Switchbacks FC brings playoff football back to Colorado Springs – The Catalyst

Oct 31, 2024 | SPORTS | By Thomas Nielsen
Playoff football has returned to Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC jumped to second place in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship West Division and secured a home playoff game last weekend after a 1-0 win at Sacramento Republic FC on Oct. 26.

Before halftime on Saturday, October 26th, news arrived at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, California that Memphis 901 FC had defeated New Mexico United 3-2, and the Switchbacks now needed a win to secure their place To secure a playoff home game. A loss or a draw would put them in fifth place.

The chances of playoff football returning to Weidner Field were bleak until the 85th minute. After a steal from Aidan Rocha, forward Juan Tejada gave the Switchbacks the lead with a gutsy goal. Oakland failed to equalize in the final moments, giving the Switchbacks the win, their second ever in Sacramento, California.

With the win, the Switchbacks secured second place in the Western Conference regular season and a home playoff game this Saturday, November 2nd. If they win their quarterfinal on November 2, they will play a second home game at Weidner Field.

Things were bleak for Colorado Springs at the start of the season. The Switchbacks had their worst start to the season, losing their first five games.

“The reality is we set our minds on winning a championship a few weeks ago, before the season started,” coach James Chambers said after the fourth straight loss on April 9. “That hasn’t changed.”

Even though it didn't seem likely at the time, Chambers led his team to a remarkable comeback. On April 20, they ended that streak with a 1-1 draw against Indy Eleven and didn't look back, securing their first win against Oakland Roots FC a week later.

The Switchbacks maintained their momentum throughout the season, going undefeated in September and finishing with a final record of 15-12-7. Their second-place finish in the Western Conference is the best regular-season finish in franchise history.

Forward Ronaldo Damus led the team with 12 goals, the second-highest individual goal total in the Western Conference.

The team now looks ahead to a Saturday game against Oakland Roots FC.

The Roots finished the game with a record of 13-5-16, making them the seventh seed in the West. The Switchbacks are 2-0 against the Roots this season, most recently 1-0 on June 1st.

Colorado Springs hopes to improve on its playoff appearance in 2023, where the fifth-seeded Switchbacks lost 1-0 to fourth-seeded San Antonio FC in the quarterfinals. A season earlier, the Switchbacks achieved their best playoff result, losing 2-0 in the Western Conference finals, also against San Antonio FC.

If the Switchbacks lose this year, it will be at the hands of a new bogeyman: San Antonio finished ninth and did not qualify for the playoffs.

The Switchbacks begin the playoffs with a quarterfinal against Oakland Roots FC at Weidner Field this Saturday, November 2nd. Kick-off is at 6 p.m

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