As strange as it may sound, Sacramento Republic FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks will be facing each other for the first time ever this Saturday at Bonney Field in the 21st game of the 28 game season. We have USL’s occasionally quirky scheduling to thank for that particular piece of trivia. However, the fact that it is the first meeting between these two teams makes it a perfect opportunity for ICS to do a first of it’s own and put out a Match Preview. So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at this Saturday’s match.

Playoff Fight

Both the Republic and the Switchbacks are right in the thick of the playoff fight in the USL Western Conference. The Switchbacks sit in 3rd place with 35 points and a game in hand over leaders Seattle Sounders 2 and Los Angeles Galaxy II. Sacramento are in 5th place, close behind with 33 points and also with a game in hand over the leaders.

Although neither Sacramento nor Colorado Springs are currently on the playoff bubble, the top 7 teams in the Western Conference are so close together in points that every game in this last stretch of 9 games is a significant one in regards to maintaining playoff position and determining postseason seeding. So although neither team is currently riding the red line, a loss or dropped points this weekend could very well come back to bite them when the postseason rolls around.

Form Coming Into the Match

Sacramento and Colorado Springs come into Saturday’s match on fairly opposite swings of momentum. The Switchbacks fell 1-0 to Tulsa Roughnecks in their most recent match, played on Wednesday in Colorado,. The loss was Colorado Springs’s first ever at home, and while they did create quite a few chances and force 6 saves, they were not able to put anything in the net and were shut out at home. Interestingly, it was the first time in 14 matches that the Switchbacks had failed to score a goal, a stat which helps to explain how they have scored the most goals of any team in the Western Conference (39).

While Colorado Springs may be coming off a disappointing result, Sacramento is riding high after their return to USL league play with a 2-0 statement win over Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders 2. The win marked the first time that USL had been introduced to the changes that new Head Coach Paul Buckle had made, changing the way in which Sacramento play enough to be prematurely given the name BuckleBall. A closer look at just what BuckleBall is, can be found in this piece from earlier in the week.

Players to Watch

Danny Barrera- Barrera has been impressive most of the times he has seen the field with Sacramento, but against Sounders 2 he jumped to another level. Being deployed in his preferred central midfield spot alongside talented midfielders like Rodrigo Lopez and Ivan Mirkovic, let Barrera shine. He combined well with his teammates and created multiple opportunities, including the impeccably timed through ball that Thomas Stewart turned into his second goal of the night. If Sacramento is to succeed against the Switchbacks, Barrera will need to continue performing at his recent level.

Thomas Stewart- As would be expected from the Republic’s leading goalscorer in 2014, Stewart is always getting himself into dangerous positions, something that was especially true against Sounders 2. His brace against S2 was vintage 2014 Thomas Stewart: riding the back shoulder of a defender, making smart runs, and finishing chances at a relatively good clip. The Republic will want him to continue that goal-scoring form against the Switchbacks.

Mickey Daly and Nemanja Vukovic- One of the strongest center back duos in USL showed their quality against S2 last week. Although Stewart, Lopez, and Barrera stole the headlines, Daly and Vukovic quietly had a very solid game. The Republic will need their CB tandem, as well as the rest of the back four, to continue to be solid against the Switchbacks, who have averaged 1.95 goals per game.

Luke Vercollone- The Colorado Springs captain and main danger man, Vercollone has racked up an impressive 10 goals and 7 assists in 20 games for the Switchbacks. The midfielder provides an offensive spark for his team, so extra care will need to be taken by the likes of Ivan Mirkovic and the back four to limit his effectiveness.

Things to Watch Out For

If Paul Buckle sticks with the 4-3-3 formation that he sent out against S2, both Sacramento and Colorado Springs will be trotting out 4-3-3s. This would both eliminate the central midfield number advantage that Sacramento enjoyed when facing S2 and clog up the middle of the field. As such, the central areas will be a battleground to watch. Whichever team can force more turnovers, hold more possession, and generally win the battle in the middle of the field stands to fare better on the day.

The wide areas will also be an interesting battle ground on Saturday, with left winger and second highest Colorado Springs scorer Miguel Gonzalez going head to head with Sacramento right back Emrah Klimenta. Klimenta has consistently been a bright spot for the Republic and he will need to continue that trend against Gonzalez, who has 8 goals and 5 assists to his name.

How to Watch

Sacramento Republic FC kick off against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday at 8pm PDT. It can be viewed, as every USL match can, live on YouTube.