The Foxes take on Colorado Springs at the Chuk tonight at 7:30 for a night of support for the military.

Where We Stand

The Foxes are entering their 23rd game of the season in a tie for 2nd place. We have two games in hand against Reno and a game in hand against Phoenix. We are in the part of the season where we cannot slip because Phoenix isn’t. We need 12 points to catch Phoenix – but we have a game in hand and one more home game against them this season.

Colorado Springs, one of the three teams that have beaten us this season sit in 16th place, and it looks increasingly unlikely that they will challenge for playoffs. They will be coming to the Chuk with something to prove – specifically that they can beat Fresno twice in a season.

Colorado Springs

The Switchbacks sit at a 6-15-4 record, recording 9 of those losses on the road this season. They are a team struggling to get much of anything from most games, but at the same time, they managed to get 3 points from us at home. We should not expect this to be an easy game, every team we should “beat easily” seems to be bucking the trends just for us. We need to be ruthless against this team, to ensure we grind out 3 points and keep up with the rest of the pack up top.

Who to Watch

The Switchbacks have one of the worst defensive records in the game letting in nearly 2 goals per game at 47 for the season. Combine that with a low scoring record, and you have a team that can’t seem to get it right on the field. They convert just under 9% of their total shots, not an impressive stat for a team in need of some points to bring them back to life.

Jordan Burt is leading their team with six goals in 25 appearances. Following just after him are Shane Malcolm with five, and Ismalia Jome with four. Those 14 goals account for nearly 60% of all goals scored by the team.

Ismalia Jome, in particular, seems to be the main cog that puts their team together. Along with his four goals, he leads the team with four assists, 33 shots, and 43 chances created. It is somewhat safe to say he is the teams all-star at the moment, which puts a target on his back for our midfielders and defenders.

Our Play

It’s pretty clear what we are going to do this game. There are particular players we need to target on their team in Jome and Burt – but we need to provide freedom for our attacking players to do what they do best. I think Smith will go with a back three, but it remains to be seen who is actually fit. If Cooper and Jackson are still out, then we might turn to try Ellis-Hayden or Martin as a winger across from Johnson. We need to get the ball to Chavez and Lawal because, despite the opponent’s weakness, we need to score to make this a comfortable game.

I don’t think we will focus too much on defense per se, instead opting for a controlling midfield. I expect to see Kurimoto and Alihodzic in at some point tonight along-side Caffa, and maybe Suli. The midfield will be where we can stifle their creative efforts and keep the control. Pressure on their goal will be critical, and midfield control plus the heat are an effective combination to wear them out for some defensive mistakes.

Prediction

It won’t be an easy game, but we should win. Put the pieces together in the right way, and we are a stronger team than them. It’s up to the guys to capitalize on their issues and score first and score often.

3-0 to the Foxes, I think.

#SomosZorros #DaleFresno #FryPhoenix