The Lights are back on the road, this time with Oklahoma in their sights for a bounce-back win.
Read on to discover the keys to victory for this Saturday’s away match against fourth-placed FC Tulsa.

Match: Las Vegas Lights FC (5-3-7, 8th in Western Conference) vs FC Tulsa (6-4-3, 4th in Eastern Conference)
When: Saturday, July 12th
Where: ONEOK Field, Tulsa, OK
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. PT
How to Watch: SSSEN, ESPN+
The Six-Pointer Stretch Begins
With midseason here (the team has finished 15 out of 30 regular season games), an absolutely critical stretch of Western Conference games is upon us.
Over the next five weeks, the Lights have four of their fives matches on the road, and all five are against Western Conference opponents. With the team sitting precariously in the final playoff position, taking points off these conference opponents is critical.
At the end of the season, the team may look back on this five-game stretch as the point in the season where the tides turned – either positively or negatively.
It all starts with FC Tulsa, who have been one of the best teams in the conference this year with just 11 goals conceded. They’re in fourth, but have two games in hand over the two teams directly above them.
After a 4-1 loss against Tulsa at Cashman Field earlier this season, Las Vegas will need to put in a much better performance to get this road stretch off to a good start.
Keys to the Match
Here are the three keys to look out for on Saturday night in Oklahoma.
Maximum Concentration.
When the Lights lost 4-1 to Tulsa at Cashman Field on April 19, the team seemed lost on the pitch… lost and overwhelmed.
The players appeared disappointed after an early exit from the U.S. Open Cup against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC earlier that week. This elimination hit the team hard, and was one potential reason for the shakiness and insecurity with which they faced the match.
But tonight, there’s no room for uncertainty or doubt for the Lights. It’s hard to come back from losing to the same team (Sacramento Republic FC) three times in a short period of time. In 270 minutes of action, the rival was undecipherable for Vegas. But now is the right time for the Lights to bounce back and win away as they did in Indianapolis against a strong Indy Eleven two weeks ago.
If the Lights want to win tonight, they have to lock in mentally. Concentration is a must. All players must be focused, with eyes set on the prize.
Break Through Tulsa’s Backline.
FC Tulsa is hands down the best defense in the league. The Oklahoma side concede 0.8 goals per match, only comparable to Eastern Conference leaders and title favorites Louisville City FC.
Tulsa usually presents a compact back-three with two wing-backs who collaborate in attack while being disciplined in defense. They are collectively impressive and individually outstanding, with Arthur Rogers and Lamar Batista being regarded as some of the best defensive players in the entire league.
Beyond the defensive backline, goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda has always appeared when necessary, keeping four clean sheets in eleven appearances with a save percentage of 71% (sixth in the Championship).
However, Tulsa have conceded four goals in their last three matches, and their defensive performance at Miami was not up to par.
If the Lights attack relentlessly, take advantage of any Tulsa mistakes in the back, and leverage the goalscoring prowess of Johnny Rodriguez, Nighte Pickering, and Stefan Stojanovic, then a win away from home is within the possibilities.
Home Advantage?
Tulsa is a strange team. Soccer’s conventional wisdom indicates that teams tend to perform much better at home than away. Naturally, when you’re playing in your stadium you can count on the support of your fans and on your knowledge of local conditions to edge closer towards victory.
However, Tulsa has not made ONEOK Field a fortress this season, winning only twice in six matches. Their goal record is not impressive either, having only scored five goals in those six matches. Less than a goal per match.
And yet, Tulsa is the strongest away team of the Western Conference, earning 14 out of a possible 21 points with a goal differential of +6. It’s hard to explain. But this undoubtedly gives Vegas hope for tonight’s match irrespective of what happened last time the two teams met.
If the Lights aspire to leave the state of Oklahoma shrouded in victory, then they must take advantage of Tulsa’s paradoxical nature and defeat them on their own turf.