Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC is a professional soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2014, the team is a member of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The franchise is owned and operated by Martin Ragain and Ragain Sports, LLC.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
FoundedDecember 5, 2013 (2013-12-05)
StadiumWeidner Field
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Capacity8,000
OwnerRagain Sports, LLC
PresidentNick Ragain
Head coachBrendan Burke
LeagueUSL Championship
20213rd, Mountain Division
5th, Western Conference
Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals
WebsiteClub website

History

An ownership group from Colorado Springs were awarded a USL Pro franchise on December 5, 2013, with plans to begin play in 2015.[1] The team's name, the "Switchbacks", was announced on January 31, 2014, following a fan contest.[2] The team hired Steve Trittschuh as their head coach on March 11, 2014.[3]

On October 30, 2018, Switchbacks FC announced an affiliation agreement with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, who are based in the Denver area.[4] The Rapids ended their affiliation with the Switchbacks following the conclusion of the 2021 Major League Soccer season.[5]

Stadium

The team opened Weidner Field, a new 8,000-seat downtown stadium, for the 2021 season. Plans for the stadium were officially announced by the City of Colorado Springs in July 2018.[6] Construction began on December 7, 2019. The stadium will cost $35 million, to be funded by city bonds, the club, and a real estate partner.[7] On October 15, 2020, the name "Weidner Field" was officially transferred from the team's old stadium in eastern Colorado Springs to the new downtown venue.[8]

The former Weidner Field, now officially known as Switchbacks Training Stadium, is a soccer stadium adjacent to UCHealth Park (formerly known as Security Service Field). In the summer of 2014, the club started a $3 million renovation of the stadium after signing a 10-year lease with the City of Colorado Springs.[9] Located at roughly 6,500 feet above sea level,[10] the stadium was at the highest elevation of any primary home stadium for a professional team in the American soccer pyramid. This status will transfer to the new Weidner Field, although it sits at a lower altitude of 6,035 feet.[8]

Year-by-year
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Avg. Attendance
2015 3 USL 3rd, Western Conference Semifinals Fourth Round 2,723
2016 3 USL 3rd, Western Conference Quarterfinals Fourth Round 3,152
2017 2 USL 9th, Western Did not qualify Third Round 3,389
2018 2 USL 11th, Western Did not qualify Third Round 3,804
2019 2 USLC 18th, Western Did not qualify Third Round 4,005
2020 2 USLC 13th, Western
3rd, Group C		 Did not qualify Cancelled N/A
2021 2 USLC 5th, Western
3rd, Mountain		 Conference Quarterfinals Cancelled 5,432

Current roster
As of April 22, 2022[11]
No. Pos. Player Nation
1 GK Jeff Caldwell  United States
2 DF Tobi Adewole  United States
4 MF Yesin van der Pluijm  Netherlands
5 DF Matt Mahoney  United States
6 MF Cameron Lindley  United States
7 FW Malik Johnson  Canada
8 MF Zach Zandi  United States
10 FW Hadji Barry  Guinea
11 FW Michee Ngalina  DR Congo
13 MF Steven Echevarria  United States
15 DF Jimmy Ockford  United States
16 MF Beverly Makangila  DR Congo
17 MF Issa Rayyan  United States
20 MF Ben Mines (on loan from FC Cincinnati)  United States
23 FW Elvis Amoh  Ghana
27 DF Macauley King  England
30 GK Christian Herrera  Mexico
31 DF Dennis Erdmann  Germany
33 DF Isaiah Foster  United States
42 MF Haji Abdikadir  Somalia
55 DF Tristan Hodge  Trinidad and Tobago
90 FW Kharlton Belmar  Grenada
  1. ^
    On loan from MLS affiliate Colorado Rapids.
    2.
  2. ^
    Colorado Rapids academy player.
    3.

Staff
  • Martin Ragain – owner
  • Nick Ragain – president
  • Brendan Burke – head coach
  • James Chambers – assistant coach
  • Stephen Hogan – assistant coach
  • Alan McCann – performance & technical analyst
  • Alex Schultz – director of sports performance

References
  1. Paisley, Joe (December 2, 2013). "USL soccer franchise coming to Colorado Springs". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  2. "Colorado Springs Unveils Club Nickname" (Press release). USL Pro. January 31, 2014. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  3. "Switchbacks Name Trittschuh As Coach". United Soccer Leagues (USL). March 11, 2014. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  4. Benedetto, Vinny (October 30, 2018). "Switchbacks FC, Colorado Rapids officially reach affiliation agreement". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  5. vinny.benedetto@gazette.com, Vinny Benedetto. "Colorado Rapids launch Rapids 2, end affiliation agreement with Colorado Springs Switchbacks". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  6. Laden, Rich. "Apartment developer buys land next to planned downtown Colorado Springs soccer stadium site". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  7. Hancock, Amanda (December 7, 2019). "Groundbreaking held for $35 million multi-use stadium in downtown Colorado Springs". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  8. "Colorado Springs Switchbacks Name Downtown Stadium Weidner Field" (Press release). Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. October 15, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2014-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Fox, Dan (July 11, 2006). "Security Service Field: Context Matters". Baseball Prospectus. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  11. "Club". switchbacksfc.com. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
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