Switchbacks FC Battle Late, Fall to Detroit City FC
September 11, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC News Release
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in action
(Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC)
Colorado Springs, CO – The Switchbacks FC battled late but couldn’t keep pace with Detroit City in the clubs first ever meeting.
Colorado Springs started off with a great deal of pace and controlled play with several chances to pull ahead. Detroit struggled to find traction early as both teams adjusted to the wet condition of the playing surface. COS nearly scored in the 16th minute as Matt Mahoney put a header just over the cross bar.
Detroit City broke the ice in the 42nd minute off a corner set piece from Antoine Hoppenot to find Maxi Rodriguez for the score. Detroit kept their one goal lead into the halftime break.
The second half scoring started 15 minutes in when Hoppenot notched his second helper of the match, this time finding Deklan Wynne giving the visitors the two goal lead. Switchbacks FC had numerous chances to get on the board including a chance midway through the half when Michee Ngalina found the inside of the post, but the ball stayed out. Colorado Springs did get a late period strike as Aaron Wheeler headed home a Kharlton Belmar cross in stoppage time. The late push wasn’t enough as the Switchbacks fall 2-1 to Detroit City.
The Switchbacks will head on the road to face Rio Grande Valley return to Weidner Field Saturday September 24th as they host Oakland Roots in their For Club and Country Nights. Tickets to that match, and all other matches, are available HERE.
Quotes
Brendan Burke
Overall thoughts:
“We have to own our part and I felt that we got a little complacent on the ball, and obviously didn’t meet the crazy physicality in the game. Disappointed, because we had the chance to close out what had been a really good homestand for us, and it still was, nine points out of twelve is still really good, but we had a chance to claim a home playoff game tonight so we need to refocus and take all that energy that maybe didn’t show up in the first 20 minutes of this game down to RGV with us.”
On Detroit’s Performance:
“Yeah we just didn’t take our chances, and when you don’t take your chances against a team that just wants to fight, you just allow them to keep fighting and it’s as simple as that.”
On the closing minutes and Wheeler’s goal:
Yeah it was great, not sure where the stoppage number came from, but that’s out of our control and we need to make sure that we are not putting ourselves in that position that late. But it was great that we put that kind of energy into the second half, and again, created a bunch of chances and good looks that would be goals on a different night. We haven’t scored many goals this homestand, thought, only one a game and that’s not like us.”
Aaron Wheeler:
On the games physicality:
“I thought we played well and controlled the game for the most part. I don’t really think it was that physical until I got in, and that’s just a product of who I am and what I bring to the group. The reality is I thought we were in good position, we had a couple of chances early on that can obviously dictate the game and change everything for us. They have been falling for us every other week, and the just weren’t falling for us tonight, and that’s football unfortunately.”
On Detroit’s defense:
“Not to make excuses or anything like that, but the weather is definitely going to play into their favor and limit what we can do in behind, we are a very dynamic and vertical team that can really cause problems if we can get in behind. It’s really difficult to play those types of balls on this surface. Credit to them, they were stingy and hard nose and they were up for the challenge, so we have to find ways to break teams down. That’s a playoff team, and we’re a playoff team so we got to be able to find ways to win in the playoffs.”
On his goal:
“Credit to the group again, we have shown over the last several weeks that we are willing and able to grind results out, unfortunately it was not on the winning side tonight but again it shows the character of the group, we go down and we show that we can battle back and make it a game.”
Matt Mahoney:
On the defensive view of the game:
“On the first goal, it was a mistake of us building out probably could have been more direct in the first half, we were to side to side. It turned into a game where we missed chances on our end and they took their two, and sometimes that’s the game.”
On bouncing back against RGV:
“It wasn’t a bad game for us overall, I bet you we had seventy percent possession there so we just got to finish our chances, and we have been playing well defensively and getting back on track. We slipped up for two tonight, but we’ll train hard this week. We know where RGV is on the table, we know we are still trying to fight for a home playoff game, we’ll go over there with that thought in mind and hopefully get the win.”
On his thoughts of Detroit:
“They really didn’t try to play out to much, they had a big guy up top. They just tried to pump it up there and played for flakes and they got us on a set piece and they got us on a throw in and a cross, and that’s how it goes sometimes.”
Cam Lindley
On the conditions:
“Yeah it was tough, the ball’s in behind had to be perfect, but we had so many chances tonight. I mean that’s just the reality, and we know that we should have done better. They didn’t have many but they scored on the chances they did have. That’s the reality of football.”
On battling through the adversity:
“It’s the mentality of our team, you have to run first or your not going to be on the field. All the guys worked really hard physically, just wasn’t the result that we wanted. We have a big test this week with RGV and then a quick turnaround with San Antonio, so we have some big games coming up and we are looking forward to those.”
On moving forward with his injury to RGV:
“Yeah, I’ll be on the field, no problem, its a hand and you don’t need those in soccer unless you’re a goalie so I’ll be good to go Saturday.”
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Game Statistics:
Man of the Match: Cam Lindley
Scoring Summary// DET: Rodriguez (42′) (A: Hoppenot); Dunwell (60′) (A: Hoppenot)
Saves// COS: Caldwell (1) | DET: Shellow (4)
Discipline// COS: YC: Ngalina (55′); Wheeler (82′) | DET: YC: Matthews (27′);
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