Switchbacks and Rapids continue relationship

Danny Summers, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read
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May 16—The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Colorado Rapids are in the final year of their partnership.

The agreement, which has been in place since October 2018, allows the Major League Soccer's Rapids to provide, or loan, the Switchbacks four to five players per season for the entirety of the campaign.

The Switchbacks are a member of the United Soccer League Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.

Both organizations are separate.

"There can still be short-term loans throughout the season as well if the Rapids ever wanted to get a player some game time," Switchbacks media relations director Cody Costra said. "The affiliation also allows the Switchbacks to use some of the Rapids scouting networks in order to find more players."

In March, the Rapids sent five players to the Switchbacks: goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez, defenders Sebastian Anderson and Michael Edwards, midfielder Philip Mayaka and forward Matt Hundley.

Under the terms of the loan agreement, the Rapids retain the right to recall the players at any point during the remainder of the MLS regular season, subject to all MLS roster compliance guidelines.

On April 24, the Rapids recalled Anderson.

Rodriguez, Anderson and Hundley came up through the Rapids Academy and signed Homegrown contracts with the organization.

Mayaka was the Rapids' first pick (third-overall selection) in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.

Edwards' contract was originally property of D.C. United before the Rapids purchased his contract.

Similar to baseball and hockey, much of what happens for non-major league sports teams is dependent on the needs of the big club. Thus, if the Rapids are healthy and winning games, the Switchbacks will likely get a fluid stream of high-level players. If the Rapids have depleted talent for a variety of reasons, the Switchbacks might not get the same caliber of players.

The Rapids began their 26th MLS season on April 17, against FC Dallas. The Rapids started play in MLS in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs in the league's inaugural season.

The Switchbacks open their seventh season May 1 at San Antonio FC. They play their second match May 14 at Sporting Kansas City II.