The Switchbacks are making up for lost time, so to speak. 

After a week of inaction with a bye, Colorado Springs plays not one, but two opponents this week. 

First, Colorado Springs hosts Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City in the round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night at Weidner Field. On Saturday, Colorado Springs returns to USL Championship play, hosting Monterey Bay FC. 

The Switchbacks aren’t shying away from the double duty. 

“We want to be very intentional with this game,” Switchbacks coach Alan McCann said of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. tilt against SKC. “Not looking past this game. We understand we have a league game Saturday, but not looking past it. It’s the Cup, so anything can happen. We’re at home, so we have to use that to our advantage and we have to unsettle them early.” 

The opportunity for a fast start should be there as McCann noted that both squads enter the contest having conceded a fair number of goals. The Switchbacks have allowed nine goals in league play (just one in the Open Cup), which is fifth-most in the USL Championship. Sporting Kansas City is making its Open Cup debut but has allowed 17 goals in league play this season, third-most in MLS. 

McCann said the Switchbacks will look to create chaos in front of the opposing goal, something the club has excelled in as of late. Colorado Springs has scored four goals through two Open Cup matches and has netted eight in league play — again fifth-most in the USL Championship. 

Switchbacks forward Khori Bennett has been a key driver in the attack with a club-best four goals scored in league play this season. Three of those goals have come from penalty kicks.  McCann credited his wingers for drawing the fouls.

“Our wingers are the ones that are back in that form of not feeling handcuffed,” he said. “They have the ability to take people on 1-on-1 a little bit more because they know if you’re trying that you’re going to lose the ball. So they have the confidence knowing that they’re allowed to lose the ball in trying these creative things because underneath we want to go win it back again to give it to them again. So I think kind of a shackles-off mentality for those guys.”

Colorado Springs is working to give its wingers more options when attacking.

McCann said his team has been working to be less predictable and play the ball north and south as opposed to side to side. He also wants the club to create more chances in open play through more crosses. 

The Switchbacks coach alluded to one or two potential signings in the near future that could improve the club’s attack. 

For the first time in this Open Cup, the Switchbacks’ opponent is higher than them on the U.S. Soccer pyramid. MLS is in the top division of the pyramid, while the USL Championship sits a rung below in Division II.  

The Switchbacks aren’t fazed by the challenge. Their goal to make a deep run in the tournament remains the same. 

“We’re obviously excited to play against Sporting Kansas City, but we’re treating it similar to how we treat other games,” Bennett said. “We’re preparing well, we train well. … Obviously, they’re in a different league and it’s something to look forward to. Hopefully, we get a full house as well, but we just treat it like another game, preparing as best we can and then go out there and execute our game plan.”