TAMPA, Florida, CMC – The Jamaican pair of Maalique Foster and Romario Williams scored second-half items that formalized a 3-2 win for Colorado Springs Switchbacks against hosts Las Vegas Lights FC in the United Soccer League Championship on Saturday in the United States.
This season’s fourth goal for Foster, 26, and 15th goal (fifth from the penalty spot) for Williams, 29, enabled the Switchbacks to grab three crucial points in their final road match of the regular season at Cashman Field.
The Switchbacks have been in solid form in the past few weeks, winning four of the five matches they have played since the FIFA international break and clinching a playoff berth for the third straight season.
Williams, Foster and their teammates finish the regular season schedule, which ends on Saturday, when they face Phoenix Rising on home soil at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with fifth place in the western conference on the line.
The Switchbacks are currently fifth in the standings on 50 points, two more than Rising, who have also clinched a spot in the playoffs that feature the top eight clubs in the western and eastern conferences playing under a single elimination format until the champion is decided.
The visitors practically dominated a Lights team that has won only three of their 33 matches this season, including four of their previous five and were leading 1-0 at half-time after Jairo Henriquez got his fifth goal of the season, with a shot from nearly 25 yards out in the 41st minute.
Tyler Bagley equalized for Lights early in the second half when he pounced on a defensive error after Switchbacks center back Matt Mahoney could not adequately clear a rasping chance in the 48th minute.
Foster restored the lead to the Switchbacks in the 57th minute when he threaded a shot from the right wing inside the near post.
The Switchbacks were celebrating five minutes later when a set piece from Henriquez caused Matt Mahoney to be dragged down in the box by Lights defender Jacob Bushue, earning them a penalty.
Williams stepped up and gave further evidence of his penalty-scoring prowess this season when he planted the shot inside the left post out of the reach of Lights goalkeeper Leo Diaz and tied his career-best season tally.
Lights captain Lucas Stauffer shook the Switchback’s defense with a quick turnaround move inside the box and finished past visiting goalkeeper Christian Herrera 15 minutes later. Still, the home team should have further broken down their opponent’s defense and written a comeback story.
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