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USL Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Switchbacks FC End Drought in Big 1-0 Win against Tampa Bay

August 21, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC News Release


Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in action
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in action
(Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC)

Colorado Springs, CO - The Switchbacks FC win their first match since July 15th in an exhilarating 1-0 final against Tampa Bay Rowdies - their first match against this franchise.

The Switchbacks came out firing, and #10 Captain Hadji Barry had a strong chance in the 4th minute. There was a good team push in the 15' and another huge chance between Barry and #14 Henriquez in the 27'.Switchbacks goalkeeper #1 Jeff Caldwell had an enormous save in the 37' to keep the table clean. The team as a whole showed a strong desire to push through, and held over 50% of the possession for the first half as well as taking lots of chances - marking six goal shots to Tampa Bay Rowdies' one. Both teams would go into halftime scoreless, and itching to change that.

The press for a win didn't stop at the start of the second half, and Barry, Henriquez, and #11 Michee Ngalina had back to back chances that would wing just outside of their targets. In the 66' the Switchbacks would be the first on the board, as Ngalina gets a great through ball to Barry, that would ultimately rebond off Rowdies goalkeeper Cochran, only to find itself on the foot of Henriquez. #13 Echevarria tried to double the lead in the 85' but the ball shanked high of the net. Three big set pieces in stoppage time had the Switchbacks working double team to keep the clean sheet, and a game winning save by Caldwell would earn the Switchbacks three very needed points.

The Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field Saturday August 27th as they host New Mexico United for their Small Business Night.

Quotes

Stephen Hogan

On winning his first game as acting head coach:

"It's amazing, obviously, it's disappointing in Sacramento we were very upset. We've been struggling since the beginning July and we all know why - we've come through it, and there was one or two things we wanted to do in terms of staying together, and defensively we were under the microscope a lot and there were a lot of things we had to manage - defending the red and defending inside the box. Obviously we've been losing for awhile so it feels good to get one back. If we [continue] to play that way, we'll get our chances and we did tonight. I'm very proud and very happy for everyone. This is good for us, the boys might get an extra day now, who knows. We'll see how we go, now we have one a week for awhile so we'll rest up and that will really help us."

On the match reflecting a playoff match, and the first win for this matchup:

"You know sometimes it's just as important to do that than win three four or five, whatever it might be. It's huge to get the win, in terms of the franchise, it's also huge to get the win after what we've been through the last three or four weeks, and that's more important than anything else right now. The win brings a different motivation to our defensive structure, because we don't need to talk about our attack they (Tampa) changed their formation because they were scared of us, we talked about that just before the game when we saw that in their warmups. To get that result, the way that we defended, its more important than anything else."

Jeff Caldwell

On getting the clean sheet against a strong Tampa offense:

"We needed that. I think that much is obvious. We came in, we were collectively together in our approach, and we finally got it done. Nothing special about it, which is the nice thing for us, we didn't reinvent the wheel, we didn't do anything we're not capable of, we just did our jobs and got the result and got the clean sheet."

On building off this and moving forward:

"Any season, especially in this league, it's runs and momentum and unfortunately we got caught in the bad way, with it going against us momentum wise. We needed one, you would like to think this will jumpstart us, but it means us coming out with the same approach and the same desire, to not have the painful experiences we've had for awhile. Some of that was out of our control, most of it was in our control, and now we understand it's harder to win in September and October, and now we know how to do that, especially against a great team. It's a process, its a stepping stone, and by no means a final product."

On a shifting back line, and the personal confidence of a clean sheet:

"Results color everything, I think you have to, especially as a goalkeeper but in any sport, you kind of have to, disentangle confidence and approach from results, and it had been frustrating because the results were going against us, but as a goalkeeper you just have to stay true to your approach and control what you can control, and tonight the guys were excellent, and really didn't have anything exceptional that needed to be done. Everyone did their jobs, and when everyone does their job, everyone's jobs are a little bit easier."

Cam Lindley

On how this one felt different from other games:

"Well this game, we gave up zero goals, so that's how it felt different. The ball did not go in our net, and that's something different. We knew that if we did that we would win the game and we did. We could've had a few more goals to be honest with you, but we'll take the result, oh my gosh we needed it."

On getting a result against a top tier perennial team:

"It's massive. I mean they won the championship twice in the last few years, they are, they know how to win, and they have a good coaching staff and good players so for us it's a step in the right direction and we have to build a fortress here, so that's the start of a four game homestand - so teams have to come in here and know it's going to be tough. But that was a good statement and we have to roll it over into next week."

On building on this for future matches [specifically New Mexico]:

"I mean they're tough for a reason, they have some big guys up top, that are good, that can score goals - I mean Nico Brett is one of the leading scorers in the league, and of all time, so it's going to be tough, but you have to take the positives from this game, and things we can work on and put them together this week, we'll get back in, we'll work hard and we've got nine games left going into the playoffs, so we have to hit our stride at the right time."

Jairo Henriquez

On scoring first goal in front of his family

"Very happy. I'm so happy to get to score in front of my family, emotionally it makes me happy and very proud, and it was a good result - just a result that we haven't been getting, and so this is a good one for us."

On joining mid-season at a high, and then falling for awhile:

"Before I got here I had been watching the team, and i thought that this was a really good team and a special team. And just the ups and downs that teams go through are normal, and its important to learn from them and to continue on this path."

On El Salvador fans here giving local support:

"El Salvadorans as a people are very supportive, they support each other a lot, and so coming here, the support was there right away and it makes me happy to get to play in front of them, and make them enjoy the game. I hope that more of them will keep coming, I love it."

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Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in action
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in action
   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 21, 2022


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