Tejada sparks Switchbacks comeback win over Tulsa on the road

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC did not just steal three points in Tulsa. They showed a repeatable way to win on the road, and Juan Tejada was at the center of it. After FC Tulsa went to halftime with a 1-0 lead, the Switchbacks flipped the match with two goals in five minutes early in the second half and never let the home side recover.

Tulsa had looked in control after Rémi Cabral finished from close range in first-half stoppage time, with Bailey Sparks providing the knockdown header that set up the chance. But the home lead proved fragile. Colorado Springs came out after the break with far more urgency, and Tejada immediately changed the tone by getting on the end of a deflected ball at the top of the six-yard area and redirecting it home for the equalizer.

Five minutes later, Tejada delivered the decisive pass. He slipped a ball through to Jonas Fjeldberg, who broke into the left side of the penalty area and beat the keeper for the winner. In a game that turned on a brief second-half surge, Tejada finished with a goal and an assist and looked every bit the player Colorado Springs has trusted in the biggest moments. He had also been the hero of the club’s 2024 USL Championship title run, and this performance fit that same profile of calm execution when the pressure spiked.

The numbers explained how efficient the Switchbacks were. Tulsa allowed only two shots on target, and both ended up in the net. That kind of finishing is exactly why Colorado Springs left Oklahoma with a result that mattered far beyond one night, especially after a stretch of alternating wins and losses. The victory pulled the Switchbacks back into the playoff conversation and moved them to 4-4-4 in league play, while FC Tulsa dropped to 5-4-4.

Tulsa still had chances to salvage the point. Logan Dorsey nearly forced an equalizer with a volley that sailed high, but Colorado Springs held firm through the closing minutes. The defeat stung even more because FC Tulsa had beaten Monterey Bay 2-0 at ONEOK Field just three days earlier, and this was its first home loss after leading at halftime since 2023. For Colorado Springs, the message was sharper: when Tejada gets involved after the break, the Switchbacks can turn a controlled match into a comeback in a matter of minutes.