Match Preview: FC Tulsa vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - Western Conference Quarterfinal
USL FC Tulsa

Match Preview: FC Tulsa vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - Western Conference Quarterfinal

Published on October 31, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Tulsa News Release


TULSA, Okla. - FC Tulsa will host Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC this Saturday, November 1, at 7:00 p.m. CT at ONEOK Field in the club's first home playoff match in more than four decades, launching the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs as the Western Conference's top seed. Demand is surging - 10 seating sections are now officially sold out. Fans are highly encouraged to secure seats before it's too late at fctulsa.com/single-match-tickets or by calling 918-727-2231. For fans unable to attend, the match will be streamed nationally on ESPN+ (subscription required) and locally on My41.

Playoff Stage Is Set

FC Tulsa (16W-9D-5L, 57 pts) enters the postseason after breaking several single-season records throughout its regular season campaign, including most wins, most points, and finishing with 50 goals and 10 clean sheets. Saturday marks the club's first home playoff match since 1983, a milestone moment for both city and club as Tulsa targets its first-ever postseason victory.

The eighth-seeded Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (10W-7D-13L, 37 pts) return to ONEOK Field just a week after suffering a 3-0 defeat to the Scissortails. This time, however, their season hangs in the balance as the reigning Western Conference champions fight to keep their title defense alive.

For Tulsa, the moment carries extra weight. The club hasn't featured in a USL Championship postseason since 2021, when it fell 6-2 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on November 6. Meanwhile, Colorado Springs enters the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season - sneaking into the final spot on the last day of the regular season, hopeful to claim a second title.

Last Match: FC Tulsa 3-0 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - October 25, 2025

Midfielder Kalil ElMedkhar set the tone early as he opened the scoring with a fearless diving header inside the 10-minute mark in front of an electric home crowd. Forward Taylor Calheira followed with a second-half brace, notching goals in the 57th and 79th minutes, raising his season total to a franchise single-season record of 15 goals.

Though Colorado controlled spells of possession, Tulsa's defensive discipline and counter press held the visitors scoreless for the Scissortail's 10th clean sheet of the season. The result punctuated Tulsa's dominance, and set the stage for Saturday's high-stakes postseason rematch.

Key Storylines

Record-Breaking Regular Season - FC Tulsa finished with a franchise-best 16W-9D-5L record (57 points), tallying a record 50 goals and registering 10 clean sheets, and now looks to carry that form into the club's first postseason appearance since 2021.

Record Turnaround - FC Tulsa reset expectations after finishing the 2025 season as the top seed in the Western Conference with 57 points, a 19-point turnaround following the end of the 2024 season - the second-largest point increase in club history behind the 27-point surge between 2016 and 2017

Never Out of the Fight - FC Tulsa has scored 16 goals in the final 15 minutes and in stoppage time this season - the most in the USL Championship - while earning 21 points from losing positions, tied for the league lead.

Breaking the Streak - Tulsa's 3-0 victory in the final match of the regular season marked its first win over the Switchbacks since October 2020, ending Colorado's five-game unbeaten streak.

Fortress ONEOK - Tulsa finished the regular season 10W-3D-2L at home, transforming ONEOK Field into one of the league's toughest environments.

A Playoff Connection - FC Tulsa head coach Luke Spencer and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC head coach James Chambers have USL Championship Playoff history, highlighting a past rivalry as players before they became leaders of their current clubs. In the 2017 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, Spencer's Louisville City FC defeated Chambers' Bethlehem Steel FC 4-0, with Spencer scoring the third goal. They met again in the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinal, where LouCity advanced 2-0 over another Bethlehem side captained by Chambers.

Champion's Pedigree - Luke Spencer is a two-time USL Championship winner, capturing back-to-back titles with Louisville City FC in 2017 and 2018. During his tenure with LouCity, he helped the team reach four playoff berths and was named MVP of the 2018 USL Championship Final. Spencer was also the team's top goal scorer in 2017, netting 10 goals in league play and 11 across all competitions.

Calheira at the Top - Fresh off being named USL Championship Player of the Week, Taylor Calheira enters the postseason as the Western Conference bracket's leading goalscorer with a franchise-record 15 goals. He surpassed the previous club mark of 12 - shared by Phillip Goodrum (2023) and Joaquin Rivas (2018).

Check out the FC Tulsa Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 31, 2025


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