COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The Colorado Springs Switchbacks picked up three points after defeating Phoenix Rising 3-1 on Saturday at Weidner Field.
Phoenix Rising opened the scoring four minutes into the match when forward Gunnar Studenhofft's shot went over the head of Switchbacks goalkeeper Christian Herrera.
The Switchbacks responded in the 34' when midfielder Frank Daroma found forward Adrien Perez, who fired a shot from outside of the box into the back of the net.
Colorado Springs broke the tie three minutes into the second half when Perez's corner kick was headed into the back of the net by defender Garven Metusala.
The goal was Metusala's first with the Switchbacks, and it came as he returned from representing Haiti at the World Cup.
- Watch News5's coverage of Metusala, as well as Switchbacks defender Duke Lacroix, representing Haiti at the World Cup below:
The Switchbacks took a 3-1 lead in the 79' when midfielder Aidan Rocha made a "through ball" pass to Perez, who dribbled into the box and found the bottom right corner of the net for his second goal of the match.
Colorado Springs had 21 shots in the match, and 11 of them were on target. They also had 64.7% possession in the match.
The Switchbacks hit the road and will face Orange County SC on Saturday. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Click here for information on how to watch match.
The match is the final game of the group stage for the Prinx Tires USL Cup.
Colorado Springs has already clinched a spot in the quarterfinal of the USL Cup, but Saturday's match will determine who the Switchbacks will play, and whether or not the game will be played at Weidner Field. The quarterfinal match will be played on Wednesday, August 12.
___
91,000 Acres, 212 Homes Lost, and New Evacuations
An update on the devastating Aspen Acres Fire, which has now burned over 91,000 acres and destroyed 212 structures. New mandatory evacuations have been issued for parts of Fremont County as over 1000 firefighters continue to battle the massive blaze.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.