The Colorado Springs Switchbacks will look to begin a new winning streak on Sunday when they welcome Real Monarchs SLC to Weidner Field.
The Switchbacks (4-3-2, 14 points) had their five-game unbeaten streak snapped Thursday with a 2-0 loss to Orange County SC. The last time Colorado Springs was shut out was 3-0 in the season opener at San Antonio.
“The Monarchs are a good, young team,” Switchbacks defender Matt Mahoney said. “We have to put the game with (Orange County) behind us and hopefully go out Sunday and get a good 3-0, 4-0 win.”
On paper, the match looks one-sided in favor of the Switchbacks. The Monarchs (2-5-4, 10 points) are last in the USL Championship Western Conference Mountain Division. Their negative-four goal differential is worst in the division, and they are 30th out of 31 teams in the league power rankings.
The Monarchs are the USL Championship affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. They have used 35 players this season, compared to the Switchbacks’ 23.
The Monarchs last played Wednesday and defeated New Mexico United 3-2 in Utah behind goals from Justin Portillo, Aris Briggs, and Noah Powder.
Former UCLA Bruin Milan Iloski leads the Monarchs in goals with three.
The Switchbacks are seventh in the league’s power rankings and have one of the league’s top offenses. Striker Hadji Barry leads the league in goals with 10 and is a constant threat to score, along with fellow starting forwards Deshane Beckford (two goals, two assists) and Michee Ngalina (two, two).
One of Switchbacks’ coach Brendan Burke’s biggest challenges is keeping his players fresh. The team began the season by playing just three games in 35 days. Sunday’s match will mark the club’s seventh game in 30 days.
“Now this week becomes about the players managing themselves physically and turning around so that we have enough pop to punish RSL,” Burke said. “We know that we’re very good when we’re out in space.”
Burke added that the possibility of playing in front of a sold-out Weidner Field adds an exciting element to the Monarchs match.
“We’re looking forward to this weekend’s matchup, hopefully the weather cooperates and we see our first sellout crowd,” he said. “These fans deserve wins, and we’re starting to produce them.”
A sellout would fill Weidner Field to its capacity of 8,000. A postgame fireworks show is scheduled.
Following Sunday’s game, the Switchbacks travel to Albuquerque to play New Mexico United on Friday, and then return home for matches against San Antonio FC (July 17) and Louisville City FC (July 23).
This content was originally published here.
