsa keeper, Fabian Cerda. Tulsa would make it a one-goal game again when Isaac Diaz sent his header off the post and the ball deflected off of Switchbacks keeper, Steward Ceus, and into the back of the net to make the game 3-2. In the 87th minute, Saeed Robinson won the ball and got a shot off but his effort was saved by Cerda right to Shane Malcolm for a tap-in goal for his fourth goal of the season. The game would end 4-2 in favor of the Switchbacks on Saturday night.
"It was a high-pressure game and we got the three points, and scored four goals at home. There's a lot of positives to take from it but we need to take this momentum now to go on a run of games and get ourselves into the playoffs," said Man of the Match, Marty Maybin. "I thought I played well, I got two goals obviously but the three points is the most important thing. But that's my third goal of the season, I need to finish strong and keep scoring goals to contribute to us getting the playoffs."
The Switchbacks are taking a road trip to Texas for two away games next week. On Wednesday, the Switchbacks will face San Antonio FC at 7pm MT and Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
The Switchbacks beat the Tulsa Roughnecks 4-2 in an exhilarating game at Weidner Field in front of 4,029 fans on Saturday night.
Coming off of a 1-0 loss against Sacramento Republic FC last weekend, the Switchbacks were looking to beat a struggling Tulsa Roughnecks’ side. Tulsa’s leading goal scorer, Joaquin Rivas, continued his strong season by scoring his breakaway opportunity in the 19th minute. The Switchbacks had a strong response after going down a goal, creating all of the opportunities before leveling the game through Marty Maybin’s finish from a Josh Suggs cross in the 40th minute. Just before half-time, the Switchbacks earned a penalty kick and Jordan Burt stepped up to put the Switchbacks ahead 2-1 at the break.
In the 70th minute, Shane Malcolm found himself in space driving towards goal when he laid the ball off for Maybin and he made no mistake on the finish, blasting it by Tulsa keeper, Fabian Cerda. Tulsa would make it a one-goal game again when Isaac Diaz sent his header off the post and the ball deflected off of Switchbacks keeper, Steward Ceus, and into the back of the net to make the game 3-2. In the 87th minute, Saeed Robinson won the ball and got a shot off but his effort was saved by Cerda right to Shane Malcolm for a tap-in goal for his fourth goal of the season. The game would end 4-2 in favor of the Switchbacks on Saturday night.
“It was a high-pressure game and we got the three points, and scored four goals at home. There’s a lot of positives to take from it but we need to take this momentum now to go on a run of games and get ourselves into the playoffs,” said Man of the Match, Marty Maybin. “I thought I played well, I got two goals obviously but the three points is the most important thing. But that’s my third goal of the season, I need to finish strong and keep scoring goals to contribute to us getting the playoffs.”
The Switchbacks are taking a road trip to Texas for two away games next week. On Wednesday, the Switchbacks will face San Antonio FC at 7pm MT and Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday at 6:30pm MT. The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 4th to face OKC Energy FC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Switchbacks backpack on Back To School Night courtesy of GE Johnson. Tickets start at just $12 and are available here. Fans 21+ can get $1 beer the first 30 minutes when gates open at 5:00 PM.
Switchbacks FC teamed up with Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub for three fun filled watch parties last week. Jack Quinn’s provided gift cards and t-shirts as giveaways and offered a great deal on a burger and pint for lunch. Switchbacks FC gave away awesome fan gear and tickets to locals that came out to the watch parties.
Switchbacks FC teamed up with Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub for three fun filled watch parties last week. Jack Quinn’s provided gift cards and t-shirts as giveaways and offered a great deal on a burger and pint for lunch. Switchbacks FC gave away awesome fan gear and tickets to locals that came out to the watch parties.
Switchbacks FC headed out to Banning Lewis Ranch for Oakwood Homes Concert Series on July 12th to put on a private soccer clinic for Oakwood Homes and their clients. After the clinic the Switchbacks hung around to giveaway FREE tickets to fans who made goals on our blowup soccer goal.
Switchbacks FC headed out to Banning Lewis Ranch for Oakwood Homes Concert Series on July 12th to put on a private soccer clinic for Oakwood Homes and their clients. After the clinic the Switchbacks hung around to giveaway FREE tickets to fans who made goals on our blowup soccer goal.
