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There’s a certain science to how to manage the current 2-week stretch Las Vegas Lights FC is experiencing in the build-up to next Saturday’s key USL Western Conference showdown with Sacramento Republic FC.
A week without a match – one of two such weeks the team will have during the month of April – comes on the heels of a thrilling 2-1 victory over Western Conference power Swope Park Rangers, which has Lights FC currently a 2-0-1 (7 points) out of the gates in its inaugural season.
There’s a time to rest, there’s a time to push, and the coaching staff is trying to strike the right balance during the gap in the match schedule.
“We trained Sunday (morning) after the game, and that was a very mature act from our players – That’s our base,” Lights FC Head Coach Isidro Sánchez said. “If there’s a time in the future where we are not performing well, we will keep working.”
Following a recovery session last Sunday morning at Cashman Field, the players were given Monday and Tuesday off from training. They returned with a light session Wednesday, then ratcheted things up Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, the team also spent some bonding time together, including an afternoon barbecue and a trip to Cashman Field to take in the season opener for their stadium roommates – the Las Vegas 51s baseball team.
But minus a couple of non-traditional elements, it was far from a “week off,” despite no Saturday night match for the first time in a month.
“This is a long week – It’s a week of 10 days,” Sánchez said. “We’re focusing on Sacramento the whole time. I’ve always been convinced that when things are going well, that’s when you need to put on more pressure. You need to be more demanding, more everything, because the players are more receptive.”
Things are going well, indeed.
But they are not perfect, and the regular season schedule is less than 10 percent complete.
The most notable area of focus to start the “10-day week” has been a key fundamental – passing.
“The team doesn’t need more possessions, we need more effective passes,” Technical Director Chelís said. “These 10 days, this is the focus – Get more passes.”
The club has managed to score a very respectable six goals combined in its three regular season matches. However, following the first goal of the season in Fresno on March 17 – scored just over a minute in by Matt Thomas – the following four came as a result of set pieces, and the fifth was an own goal courtesy of Swope Park last Saturday night which made the ultimate difference on the scoreboard.
“It’s been mostly effort, and there are some games where we’ll have to be a little better on the ball and where effort won’t be enough – We need more soccer skill behind it, so that’s what we’re focusing on,” midfielder Julian Portugal said. “Our main focus right now is backtracking a little bit on simple mistakes we’re making in the field. We’re marking sure our passes are sharp, then we raise the intensity again.”
Next Saturday should provide yet another stiff early season test.
Swope Park (3-1-0, 9 points) jumped back atop the Western Conference standings following a Wednesday night victory over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on the heels of their loss at Cashman Field.
Behind the Rangers is a 5-way tie at seven points, which Lights FC and Sacramento (2-0-1) are both part of. That will likely not be the case come next week, as the four teams with Lights FC in that group – Sacramento, Phoenix Rising FC, Fresno FC and Orange County FC – all play Saturday night.
Meanwhile, after a week of finding some strong balance both mentally and physically, Lights FC should be heading into next week ready for the challenge.
“Ultimately, they need to enjoy these good moments, but we need to find the correct balance,” Sánchez said. “When they are happy, it’s the perfect time to be more demanding.”
