Yosuke Hanya Returns For Colorado Springs Switchbacks Fc Vs Colorado Rapids
Yosuke Hanya returns to the center of colorado springs switchbacks fc vs colorado on Wednesday, when the Switchbacks face the Colorado Rapids in a Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup I-25 Derby. The 27-year-old midfielder called it a fresh start after rejoining Colorado Springs on a two-year contract that runs through the end of the 2027 season.
Hanya’s fresh start
“This is a fresh start, definitely,” Hanya said earlier this week. He said he is happy to be back with the Switchbacks and likes the coaching staff, fan base and teammates, and added that he has a new role that requires him to help and lead with his ability on and off the pitch.
That shift shows up in the numbers from 2025. Hanya played 1,700 minutes and finished with one goal and three assists, a modest return for a player who has been asked to do more than simply score. “I know I want to help this team with goals and assists, creativity in front of goal,” he said.
Alan McCann’s plan
Alan McCann has used Hanya in a similar position to the one he played with Rapids 2, and the coach wants him to be shifty, versatile and dangerous in chance creation. McCann also wants him to lead the way in counterattacks, putting his movement and decision-making into the middle of Colorado Springs’ attack.
Hanya said that responsibility suits him. “It’s definitely something coach Alan is asking me for,” he said. “I’m happy to do that.”
The assignment is sharper because of what came before. Hanya assisted Juan Tejada for the opening goal in a 2024 USL Championship game before leaving with a hamstring injury, and he later said the Rapids gave him his start. He added that without them, he would not be where he is today.
Rapids memories
His history with the Rapids organization runs deeper than one assist or one injury. Hanya had 17 goals and 13 assists across 4,000 minutes for Rapids 2, and he said he has great memories of winning the regular season in his second year with Rémi Cabral, Oli Larraz and Yapi. “It was fun to play with those Rapids players back then,” he said.
Now the matchup sends him back against the club that first launched him. Hanya said he loves coach Erik Bushey and still tries to keep in touch with him, but the immediate task is different: a derby game in the Round of 16, with a chance to shape Colorado Springs’ next cup step through the same creativity that McCann has asked him to bring.
