The Rangers (2-1-0, 6th place) will return to Children’s Mercy Park, the site of the team’s inaugural match in 2016 and last year’s dramatic Western Conference Championship, at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday night to take on Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (1-2-0, 10th place) in the first of two SPR matches in USL Week 4.
Tickets for the match, starting at $12, are available online at SeatGeek.com and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive SPR sasquatch koozies. In addition, college students can purchase $5 tickets at the box office with a valid student ID.
Free parking for the match will be located in the Red Lot beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT and the East Gate will open to ticket holders at 6:30 p.m. CT. Seating will be available for fans in sections 129-131 in the East Stand at Children’s Mercy Park.
Despite falling 2-1 on Saturday in Las Vegas, SPR enters the encounter riding a 10-game home unbeaten streak dating back to last summer and has also gone undefeated in the team’s four previous matches at the state-of-the-art MLS venue.
Rangers at Children’s Mercy Park
March 26, 2016: SPR 2, POR 1
August 21, 2016: SPR 1, STL 1
October 28, 2017: SPR 1, SAC 0
November 4, 2017: SPR 0, OKC 0 (7-6)
April 4, 2018: SPR vs COS
The Rangers lead all 33 USL teams in scoring with nine goals this season, led by the offensive contributions from three key players. Kharlton Belmar continues to lead the league with four goals, while fellow forward Hadji Barry’s three assists are also most in the USL this year. Club captain Rodrigo Saravia has added a scoring punch from the midfield as well with goals in back-to-back games for SPR.
The Rangers, who have already featured 10 players on loan from Sporting Kansas City in 2018, could again have a gameday roster highlighted by first team signings on Wednesday for the mid-week match. Fifteen-year-old homegrown player Gianluca Busio has returned from the Generation adidas Cup, where he scored twice for the Sporting KC U-17’s, while fellow Academy product Jaylin Lindsey is poised for playing time after the 18-year-old impressed in seven preseason appearances for Sporting KC.
Colorado Springs will travel across I-70 after falling 1-0 at Saint Louis FC on Saturday on a fifth-minute goal from KC native Kyle Greig. It was the Switchbacks’ second straight 1-0 setback after being beaten by Portland Timbers 2 a week earlier and Steve Trittschuh’s squad will now be looking to end a 215-minute scoreless streak.
The visitors are led by club captain Josh Suggs, a second team All-USL selection in 2016 and the team’s assist leader in 2017. This year, Suggs ranks second in the USL with 11 chances created while also anchoring a backline that has allowed just two goals in three games this season.
Wednesday will be the fourth all-time match between the Rangers and Switchbacks in a series that has produced no shortage of memorable moments. The Rangers rescued a 1-1 result with a 95th-minute equalizer in the initial clash in 2016 then prevailed in both meetings last year, rallying for a 2-1 win at home in June before scoring three goals in a three-minute span in the September rematch to clinch a playoff berth with a 3-1 win.
Game 4 of 34
Date: Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kan.)
Swope Park Rangers: 2-1-0 (6 points, 6th place in Western Conference)
MLS Affiliate: Sporting Kansas City
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: 1-2-0 (3 points, 10th place in Western Conference)
MLS Affiliate: N/A
Game Notes: Click here
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Live Stream: SportingKC.com and USLsoccer.com
Talent: Carter Augustine and Sam Kovzan
SOCIAL TAGS
Game-specific hashtag: #SPRvCOS
Swope Park Rangers
Twitter: @SwopeRangers
Instagram: @SwopeParkRangers
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Twitter: @SwitchbacksFC
Instagram: @SwitchbacksFC
