San Antonio FC (10-0-4) will travel to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (5-5-5) at Weidner Field on Saturday, June 24. The match will mark the first time the first time the Silver and Black travel to Colorado Springs this season, and the second and final time that the two face off in the USL regular season after playing to a draw on April 7. The game will also be the first away match for SAFC to be broadcast live on Fox Sports Southwest.
San Antonio’s shutout streak was ended last weekend as the Tulsa Roughnecks found the back of the net in the 27th minute, ending the club record at 672 minutes throughout seven matches. On the other end of the pitch, however, SAFC found its form again in the attack, scoring three goals to maintain their perfect league record against the Roughnecks after recording two consecutive 0-0 draws in their two previous matches against Swope Park Rangers and OKC Energy FC. Two of the goals against Tulsa came from midfielder Kris Tyrpak, who scored two impressive goals en route to the win-- one sitting down, and one off a left-footed volley.
The latter was reminiscent of Tyrpak’s first goal of the season, which happened to come against the Switchbacks on April 7 at Toyota Field. SAFC was down 0-1 in the 79th minute when Shawn Chin switched the field of play towards Tyrpak, who controlled the ball off his chest and curved a half-volley into the back post to earn the equalizer after the Switchbacks took the lead earlier in the match with a goal from Aaron King.
SAFC and the Switchbacks have historically played tight matches. In their three encounters overall, both clubs are 1-1-1 and have scored three goals total against each other.
But despite playing even matches, the two clubs’ seasons have gone in different directions so far. San Antonio FC has yet to record its first loss, earning 10 wins and four draws heading into Saturday’s clash in Colorado Springs, while the Switchbacks will aim to bounce back from a loss at the hands of Swope Park Rangers on Wednesday. The hosts have recorded five wins, five draws, and five losses in 2017.
The Switchbacks have been efficient in their attack, scoring 22 goals so far this season compared with San Antonio’s 24, and tallying 70 shots on target while the Silver and Black has tallied 52. However, the Switchbacks’ defense has struggled to maintain the consistency that their attack has, conceding 25 goals, three of which have been from the penalty spot. Meanwhile, the Alamo City club has allowed just five goals on the season and recorded 10 clean sheets along the way, ranking best in the USL for most clean sheets and fewest goals allowed.
For San Antonio FC, one of the keys to victory will be scoring before the opponent. SAFC is 10-0-0 when scoring the first goal in a match; the Switchbacks are the only team who have managed to score first against them. In addition, the Alamo City club has yet to drop any points when scoring in the first half of a match, in both halves of the match, or when scoring multiple goals.
With San Antonio FC fighting to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact and the Switchbacks looking to find consistent form, Saturday’s clash will define who keeps the bragging rights between the two for the rest of the season.
Game 15 – San Antonio FC at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2017
Kickoff: 8 p.m. central
Stadium: Weidner Field (Colorado Springs, CO)
San Antonio FC: 10-0-4, 34 pts (2nd place)
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: 5-5-5, 20 pts (6th place)
All-time Series: The game marks the fourth regular season matchup between the two sides, and second this season. SAFC is 1-1-1 in the USL regular season against the Switchbacks, with each team having scored three goals in the all-time series. The two sides tied 1-1 on April 7 at Toyota Field earlier this season
Watch/Stats:
FOX Sports Southwest
Media Information:
Social Media Information:
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Hashtags: #OurClub, #COSvSA
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