Colorado Springs Switchbacks goalkeeper Christian Herrera said before Saturday's Western Conference Final that no matter what happens he knows he has 10 guys behind him ready to make a play for the team.
On Saturday, the 10 players on the field were likely grateful Herrera was behind them.
The Switchbacks keeper had four huge saves and forward Juan Tejada scored his third goal of the season to lift Colorado Springs to a USL Championship Western Conference Championship with a 1-0 win over Las Vegas Lights at Weidner Field.
"(Technical director Alan McCann) said at the beginning of the season, 'Listen, guys play the game not the occasion.' And so for me it was just another game. I just went into it with that mentality, that preparation."
Colorado Springs, which began the season with a franchise-worst 0-5 record, earned its first appearance in the league final with the win. The Switchbacks were fortunate again on Saturday as Eastern Conference fifth-seed Rhode Island defeated second-seed Charleston Battery, meaning the final will take place at Weidner Field on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The lone goal of the match came in the 38th minute. Midfielder Aidan Rocha sent a free kick into the 18-yard-box, the ball deflected off the foot of midfielder Jairo Henriquez to forward Juan Tejada who flicked it into the top corner of the goal.
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When Colorado Springs' Tejada scores, something big is happening for the club. His first goal of the season came April 27 at Oakland Roots SC in the club's first win after a 0-5-1 start.
He helped secure a second-place finish and home playoff match in the Western Conference quarterfinals and semifinals with a goal in the club's regular season finale at Sacramento Republic FC Oct. 26.
"It's just so hard to describe what this means to me. My family and me coming here after a tough year in Indy and this community has received me as family. It's just special the amount of support that everyone has given me and to give back this goal, this trophy. Everybody worked so hard this game because it was a hard game," he said. "We've been training a lot (on) set pieces and we knew we could probably win or lose the game on a set piece. And fortunately I got a rebound there and it was a volley and it's funny we've been training and I always say, 'volley, volley, volley.' The ball was right there. And I just had to swing it and it was in."
From a game standpoint, Saturday wasn't the club's best performance. Las Vegas had the ball for 70% of the game, had four corners to none, and outshot Colorado Springs 14-7. But all that matters is the score at the end of the game, one that will send Switchbacks coach James Chambers to the final in his first season leading the team.
"We were poor, we weren't great at all. I thought it was one of the worst performances of the year. It's a final. It's about getting a result and the boys did that. They showed a completely different side tonight with immense character, immense resiliency and fought for each other," Chambers said. "It's not about me, it's the players, it's all about the players and they did it tonight. They've done it for numerous weeks throughout the season and I'm blessed and privileged, I've said it before too, to be a first-year head coach and have this group of men."