The week brings an early test for new Switchbacks coach Alan McCann. 

Depth at every position has been a focal point for McCann since he was named the club’s sixth head coach back in November. On top of competing in a lengthy season that spans most of the year, the Switchbacks will compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Prinx Tires USL Cup and players will be called up for international duty — most notably defenders Garven Metusala and Markhus “Duke” Lacroix will represent Haiti in the country’s first World Cup appearance in more than 50 years.

While the World Cup kicks off in June, the Open Cup is happening now. On Tuesday, Colorado Springs will host amateur football club Azteca FC in the first round of the tournament. Kickoff at Weidner Field is at 6 p.m.

“The last thing you can be is feeling short. So in (the goalkeeping) department and every department, we’ve gone two deep. Legit two deep,” McCann said. “We’ve talked about having the starting 11, we don’t call them subs here, we call them finishers. They have to be able to perform.”  

The Open Cup is a tournament that allows professional and amateur clubs affiliated with U.S. Soccer to compete against each other. Founded in 1914, a champion has been crowned every year, with the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 excluded. Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC is the current champion; however the club will not participate in this year’s cup due to qualifying for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. 

In the past, Colorado Springs has typically entered the tournament in the third round or later, but changes to this year’s format saw a reduction in teams and the elimination of a full round of play.  

Azteca FC is based in Denver and plays in the Colorado Premier League, an eight-team adult league.

Following the Switchbacks’ 3-2 win over Las Vegas Lights FC in the club’s home opener on Saturday, McCann said that the club’s academy players, who can compete with the club without losing NCAA eligibility, would be in the lineup on Tuesday.