The Lights head east to face the Switchbacks in a thrilling match for Matchday Two of the 2026 USL Championship season
Match: Las Vegas Lights FC at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
When: Saturday, March 14
Where: Weidner Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. PT
How to Watch: SSSEN, ESPN+
How to Listen: SiriusXM FC Channel 157
It’s time for another fiery Western Conference showdown in chilly Colorado Springs.
The Lights and the Switchbacks had a similar start to their 2026 season, snatching points away from key Western Conference rivals.
Vegas drew 1-1 at Orange County thanks to a late equalizer courtesy of Nighte Pickering, while Colorado Springs stole a point from El Paso Locomotive thanks to goals from former Lights striker Khori Bennett and Isaiah Foster.
It’s too early to determine the path that both teams will take this season or whether they’ll make the playoffs or not. But this is the moment to build a strong tactical backbone and generate positive momentum for the rest of the year.
And that’s why the stakes are so high.
Let’s go back in time…
Matches between the Lights and the Switchbacks are always tight, competitive contests, and last season’s games serve as testament to this fact.
The first time both teams faced each other was on May 10 at Cashman Field, in a match that ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
The second match took place on October 18 at Weidner Field, with both teams arriving at that match in drastically different situations. The Switchbacks had to win to clinch a slot in the 2025 USL Championship playoffs, while the Lights were already thinking about their 2026 squad rebuild, fielding younger players and testing potential tactical alternatives.
In the end, the Switchbacks won thanks to a goal scored by Norwegian forward Jonas Fjeldberg, qualifying dramatically for playoffs in eighth place.
Keys to the Match
However, things promise to be different this time… at least on paper. Here are the keys to Saturday afternoon’s match.
Don’t let Khori score-i.
Khori Bennett is a threat upfront, and the Lights know it.
Representing Vegas, Bennett scored 15 goals in 37 matches across all competitions in 2024, becoming the team’s most important attacking player in a historic playoff-qualifying season.
His goalscoring prowess was also noticeable in his short time at Sacramento Republic, where he scored five goals despite only playing 620 minutes in the Championship’s regular season.
A prolific striker, the Jamaican has started off his Switchbacks career on the right foot, scoring his team’s first goal in their 2-2 draw at El Paso Locomotive. He’s the team’s nominal ‘9’, and Colorado’s players constantly look for ways to leave him in advantageous positions to score.
But beyond Bennett, the Switchbacks have other players who represent a risk to the Lights’ defense, such as pacy wingers Yosuke Hanya, Levonte Johnson, and Juan Tejada.
Part of the Lights’ winning strategy must involve stopping Bennett from feeling comfortable in front of goal while also blocking the Switchbacks’ efforts from the wings. If they manage to do so, then leaving Colorado Springs with a clean sheet could become a reality.
Marc Ybarra.
Midfielder Marc Ybarra is finally available after a one-match red card suspension that carried over from his final game with Rhode Island FC last season.
But what do the Lights gain from having the midfielder on the squad?
Well, no one is better at answering that question than Head Coach Devin Rensing.
In this week’s pre-match press conference, Rensing said that Ybarra “adds tenacity and anticipation. He also has leadership as well. He presses well. He sits in the pocket well. He can organize things and can solve problems before they happen.”
A Swiss Army knife of sorts, Ybarra’s defensive presence allows the other midfielders to press forward and add numbers to the Lights’ attacking efforts.
If Ybarra starts and has a good afternoon in Colorado, then victory is within reach for Vegas.
Good Attitude Amidst Harsh Conditions.
The altitude. The cold weather. The artificial turf pitch.
Let’s be honest: Weidner Field is far from being the average USL Championship player’s favorite venue. But there’s no room for excuses.
In this week’s episode of the Lights Lounge, young midfielder Carson Locker addressed the difficult conditions that the team will face in Colorado, showing that he’s mature beyond his years.
“I think it’s great… These are the types of games that I look forward to. No one wants to play in unideal conditions. No one wants to play in the cold. No one wants to travel to play in altitude. No one wants to do that. I feel like these are the environments that I sort of thrive in… these ones that other people don’t want to be a part of,” said Locker.
If this attitude is contagious among his teammates, then there can be no doubt that the Lights will perform at a high level despite the circumstances and can dream of earning their first three points of the season.
