Switchbacks forward Jonas Fjeldberg still remembers seeing a story about Drew Brees on the cover of a Norwegian national newspaper. 

It was shortly after the quarterback led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory in 2010, a few years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding region. 

“This story was amazing. I remember reading about Drew Brees. He was still in the league when I came to America and I was young when I read about (him). Honestly, I fell in love with the sport,” he said. 

According to the Switchbacks’ forward, American football is popular with the club, especially international players. As Fjeldberg and his teammates prepare to host Orange County SC on Saturday at 7 p.m., they’re also getting ready for their upcoming fantasy football draft. Fjeldberg hopes to match his 2020 season in which he drafted Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson in his rookie year. 

Whether it’s the virtual gridiron or weekly board game nights with fellow forwards Juan Tejada and Quentin “Quenzi” Huerman, the camaraderie the Switchbacks have off the pitch is paying dividends on it. Colorado Springs has scored nine goals in its previous three outings, and the trio of forwards are responsible for six. 

The most recent goal was scored on the counterattack as Fjeldberg found Huerman for a back-post score in the 49th minute of the Switchbacks’ 2-1 win over Oakland Roots SC last week. 

“The last four, five games we’ve had the same (players) like me, Juan and Quenzi we’ve gotten the run. So now it’s become like finally we’re getting that feeling where I don’t even have to look up, I know where Quenzi is going to be. I know where Juan is going to be, whenever Juan has the ball, I know where to run,” Fjeldberg said. “You run a little extra if you like the guy you’re next to. You’re willing to do that extra work for him. The three of us, we’re really close.”

With last week’s win, Colorado Springs (6-6-6) has won three straight regular-season games for the first time in 2025. Colorado Springs has four straight wins if the team’s final appearance in the USL Jägermeister Cup tournament is included. 

But it was County who got the better of Colorado Springs back in May, when the Switchbacks were last building momentum. The California club secured a 3-1 home win. Colorado Springs entered that contest having shut out its previous two opponents and was unbeaten in three matches. 

This time, both teams are unbeaten in their last three as Orange County (7-7-3) scored four goals in wins against both Las Vegas Lights FC and Phoenix Rising FC, and battled to a 1-1 draw last week against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. 

Saturday could come down to defense as both squads have been on fire in the attack of late. Orange County has scored nine goals in its previous three regular-season matches. 

Fjeldberg has no fear entering the contest, saying the club has evolved not just on offense but defensively as well. 

“They’re obviously going to be times in the game where we’re going to have to sit in a lower block. And that’s also something we’ve developed a lot better over a period of time now, where we’re confident just sitting back instead of high pressing all the time,” he said. “That means that when we also get the ball, as you saw against Oakland, we have energy for counterattacking and that’s something we’ve kind of been lacking.”

Fjeldberg, Huerman and midfielders Marco Micaletto and Yosuke Hanya lead the club in assists with two each. Micaletto’s five goals pace the Switchbacks. 

For Orange County, midfielder Chris Hegardt leads the club in assists with four, while forward Ethan Zubak leads in goals with six. 

Fontana to miss extended time with significant lower-body injury

Midfielder Anthony Fontana will miss a “couple months,” according to Switchbacks coach James Chambers. 

“He’s picked up a bad injury and he’ll be back before the end of the season,” Chambers said. “He’ll be back late October.”