Colorado Springs Switchbacks to Host USL Championship Final After Tejada Goal Downs Las Vegas Lights!

COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC began the season with five losses. After 10 seasons and 60 cold minutes of suffering without the ball, they are hosting a final.

The Black and Blue hosted Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night in the 2024 USL Championship Western Conference Final. The winner would host Rhode Island FC in the Final.

Lineup wise, Defender of the Year finalist Matt Mahoney started in the back four. Zackary Zandi was in the midfield three off his brace in the Conference Semifinal. Rapids 2 loanee Yosuke Hanya was benched for Juan Tejada.

The first half was even from the run of play. Lights had the majority of the possession and built slowly into the final third. COS goalkeeper Christian Herrera made several saves routine. Khorri Bennett had the best chance with a header in the 43rd minute that was tipped over the bar.

Switchbacks had two near-goals that would have been called back for offside. Ronaldo Damus side volleyed a ball off the post in the 9th minute. Minutes later, Zandi was in for a breakaway and scored on Raiko Arozarena. The flag went up though.

Switchbacks took the lead on a spectacular play in the 38th minute. Zandi took a short free kick into the middle of the box. Jairo Henriquez picked it out of the air with a great touch into the open space. Tejada attacked the ball, smashing it upper 90. The half ended 1-0.

“I got a rebound. It was a volley. We’ve been training that. The ball was right there. I swing at it, it goes in,” Tejada said.

“I come here after a tough year in Indy. This community has accepted me as family. To give back with that goal, being able to celebrate, it’s so special for me. I will never forget this day.”

The second half followed a similar flow. Switchbacks were compact and allowed Lights to have the ball, space not so much. They tried to break out on the counter. The teams traded half chances.

Henriquez hit the post in the opening minutes of the second half after picking off a square pass outside the box. Lights had several free kicks and crosses that were just off the mark. Maybe the closest of these was a free kick for Charlie Adams that just missed the post with some fans reacting as if it had gone in.

Herrera made a great save in the 89th. The ball spun on the mouth of the goal before Matt Real won the race to it, clearing his line.

“Cross comes in. I should probably come out and collect. I hold my ground. I see the guy who’s going to head it. I hold my ground. Having Matt (Real) there to clear it was huge,” Herrera told Burgundy Wave postgame.

Colorado Springs held out with Zandi gutting it after taking a head injury at the top of the box in stoppage time. The match ended 1-0.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks will host Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship Final next Saturday November 23 at 10 AM MT.

Head Coach James Chambers (Chambo) and the players reflected after the match.

“I’m blessed and privileged as a first year head coach to have this group of men,” Chambers said, adding “We were rubbish. They had most of the ball in our building. They’re a very good football team. It wasn’t the best performance. That’s why these players are built different. Because they were (expletive) and we were (expletive) and we won.”

“We’ve been able to grow into what we wanted to be tactically. For us, we’ve been through that process, creating that environment, that culture flourishing. That has us in that position,” Herrera said.

“It’s such a testament and the character. This group started 0-5. First year head coach. A lot of turnover. I’m very happy for the group. We’ve got one more to go, it’s here at Weidner. We’ll give it our best,” Mahoney added.

“They’re very technical. But we felt comfortable in our structure. I didn’t think they were too threatening. It’s always hard to break down our team when we’re in our block.”

Switchbacks weren’t at their best. Lights had 70% of the ball and outshot them 14-7. It was a compact suffering performance to get a result. They won. Chambo ended with some choice words for the USL Championship Final being on Saturday morning:

“I think it’s a disgrace. Absolute disgrace. We’re trying to grow this league. All the players, all the organizations. All the staff. It’s on national TV, CBS. We’re trying to put out a product out there that looks good. We throw it at 10 o’clock in the morning.”

Photo Credit: Colorado Springs Switchbacks

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