As Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Rhode Island FC prepare to square off in their first USL Championship Final on Saturday, it’s a good idea to remember where both these sides were early in the campaign.

Under promoted Head Coach James Chambers, the Switchbacks lost their first five games of the season, scoring just once in that span, and didn’t post their first home win until May.

Rhode Island, meanwhile, began its inaugural season under Head Coach Khano Smith with just one win in its first 14 league games, dropping 14 points from winning positions in the process.

Alongside their league form, both were knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup by lower-division opposition.

As the saying goes, though, it’s not how you start but how you finish. Both the Switchbacks and RIFC have found their sweet spot at exactly the right time.

• BRINGING THE HEAT: Starting with Rhode Island’s 5-2 victory against Louisville City FC on June 22, no team has suffered fewer defeats or scored more goals across the regular season and playoffs. RIFC’s 14 wins put it level with Players’ Shield winner Louisville City FC, which Rhode Island knocked out in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, part of a season-best four-game winning streak.

• RISING THE RANKS: For the Switchbacks, the turnaround started earlier and began at home. Since the start of May, Colorado Springs has gone 13-2-2 at Weidner Field, conceding only 12 times and recording eight shutouts. The Switchbacks have won five in a row going into Saturday’s final, having previously posted winning streaks of five and four games in the regular season, and have conceded only once in the past 480 minutes of play.

• MOMENUTM MATTERS: As we noted in this newsletter just over a month ago, carrying positive momentum into the postseason has historically been important for the side that eventually lifts the trophy. Both RIFC and the Switchbacks took 14 points from their last eight games of the campaign and went into the playoffs on an upswing in form. Each has maintained that through three victories over the past three weekends.

This means Saturday’s showdown is going to be worth savoring.  

It’s going to bring together a combination of some outstanding talent all over the field, two remarkable first-year Head Coaches in Colorado Springs’ Chambers and Rhode Island’s Smith, and the backdrop of one of the league’s best venues, which will be filled to the rafters.

With a new club guaranteed to be crowned as champion, it’s a fitting finale pitting two of the league's best closers against one another.

• GO DEEPER: Check out John Morrissey’s Tactical Guide to the 2024 USL Championship Final