A Johnny Rodriguez header made things even at the death of the first half, but El Paso regained their one-goal lead and took three points back to Texas
Las Vegas Lights FC lost 2-1 to El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at Cashman Field for Week 18 of the USL Championship.
El Paso Locomotive took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to a mid-range shot from Alex Mendez.
The Lights made things level right as the first half was nearing its end. Themi Antonoglou’s perfectly positioned cross was headed by Johnny Rodriguez, who scored his ninth goal of the season.
The Lights’ pursuit of victory was cut short in the 52nd minute, when Alvaro Quezada’s low shot slid past Charlie Lanphier and kissed the net to give the Locomotive three valuable points away from home.
What They’re Saying
HEAD COACH DEVIN RENSING
On his overall thoughts on the game…
I think we have to be the more disciplined with our attack, and we just can’t give up soft goals.
We continue giving up soft goals, and that’s just not good enough, especially here at Cashman.
So you know, we had a good first half, but in the second half it was a little bit flat, which that can’t be [like that].
On the details that need to be improved upon offensively…
Yeah, we need to have stronger near post runs. We also need to be a little bit more clear with our fullbacks overlapping.
We need to get our center midfielders on the ball and switching, and we need to execute quickly. Sometimes, we execute a little bit too slow. If you do that, the team shifts and they get into their structure and it makes it a little more difficult.
On Johnny Rodriguez’s ninth goal of the season…
Yeah, I mean, he just scores goals. That’s the hardest thing to do in soccer, and he does it fantastically well. He’s a great piece [for the team].
HEAD COACH JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ
On his overall thoughts on the game…
I think we just have to be a little bit cleaner in certain parts of the game.
I think we’re giving up soft goals. [That] starts with everybody. It starts with me at the nine, and it trickles down all the way to the goalkeeper.
So I think we’re just giving up soft goals, and we have to clean that up, and hopefully, you know, start keeping some clean sheets and give ourselves a chance to win games, especially here at home.
On what he wants to see the team execute better offensively…
I think we just have to come out a little more on the front foot and give it to them first in terms of scoring the first goal, putting them on the back foot and intimidating them to come into Cashman in Las Vegas, especially with the summer heat right now.
I think we have to clean a little bit of that up and, like I said, just start on the front foot.
On his form this season and what is different for him…
I’m not sure.
I think just trusting the work that I put in in the off-season. It’s kinda coming here to this, to the season now.
Obviously it’s not translating to wins right now, but hopefully I keep scoring some goals start keeping some clean sheets and obviously, it’s gonna lead to wins.
But no, I’m gonna try to keep scoring goals and try to help the team out in any way that I can.
Summary
Las Vegas Lights Starting XI:
Lanphier (GK), Pope, Ofeimu, Guillen, Antonoglou, Mines (Okyere, 66′), Scott (Probo, 66′), Ybarra (Locker, 86′), Pinzon (c), Rodriguez, Arteaga (Anderson, 66′)
El Paso Locomotive Starting XI:
Romero (GK), Hoban (Cardona, 46′), Twumasi, Dollenmayer, Torres (Sainte, 66′), Calvillo (c), Mendez, Mora (Quezada, 46′), Ruiz (Ortiz, 77′), Rubin, Abitia (Diaz, 67′)
Goals:
ELP – Alex Mendez (assist: Rubin) – 20′
LV – Johnny Rodriguez (assist: Antonoglou) – 45+6′
ELP – Alvaro Quezada (assist: Mendez) – 52′
Discipline:
LV – Yellow, Ben Mines – 43′
LV – Yellow, Marc Ybarra – 69’
ELP – Yellow, Arturo Ortiz – 80’
Next Up
The Lights travel to California to face Monterey Bay FC in their last Prinx Tires ULS Cup match on Saturday, July 11.
