Looking forward to the rematch against the Switchbacks. Was a very even game, the difference is that the Switchbacks were able to finish and SAFC were not. Hopefully that will change the next time we face. That said, the start time was a little early for what I expected? And have noticed that a few times, is there a reason they don't play in the evening? (Arizona was mid afternoon as well if my memory is correct) would think Switchbacks would draw a better crowd early Saturday evening than Saturday afternoon?
Skip to 2:20 to see why the early/mid April games are now day games. But it is still possible that we get hit this Saturday vs coincidentally Real Monarchs. I'm also looking forward to the rematch. I like the way SAFC plays and caught part of the Swope Park Rangers game in San Antonio and it looked like an exceptional atmosphere. Right when I tuned in you guys scored, so it made an impression on me. I've seen Swope Park play 3 or 4 times (including preseason) and they're a quality team. I expect you guys to get some wins on this next home stand starting with Tulsa.
-Disappointing performance but encouraging in the way they didn't quit and fought back at the end. -Half glass full viewpoint is that they went toe to toe with probably the most talented team in the league on their own field, and basically gifted them 3 goals on individual errors. The first Gorrick shouldn't have chased the ball. The second Phillips slipped allowing an easy cross for McBean to tap in. The third was just getting caught out on the break while overcommitting going forward trying desperately to get back in the game. Other than all this, it was pretty even. The glass half empty viewpoint is: We should be showing a team of this quality a little more respect on their home patch. Coach Tritchuh has a massive set of nuts, me with my small nuts would have set them up to defend deep and try to nick a point. Tritchuh has shown that he tactically good, and had made some nice adjustments in the past, but he has been really aggressive this year. Although I am moaning about it on here, it is very entertaining. The OC Blues game will be intriguing to see how they react. Tritchuh obviously has supreme confidence in the players, and I'd expect a response.
He got the response. It was a relatively easy win against a toothless, low energy OC Blues; a team that had previously won 3 straight without conceding a goal. The way they defended tonight makes the 3 straight clean sheets hard to believe. After Saeed Robinson's gifted goal, the Switchbacks sat back and ground their uninspired opposition down with physicality and hard tackles. This is exactly what I've been wanting to see; grinding out a road win after being pretty aggressive/attacking in their last two road losses. The second goal was also poor defense from OC as the Switchbacks knocked the ball around at will in the Blues third eventually getting a cross in from Gonzalez to Vercollone to get his first goal of the season. Maybin came off the bench to curl in a lovely right footed effort cutting in off the left wing to leave his defender in the dust. Great start to the season averaging 2 points per game, with Portland coming to town on Friday.
I was only able to catch a bit of the OC match, but indeed SFC looks much more aggressive than they did last season. It's only cost them a couple of times so far. Hopefully, they can compensate defensively. I love the wide open style of play. They are thoroughly entertaining to watch. I'll be at the Portland match Friday. First match of the season for me!!
2016 LH USOC May 11 in Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Sol FC (PDL) 0 Harpo's FC (CO) 2 Christopher Salvaggione and Shane Wheeler scored in the first half to send the Boulder-based club into the second round at the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Well, I just went scouring YouTube looking for the game to re-watch it and confirm or challenge my observations from the game, but its not there as it was on the "worldwide leader in sports." So since I don't do the cable thing I can't really double check my analysis. It was a good crowd for the first night game and it appeared that the weather would be perfect earlier in the day, but then a cold wind began to build and it sort of sucked. I get why the Sky Sox want out of that location and if we can keep growing the Switchbacks it would be SO NICE to get them downtown into a nice partially covered stadium. I can dream.... The field looked way better on first glance, but it still plays bobbley. First half I thought Portland were the better team. I thought they controlled the ball well and the Switchbacks looked like the road team. They didn't really press all that much probably fearing overextending themselves and leaving too much space for Belmar and T2's speed in their front 3. Belmar looks like an MLS player, and Burt's challenge on him, without benefit of replays looked a bit nasty. He got a yellow but I thought it could have been a red with certain refs. Belmar leaving the game was a big blow for sure. Second half the Switchbacks looked more dangerous. They tried to get the ball forward via getting it wide and having Gonzalez dribble it up into the attacking third. They also looked dangerous on set pieces and the goal was a deserved one after knocking at the door from set pieces. The great thing about the Switchbacks is that they are a versatile team that can win in a variety of ways. This one was an ugly and sort of passive performance for a home game, but their toughness got them the win. I though Portland deserved a draw at least. They missed a few really good chances but I thought they more or less controlled the game in the midfield. I think the Switchbacks could use a little more quality in the deeper lying midfield roles. Kim looks like a passenger to me. Argueta I like more, but between the two of them I wouldn't mind seeing a little more vision and creativity. On to Wednesday night and US Open Cup. I love this tournament! This is one of the many positives that make this sport so beloved around the world. SFC will play amateur side Harpos from Boulder/Longmont and they are NO JOKE! In last year's USOC matchup between these two teams, we controlled the first half easily going up 2-0 at the half on a Maybin brace. Harpos then scored off a ball into the box and the rest of the game was tense as the Switchbacks had to hold on at the end. Being as a lot of the backups will get starts, it should be a very competitive game. I'll really be watching the deep lying midfielders in this game which I would guess would be Harada and Cawsey. I want to see what kind of skills Cawsey possesses. At the Portland game, they didn't promote this game EVEN ONCE! I don't know if this is a USL thing or a Switchbacks thing but in my opinion it lacks a bit of class and respect for the sport and the history and traditions of the sport. If SFC win this game and another USOC game and say happen to draw the Rapids at home, would they not promote that one? Of course not because that one would be an almost guaranteed full house. With that said, I have tried to explain the USOC to people who are not big soccer fans and I just get blank looks so I understand that SFC have quite a bit on their plate just educating the public about the basics of soccer. We'll see what the crowd is like, if it is like last year Harpos will bring a ton down.
For the record, I thought Portland's defense looked fairly tough for the most part. Both teams seemed to struggle on the offensive side save for some one off shots. Teamed, I agree with the creativity statement, but T2 really looked tough defensively, passing lanes were open, but were quickly closed. I was surprised at how fast they converged to the play. Portland is stacked in their system. Also I saw that the announced attendance was 4,012, a club record!!
Just some quick thoughts on the Harpo's game: I could pretty much "say see the Portland game" to summarize my basic thoughts. They took an early lead and basically hung on for the rest of the game. There are no possession stats, but I feel pretty confident in saying that the Switchbacks have been out possessed in these last two home games. This is pretty surprising because last year they easily out possessed every visiting team that came in here that I can remember. One would think that if there was ever an opportunity to really dominate possession and pass circles around a team, it would be against an opponent like this. But in fact, Harpo's were the slicker side, and I found myself saying "yeah" and "nice" at some of their one touch layoffs and through balls drawing disapproving glances from fellow Switchback fans. Lol.. The play has been very direct with a lot of long, over-the-top balls. It looks like they are going for a Leicester City type thing and it's working, but let's see what kind of tactics Tritchuh employes in Arizona on Saturday, on short rest, with most of his speed guys playing a lot of minutes in this game. Gonzalez will be fresh, but the rest of the attackers could have some heavy legs. I'd be happy with a nice nil nil draw in Arizona. As far as specific player performances, credit to Armstrong and Maybin for hooking up on the goal, and Vercollone looked great when he had the ball, he just didn't have it enough. Thompson was great in goal. I think Cawsey did enough in holding mid to get more game time and would love to see him take some of Kim's minutes. No one else really made a case to get more minutes. Greer is a solid defender but lacks quality on the ball. Harada is maybe starting to look a fraction off the pace. Burt did a job at left back, but didn't really stand out. They probably missed Seth's work rate - Maybin worked hard up top like he always does, and King and Robinson did as well to be fair, but the real intense, coordinated pressing we saw in Oklahoma really hasn't been duplicated.
Excellent performance and reaction from the Harpo's sleepwalk. This game reminded me of the last road game at Orange County in that there was only one team deserving of victory. It also paralleled the OC game in that AU was in a good run of form like OC had been. With 3 straight draws and a 5-0 thrashing of Tuscon FC in USOC, it seemed that perhaps AU was on the cusp of more consistently positive results, but I thought they were mediocre on the night. Maybe this is a bit of a low blow, but they look like a Frank Yallop coached team. I liked the way the Switchbacks played. Energy and tempo were good, they were physical, and they showed more of a willingness to play the ball on the ground than they have of late. There were still some long balls, but overall I thought they mixed up their attacks better than they have the past few games. They had some really nice passing movements to get quickly down the field on the counter. And showed blossoms of some nice attacking through the middle with quick passes; something they did really well last year. They scored again on a set piece on a great ball in from Suggs. He fully deserves his goal, as he has contributed some sterling attacking play this year. They'll be disappointed to concede a set piece goal, but I'm not worried about it; Maybin just lost his man, and Phillips just jumped a fraction of a second early, or he would have cleared it. Gonzalez's goal was a thing of beauty, and Robinson's goal to seal the 3 points came off a fantastic ball winning tackle by Argueta, to get him off into space on the counter. Argueta was man of the match for me, with a really dominant performance.
Most obviously, I could comment on the disaster of a referee on display last night, but I won't. I think the main point I want to make is that this result is not a surprise, and you know this if you have been reading my posts. SFC's home form has been lacking a gear all season. I think they also have a bit of a target on their back from their impressive season last year and are getting their opponent's best punch if you will. Right now, they look better when playing on the road. I think this is because the home team sort of has the onus of being more aggressive and attacking, so in turn the Switchbacks can pressure the ball more and win it and break. With the home games, most teams just hit long balls out of the back if there is any pressure, so most of the home games have been ugly battles of long balls and organized defenses until the game opens up a bit more in the second half. But with the narrow lead's they've had, it's been tense, and a lot of the second half run of play has been in favor of the visiting team. Other possible reasons for the early home form being of a lower standard than last year are Vercollone has not been as effective. I don't know if teams are marking him better than last year because of his incredible season, or if he has maybe lost a step, or if guys just aren't getting him the ball in good positions. But regardless of the reasons, he just hasn't been as effective. The other one is one I've mentioned on here before is Kim. This guy is like playing with 6 tenths of a player. With Argueta playing as the "6," this guy in theory is the box to box guy, but lacks dynamism and vision and tends to pass back quite a bit. He's not bad defensively, but with Argueta already playing deeper they need more out of Kim's position to open up the attack. Other than that, the back line have been solid in defense, and Suggs and Burt have been good going forward. Phillip's injury could hurt if he is out for any length of time, but I think Greer is about the same/similar in quality. Gonzalez and Seth have been good, and Maybin has been pretty good, although I thought he looked slightly off the pace last night. Onto Arizona for USOC. It will be tough to win there twice even though they aren't a great side. Plus with the Red card to Saeed Robinson blood will be at a boil, and SFC's attacking opinions will be more limited. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a look at the loan market to maybe add some options at a few positions.
Excellent performance last night. It was reminiscent of some of the dominant home performances of last year, as well as the recent road performances. Moreover, it was also a good crowd, summerish weather, and just a good vibe overall apart from some medical/police activity that seemed to be going on forever outside the stadium. It is a performance that the team, the club and the fanbase can build on as we enter the summer months. Another thing it does is castipults us into first place in the west both on points per game and goal differential, so that contributes to the positive vibe as well. But for me, the main contributer to the positive vibe is good play on the field, and the Switchbacks were clearly the better team. St. Louis rested a few of their better attacking players in the first half, and it showed. They had very little forward thrust in the opening half, and their spirits seemed to be crushed a bit after their center back gifted Maybin a goal in the third minute. They had clearly set up to keep the first half tight and bring their rested attackers on in the second half to get something out of the game, but when you give up a goal that early the game plan goes out the window. Although they played better in the second half, they looked like a team playing their 5th game in 2 weeks. I thought everyone did their job well last night. I thought they mixed up their attacking better, like they had been doing on the road the last few games; mixing long balls, quick counters on the ground, and possesion nicely. There were a few moments where our center backs got pressured playing out of the back, but they were able to avoid disaster unlike St. louis. Gonzalez's goal was just fantastic! From a narrow angle on the left side, with his weaker left foot; just perfect placement. He was man of the match for me, looking dangerous throughout. Also, credit to Suggs for setting him up on the goal; it looks like those 2 are really starting to gel on the left side. I thought even Kim was decent, in fact probably a bit better than Armstrong who had started for Vercollone. Vercollone not playing seemed to change the shape slightly, with Armstrong not venturing forward as much. Maybe this allowed a bit more space for the front three to work; I thought they all played well, and Seth was unlucky not to score himself. Also, for those that missed it, SFC took care of the Arizona United Frank Yallop's in USOC for the second time in 2 weeks with Wolde Harris coaching in place of Trittchuh. That's a nice win, and it sets up another crack at the Rapids in Denver. So congrats to the players and coaches for that achievement.
Very good performance in LA last night. I thought the game plan and shape were great and some of the counter attacking movements were lovely. In the 85th minute, LA's color commentator goes on a little rant about Jordan Burt and how he doesn't get forward much and isn't a modern fullback etc. But we all know that is completely false; he can and usually does get forward plenty. It's called tactics Mr. Commentator, and in this game we sat deep a good portion of the game and the organization was very nice. Some of the comments by the players and Trittschuh sounded a bit dissapointed after the game but I wasn't. It would have been nice to score on one of the counters, but a nil nil in LA is a good result in my opinion. Also, they can use a similar game plan against the Rapids on Tuesday. There were times in the first half where they just sort of took the air out of the game, and LA struggled to break them down. It looked like sort of a slow tactical Italian type battle for a while, where the defensive shape morphed between 3 different formations, which is uncommon for a USL game. This was a solid team performance, and my player of the game goes to the back line and GK, who kept McBean out of goal and kept another clean sheet. If SFC can keep this type of defensive solidity and shape against the Rapids, and keep them from scoring early, we might see a game on Tuesday.
I thought we put in a really solid performance in the same style as in LA. It was defensive, perhaps even more so than against LA in that Trittschuh set them up basically 5-4-1. I don't talk about Trittschuh a lot on here, but I really should. The guy is a top class coach. And his team is a well drilled unit. I've seen him play 4 different formations in a half before and regardless of how he sets them up, everyone knows exactly where they need to be. As Switchbacks fans, we're really fortunate to have him as coach, because he could easily be successful at a higher level. I heard some Rapids fans say the game wasn't very good; I thought it was very entertaining. The Rapids looked like a team that hadn't played in a few weeks. They didn't have that gear to pull away. They had the better chances, but we had a handful of legit chances as well. We looked like we belonged on the same field as them and even had stretches where we had the upper hand. I don't know what the deal was with the footware selection, but Switchbacks players were slipping all over the field. Also, usually the Switchbacks are pretty good in the air and on set pieces, but against a team with a 6'7" CB, I would have liked to see more balls in to feet because it seemed like we couldn't really dominate them in the air like we do against some USL opponents. At the end of the game Rapids' fans were starting to get a bit nervous, and extra time definitely crossed my mind, but Serna put an end to that, good strike and a deserved winner. It was fun seeing individual SFC players up against MLS level players. I thought the spine of the team was very solid and would like to see see Ibeagha and Argueta get some looks by MLS teams. Those two are young enough and good enough to at least get a look in my opinion. On to San Antonio this weekend, the third game of the week so it will be interesting what lineup gets put out. But they are playing the Dynamo in USOC so it should be pretty even it terms of rest. Also it will be interesting to see if we continue to play defensive like the last 2 or if Trittschuh turns them loose and says have at 'em boys.
Deserved loss last night. Frustrating because those are the type of games you need to win to go from good to elite, and SFC couldn't get it done. Props to SA, I'll reiterate I like the way they play. Short stylish passing, by most accounts their problem has just been finishing. They had come into the game scoring only 2 goals in their previous 5 games, and hadn't won since beating Tulsa a good month and a half ago. This was a game they needed to win. Against a team low on confidence the one thing you don't want to do is give up an early goal. I don't want to seem like a dick here, but I pride myself in offering up the straight dope; and as I said a few posts up, Greer is a solid defender that lacks quality on the ball. When you're a center back that lacks quality on the ball, and you're playing it out of the back, it's only a matter of time until you get caught out. You don't need to be a Barcelona Scout to see this. The second goal allowed was equally poor. First the foul (committed by my favorite whipping boy Kim), was in a bad spot. Dude, you can't kick a guy's ankle multiple times. The defending on the resulting set piece was even more hideous/comical. It looked to be a combination of zonal and man marking with Burt following the one SA runner in the box into a 10 x 10 foot area with 3 Switchback defenders and zero SA players, leaving an open space at the far post that you could drive a semi through. I don't know who was at fault here, but it was a lack of concentration from someone. Other than these two game deciding mistakes it was a fairly even game. Take away the two goals described above and SA had a 15-14 (5-4) shot advantage. Both teams had chances, and we definitely went at them more than the last two games where we were more defensive. One thing that is becoming more apparent is that we could use another option offensively. If anyone in the Switchbacks front office reads this, give Jacksonville Armada a call. Eloundou is not starting all that much and hasn't scored yet this NASL season and we all saw what he did here at the end of the season last year. If not him, we need a similar move to inject a bit more attacking quality.
I'd recommend signing Akeil Barrett who played for Jacksonville last season. Last I checked he's playing in Sweden for Piteå IF. Fav highlight was this bit of skill from 2014 (2:00 into this video) back when he played for us in the NPSL.
Yeah, that was a nice move and through ball even if some of the defenders looked like they were treading water in quick sand. I especially was drawn to the pint sized left back just sorta sitting there watching. These type of players are interesting because they have skill, they just need the right situation in order to realize their potential. Going to the Swedish third tier is an interesting move as well, it's a chance to maybe get a foot in the door in Europe and experience a new culture, but he hasn't scored yet and his minutes have been inconsistent. We have a guy that Barrett reminds me of on the Switchbacks named Saeed Robinson. He's also Jamaican and played college soccer in the US. He's very talented physically but not a great finisher or passer, and some of his decisions are not the best. The reason for my Eloundou shout was that we had him on loan from the Rapids last year and it looked like the right situation for him. He smoked fullbacks 1 v 1 while he was here and the Switchbacks offense looked like one he would really excel in. Now he's he's in NASL getting inconsistent mintutes with zero goals or assists (like Barrett). Sometimes you need to take a step back to take two steps forward.
All day long. We'd generated enough chances during this stretch that if we'd just been AVG with our finishing we'd have won half the games. Our first half last night may have been the best 45m of football we've played all season. Complete team effort and the end result showed it. Only thing I rolled my eyes at a bit was your forward player (can't remember who but has shaved head, Seth maybe) who was a bit of a douche with the falling/flailing/playing a bit cheaply ... the bit at the end of the match where he was literally bumped on accident and he flew right up instigating. It was a bit much and he'd done it a few times throughout the match. Other than that it was a very enjoyable game. I'm glad this happened against you guys BECAUSE it was against you guys up in COL that the trend started (chances/opportunities not being capitalized on). From that match to this match we've felt we had the talent/ability to be in the thick of the Western race ... and this was a good measure/recentering considering what ya'll have done since that match. GL the rest of the way and hope to see you in the playoffs!
Look forward to seeing more Switchbacks FC in the future. Love the podcast that Co Springs has with the BackChat Show. Hoping to catch a game when we come up in Aug to visit family.
I respectfully disagree on Mike Seth. It was physical and minutes before the incident where he was pushed over he took a REAL hard fall going up in the air after a header and did basically a 360 landing on his back/head. So he was already taking a bit of a battering, and when he got pushed over it was in bounds so it wasn't "dirty", but the guy didn't have to do it; it wasn't terribly sportsman like. So I liked the fire he showed when he got up. Mike Seth may not be team captain, but he could be because his heart is absolutely supurb. Dude is the enforcer of this team, and if that push happened on a hockey rink or on the street the guy would have got much more than a guy up in his face, he would have got his chin tested. When you push a guy that hard, even if they are trying to shield a ball out of bounds, you should expect a guy to react. If it is just some pushing to legitimately get to the ball it's understandable, but if you have no chance at getting to the ball, and you're just taking a free shot at a guy, you know what you're doing..... If a guy is just going to just take that passively or submissively, he shouldn't be out there. Or at least I wouldn't want him on my team. Oh, and I thought the ref handled it well. He let them both express themselves, no fouls, no cards, no escalation, and the game went on. Boys will be boys, right? The BackChat Show is great when it's just the English guy, the guy that worked for Minnesota United, and Switchback's players, but when they have local "media personalities" and such, that have no business talking soccer it sorta sucks. Enjoy your trip to Colorado.
By the end of the match I think my feeling on it was due to the summation of his "reactions" the whole match. Early in the game there was a bit on the sideline (I was 5 rows up from it right in front of me) where he got professionally fouled (mid was beat and he clipped him enough to disrupt dribble, not even close to a yellow) and reacted as though he'd had a cleats up two foot tackle thrown at him. He did it all night, from the get go, and for the most measly of things .... and what I'm talking about happens at 2:08:20: They show a replay nice, slow, and close up of it. Big Mac does NOTHING to warrant the reaction that started the fracas. There's a bump, he goes down rather woefully, and Mac calls him out on it (yelling at him). If you think that is a push that would end as you described ... erm, yeah we're just not even close to the same end of the spectrum on what challenges are and aren't. And yeah the ref was, for the most part, very good throughout. It was nice to have a guy let the teams settle the match for once.
Brutal loss yesterday to SLC. It was a nice sunny day and a very entertaining and action packed game for a 1 nil outcome. It would have been nice to see a bigger crowd since the weather was so nice, I haven't seen a figure but I'd put it at a scoch under 3,000. The game opened up as one would expect, SLC came forward and we tried to hit them on the counter. There was a ton of space in behind them and we had so many chances it was ridiculous. 23 shots, 8 on goal, with at least half of them being legitimate chances. If there was any doubt beforehand, I think we can officially say that the attackers are low on confidence. Vercollone's missed penalty is a microcosm of the group as a whole right now, and an argument can be made that the whole group of attackers have underperformed this year so far in comparison to last. I also saw 3 or 4 great opportunities for first time shots that a confident, in form attacker would have hit. Once again, I'll just reiterate the need for an additional attacker to shake things up. At the very least, let's give the other Kim # 14 a run out. I was glad to see him get on the pitch at the end of the game and wouldn't mind seeing him get a chance. The first part of this losing equation is the attackers not taking their chances, and the second is the defense not being as solid as they were in the early part of the season. In this game, it was Burt's turn to make a goal costing mistake. And with Ibeagha's red card, the question marks on the back line will continue through to the Wednesday rematch. Wednesday's game is huge! A SLC win and 6 points out of 6 would be a huge blow for the Switchbacks. Plus the weeknight crowds are generally pretty weak, so this game will be a big test of character.
It was nice to get the win in the second game vs SLC. The finishing is still lacking, but it was awesome that Burt stepped up and burried that shot. I was wondering what they would do personnel wise with Ibeaga being suspended, and the formation change to 5\3 at the back worked great again. I really love it when they play this formation. Burt was man of the match, and in addition to his goal he got forward really well on the left side all game. Funnily enough, during warmups I was looking for Durr to watch since he was playing in place of Ibeaga, and as I was looking around I caught the side profile of a player who looked real quick and athletic, and I was like "who's that"? I saw the number and it was Burt; I just didn't recognise him because he shaved the mustache. Come to find out it was the silly pornstache that was holding his game back.... Big week in the pacific northwest this week. Seattle and Portland are both languishing near the bottom of the table, but Seattle has already beaten us, and I thought Portland looked quite good when they were here a few months back. Four points from this trip would be great, but the attackers have got to click into gear real quick, or SFC will be fortunate to grind out a couple of nil nils.
Thinking about coming up and seeing a Switchbacks game while on vacation and seeing family in the Springs. Any recommendations on seating or is it pretty much the same?