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USL Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Vargish's View: Switchbacks Head into the First Round of 2023 Playoffs

October 20, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC News Release


The Switchbacks open their 2023 USL Championship Playoff journey in the Alamo City on Saturday evening against defending champions San Antonio FC. The match in the Lone Star State will kick off at 7pm, with live coverage by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman,

beginning at 6:30pm on XTRA Sports1300AM.

Victory over Phoenix Rising last Saturday night at Weidner Field ensured the Switchbacks finished the season as the #5 overall seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio completed their regular season with a wild 3-3 draw against 10-men Indy Eleven on Saturday at Toyota Field, behind goals from Santiago Patiño, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Mitchell Taintor.

San Antonio Sneak Peak:

"Collectively at set-pieces [San Antonio] are fantastic," said Switchbacks Head Coach Hogan. "You have to look at Tani [Oluwaseyi] up top and you look at [Santiago] Patiño [too]. And then you have their back-three with Mitch [Taintor] and [Fabien] Garcia who can also score goals from set-pieces - and they always fight. So those four leaders [drive them] and then Connor Maloney never stops running. They have their own mentality, and they have their own mindset, and it works for them. We need to be faster on the ball, and if we do that, we are better than them. For me that's a fact, so we'll see."

"Games [against San Antonio this season] were very, very close," continued Hogan. "[The game on Saturday will be about] the physical duels [and] it's the physical idea of who wants to compete and who wants to win. And it's understanding that if you come out with that [physicality] and then you start to play a bit of football, well maybe we take control because at that point we're probably better than them. The last regular season game [against Phoenix] and [this week] was a good preparation week in terms of how we're going to try and start the game in San Antonio. [Saturday is] a great opportunity to knock them off at their place and hopefully we're back here [at Weidner Field] the second week [of the playoffs]."

What the Switchbacks Say:

Midfielder Juan Tejada: "We have to go there and be strong and I think we showed that in the past seven [or] eight games that we were on a good run. If we continue doing what we do and what we're really good at - and we fight as a team - we're going to get a result. Everybody is bought in [to our] culture now and it's been the perfect time for us to be getting these results away and at home. We're very confident. It's going to be a tough game - it's football [and] it's 90 minutes and anything could happen, but we're going to go there and give it [our] all." Switchbacks Head Coach Stephen Hogan:

"We have an idea of where we can move the ball really quickly [against San Antonio]. We have to make really big decisions on [the inclusion of

Romario Williams in the starting XI on Saturday] because he's scoring goals for Jamaica, he's scoring goals for us - and it's good to see. But who comes off the team who played against Phoenix? That's been a big discussion for us all week. And the players know it and it helps because the intensity - especially in the forward line - has been through the roof [at practice] And I need that to stay where it is before I make my decision [on the starting lineup against Phoenix]."

Vargish's View:

Did we really think San Antonio and the Switchbacks wouldn't face each other in this season's playoffs? The Switchbacks were almost punished for winning against Phoenix Rising last weekend and thereby earning themselves the #5 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and Saturday's trip to south-central Texas, as recent playoff matches don't get much more difficult than those against SAFC. Saturday's hosts defeated the Switchbacks 2-0 in the 2022 Western Conference Finals at Toyota Field, and this weekend will again rely on their physicality to try and intimidate and bully their way to the semi-finals. The Switchbacks know what's in store at Toyota Field. The stands will be packed - the Spurs don't open their regular season until next Wednesday in Dallas - and that energy will be absorbed by an SAFC squad stacked with experienced players that are no strangers to deep playoff runs. If the Switchbacks can withstand early pressure and not give away cheap set-piece opportunities, the on-the-ball ability of Stephen Hogan's team will be given a chance to shine. And when the Switchbacks move the ball with pace and purpose, they can defeat anyone, even the defending champions in the heart of Texas.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 20, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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