The road trip continues for Sounders FC 2 (7-11-2) with an important Western Conference clash against Colorado Springs Switchbacks (6-8-6) on Saturday, July 29 (5:00 p.m. PT, live-stream). Both sides enter the match searching for answers amidst difficult runs of form, with neither team managing a victory in their last four matches.
It’s difficult to draw many conclusions from the earlier meeting between these two sides, a 3-2 victory for S2 back on April 29. A combination of a massive snowstorm and Colorado Springs playing with ten men after defender Pascal Eboussi was sent off in the 18th minute leaves little reliable data about how to game plan for the rematch. Furthermore striker Felix Chenkam, who scored two decisive goals that day, is still recovering from injury, making it even more difficult to predict how this match will play out.
One thing is for certain, though, and that’s the steady defensive presence of captain Rony Argueta in the heart of Colorado Spring’s midfield. Argueta, 26, is second in the league in defensive recoveries with 144, or roughly 7 per match. His ability to screen the back four and break up passing lanes, as well as produce crunching tackles, frees up the other midfielders to push forward into the attack. And his pass-completion percentage of 81.7, 40-percent of which go forward, provides the heartbeat of the Switchback’s counter-attacking system.
With Argueta so adept at winning back possession, attackers Aaron King and Mastanabal Kacher are able to stay higher up the pitch, which will force S2’s outside backs to be wary of joining the attack. Mindful of the Switchback’s ability to break with pace, one of S2’s holding midfielders, Lorenzo Ramos and Francisco Narbon, will likely hang back to restrict service to the forwards. This will be pivotal in supporting S2’s young defenders, as King loves to drop into midfield, spin and burst down the flanks.
Here are three tactical matchups to keep an eye on.
Test the Goalkeeper
Based on the Switchback’s recent 4-3 loss to OKC Energy, as well as S2’s win back in April, their goalkeeper Moise Pouaty tends to struggle in two key areas: defending crosses and shot-stopping from distance. Of the four goals he conceded against OKC, two were the result of service from wide areas while the other two came on shots from over 20-yards out. Chenkam’s second goal of his brace against Colorado Springs was a low shot from 35-yards out that bounced into the bottom corner. This bodes well for S2, as the trio of Irvin Parra, David Olsen and Shandon Hopeau have all showcased their abilities to strike piledrivers from distance throughout the season. In order to exploit Pouaty’s difficulties with crosses, S2 needs to get a runner to the near-post each time they serve the ball in, as that severely limits the amount of time a goalkeeper has to decide whether or not to come out and contend for the ball.
Switch the Point of Attack
Since Argueta is the bedrock of the Switchback’s stingy defense, it’s crucial that the S2 attackers try to pull him out of position. They can do so by staying staying patient in possession when they work the ball into the final third. If S2 keeps its weak-side winger high and wide when the team has the ball on the other side, they can take Argueta out of the equation by drawing him over to one side, dropping the ball to Ramos -- who possesses an excellent range of passing -- and then quickly switching the point of attack. This will lead to plenty of 1v1 opportunities for the Rave Green’s skillful and pacey wide players.
Stay Compact Defensively
As stated above, Colorado Springs tends to struggle when it comes to generating chances from open play. They’re competent in possession, but their true strengths lie in their ability to punish teams in transition. When teams sit back against them, the Switchbacks are forced to send their full backs forward in order to establish numerical advantages in the attack, leaving the flanks vulnerable on the counter. With Hopeau and Olsen out on the flanks, and Sam Rogers and Lorenzo Ramos more than capable of picking out runners with long-distance passes, look for S2 to sit back, invite pressure and then strike quickly in transition.
