Switchbacks advance to Western Conference semifinals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks battled Oakland Roots SC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals at Weidner Field and ended with a nice 2-0 win.

For the Switchbacks, who play at Weidner Field, home advantage is the be-all and end-all. In the first half alone, the boys had two shots on goal, 247 precise passes, won four corners and had 64.5% ball possession.

The Switchbacks' first goal came in the 41st minute when #17 Jairo Henriquez picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch. Henriquez dribbled around an Oakland player, used his space for the Oakland goal and passed the ball to #9 Ronaldo Damus, who retreated into the Oakland defense. Damus passed the ball back to Henriquez, who then made a quick one-touch pass to #10 Zach Zandi. Zandi attempted a one-touch shot right on the edge of the penalty area, but it was blocked. The ball fell back to Henriquez, who was running closer to the net after his pass to Zandi, and Henriquez placed the ball in the top right corner to give the Switchbacks a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, the boys in black and blue remained aggressive on both offense and defense, recording two shots on goal, 10 of 14 won tackles, five interceptions and a passing accuracy of 72.6%.

The Switchbacks' second goal began again with Henriquez harassing Oakland defenseman No. 5 Riley Camden and forcing Camden to turn the ball over. Henriquez took the ball and passed it back to #18 Aidan Rocha. Rocha took one touch of the ball, looked up and played the ball specifically to Damus, who was running into the penalty area. Oakland No. 4 defender Gagi Margvelashvili knocked Damus down in the box, not allowing Damus to get to the ball, and the head referee, Abdou Ndiaye, immediately awarded the Switchbacks a penalty kick. Damus confidently took the penalty and placed the ball in the right net. Paul Blanchette, Oakland's No. 20 goaltender, dove in the right direction, but Damus had enough power on the shot to send it past Blanchette.

With today's win, the Switchbacks advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Don't miss a home playoff experience at Weidner Field on November 9th against Orange County SC, kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.!

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