In early August, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Head Coach James Chambers had an interesting quote after his side’s victory against Phoenix Rising FC.
“Every time we've been beaten this year it’s been our own fault,” he said. “No team, even away to Louisville, away to New Mexico, no team has bossed us off the pitch. We’ve been in those games, and the problem’s been, maybe not everyone has been 90-minutes switched on as a full 11. But when the full 11 is on, we’re on fire.
“When we win games, it’s because of us. When we lose games, it’s because of us.”
It’s not often the sort of thing you’ll hear from a Head Coach – Chambers being in his first year at the helm probably aids his willingness to speak his mind – but it’s a refreshing honesty about how he sees his side.
What’s more, he’s being proven right. The Switchbacks were turned on for a full 90 minutes this past weekend and it resulted in a 2-0 victory against the Charleston Battery, only their fifth defeat this season. Colorado Springs held the Battery to a season-low 0.24 Expected Goals while goals from Justin Dhillon and Ronaldo Damus provided enough attack.
“[I’m] delighted with the result and performance,” said Chambers after the win against the Battery. “It’s a different type of performance with this group now – delighted for them because they’re showing different ways to win games.”
The Switchbacks are now tied with Sacramento Republic FC for second place in the Western Conference. Getting at least one home game in the playoffs appears to be a premium for the side, which has won 10 games at home and only three times away from home, but the confidence the side is going to head to the postseason with could make it a very difficult out when November arrives.
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Here’s how the rest of this week’s rankings look.
Rank |
Team |
Change |
Summary |
|
1 | Louisville City FC (20-5-2) Week 29: @ DET |
Last Week: 1 |
LouCity hasn’t allowed a shot on target in two consecutive outings. It’s not as fun as the free-wheeling attacking style we’ve seen this season, but it’s certainly impressive. | |
2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (13-10-5) Week 29: @ ELP |
2 Last Week: 4 |
When the Switchbacks get on a roll, they move quickly.That’s four consecutive victories, and the past two against top-three opposition in the Eastern Conference. | |
3 | Sacramento Republic FC (12-6-8) Week 29: vs. SAC; @ LV |
3 Last Week: 6 |
Republic FC’s victory against Phoenix wasn’t overwhelming, but it was exactly what the side was looking for ahead of its crucial visit to New Mexico on Wednesday night. | |
4 | Charleston Battery (16-5-8) Week 29: vs. TBR |
2 Last Week: 2 |
The Battery are back in the playoffs but are likely to have to settle for the No.2 seed in the East at this point. Six points to make up on LouCity with five games to go doesn’t seemon the cards. | |
5 | New Mexico United (16-8-3) Week 29: vs. SAC; vs. LDN |
2 Last Week: 3 |
New Mexico gave as good as it got and yet couldn’t find a break through inDetroit. Frustrating night but one it will have to put behind it quickly ahead of Sacramento’s visit. | |
6 | Las Vegas Lights FC (10-8-10) Week 29: vs. SAC |
1 Last Week: 5 |
The Lights picked up another pair of points over the week. That’s fine, but with Sacramento, Memphis and Colorado Springs all picking up wins, it made the road to a top-four finish trickier. | |
7 | Memphis 901 FC (12-10-7) Week 29: -- |
5 Last Week: 12 |
901 FC put up 14 shots on target across two games to pick up four points over the past seven days. It’s a good week before a bye, regardless. | |
8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies (13-8-7) Week 29: @ CHS |
2 Last Week: 10 |
Who else could it be but Leo Fernandes to grab a much-needed win for the Rowdies? Tampa Bay has 11 goals from substitutes this season, only Sacramento has recorded more. | |
9 | Loudoun United FC (10-10-7) Week 29: @ LDN |
4 Last Week: 13 |
United’s attack came to life at exactly the right moment to get back above the playoff line. Zach Ryan bagging another double-digit season is a positive sign, too. | |
10 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (8-10-11) Week 29: -- |
3 Last Week: 7 |
The Hounds’ first defeat since July couldn’t have come in moredeflating fashion. It’s the last time they’d lost after holding a halftime lead in two years, and now thepressure is on for the final five games. | |
11 | Indy Eleven (11-9-7) Week 29: @ NC |
6 Last Week: 17 |
That was exactly the performance Indy needed to boost its confidence. The opposition wasn’t great in Locomotive, but putting up nine shots on target for the first time in more than three months was as important as the goals. | |
12 | Rhode Island FC (8-7-13) Week 29: vs. TUL |
3 Last Week: 9 |
Rhode Island deserved something from its visit to Orange County, but when you run into a hot goalkeeper, that’s the way it can go. Consecutive defeats for the first time this season put some pressure on Saturday’s game with Tulsa. | |
13 | Detroit City FC (11-8-9) Week 29: vs. LOU |
2 Last Week: 15 |
Le Rouge bent but didn’t break despite more than 40 percent of the game being played in their defensive third in the second half against New Mexico. That’s a big positive, as is finally winning again at Keyworth. | |
14 | San Antonio FC (8-12-7) Week 29: @ PHX |
4 Last Week: 18 |
There’s the San Antonio we know, if not necessarily love. Consecutive one-goal victories have pulled SAFC back into the playoff race ahead of another crucial game away at Phoenix Rising. | |
15 | North Carolina FC (8-10-9) Week 29: vs. IND |
7 Last Week: 8 |
Your whole plan goes bang when you’re down to 10 players after three minutes. Saturday’s loss put clear water between the teams above the playoff line to NCFC, which must take advantage of its game in hand on RIFC and Legion. | |
16 | Hartford Athletic (9-12-7) Week 29: vs. OAK |
Last Week: 16 |
Hartford is still sort of in this after a four-point road trip. Mamadou Dieng, meanwhile, might be coming up the rail for the Young Player of the Year award with his eight goals. | |
17 | Birmingham Legion FC (11-12-5) Week 29: vs. MIA |
2 Last Week: 19 |
Legion hasn’t conceded in five consecutive games to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, so should be targeting the No. 6 seed for the playoffs. Saturday’s defensive meltdown in Loudoun wasn’t ideal. | |
18 | Phoenix Rising FC (8-9-9) Week 29: vs. SA |
4 Last Week: 14 |
Rising tried to battle back against Sacramento after conceding early, butthere was a clear resolve for Republic FC to hold firm after prior slip-ups. That amps up therelevance of Saturday’s game with San Antonio. | |
19 | Oakland Roots SC (12-12-4) Week 29: @ HFD |
8 Last Week: 11 |
Even after going down to 10 players, Oakland was the more likely team to score in the second half. Tough result, but that’s one win in the last five overall for Roots. | |
20 | Orange County SC (9-14-4) Week 29: @ MB |
2 Last Week: 22 |
Take a bow, Colin Shutler. OCSC is back above the playoff line thanks to its goalkeeper’s heroics, now it’s got to find more control in a crucial game against Monterey Bay this weekend. | |
21 | FC Tulsa (7-10-10) Week 29: @ RI |
1 Last Week: 20 |
Tulsa only picked up one point from the past week, and that’s a four-game winless run overall. It’s got to pick back up when it heads to Rhode Island this weekend. | |
22 | El Paso Locomotive FC (5-16-6) Week 29: vs. COS |
1 Last Week: 21 |
We know it’s been a frustrating season in El Paso, but two red cards in second-half stoppage time – including a second yellow card for dissent – isn’t the way you want to go out. | |
23 | Miami FC (3-23-2) Week 29: @ BHM |
Last Week: 23 |
Miami has conceded 10 goals directly via errors this season, four more than anyone else in the Championship. It’s not the whole reason for the side’s struggles, but it’s not helpful. | |
24 | Monterey Bay F.C. (7-13-8) Week 29: vs. OC |
Last Week: 24 |
Monterey Bay hasn’t won in nine games and hasn’t scored in 362 minutes after a scoreless draw in Las Vegas. That’s not playoff form. |
Tag(s): Power Rankings San Antonio FC CO Spring Switchbacks Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Sacramento Republic FC FC Tulsa Charleston Battery Louisville City FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds Tampa Bay Rowdies Las Vegas Lights FC Birmingham Legion FC North Carolina FC Indy Eleven Memphis 901 FC El Paso Locomotive FC New Mexico United Loudoun United FC Hartford Athletic Miami FC Oakland Roots SC Detroit City FC Monterey Bay F.C. Rhode Island FC