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The streaky nature of being a forward is nothing new to Sammy Ochoa.
Long ago, he learned to take the good with the bad, and how to remain positive that the next goal will, in fact, come.
Through four games in Lights FC’s inaugural United Soccer League season, Ochoa has fired off nine shots to no avail. The signs are there that his first goal of 2018 is coming. Him believing that is half the battle.
“Most forwards are used to it,” he said. “It gets to a point where there is pressure, but you’re just waiting for that one to come, then the rest will follow.”
Goal No. 1 for Ochoa was never closer than just minutes before halftime Saturday night in the club’s 1-1 draw vs. Ochoa’s former team – Sacramento Republic FC. It was then when he took a beautiful feed down the right edge from Marcelo Alatorre and fired a rocket to the far side that beat the Sacramento keeper, only to see the ball sail just inches outside of the post.
Over the previous three seasons, Ochoa scored 28 goals in 81 USL appearances for Tulsa Roughnecks FC (2015-16) and Sacramento (2017). So far this season, he’d done his best to still be a force up front for Lights FC despite not scoring.
“We are scoring – I’m just not scoring, and as a forward, that’s what you live off of,” he said. “I think I’ve done well moving the ball. As long as I can help the team, working hard, even defensively, and we get the good result, I don’t mind who scores. I know I’ll get more chances and I’ll put some away.”
Off-field benefits so far for Ochoa, which have made his transition to Las Vegas smooth, are the proximity to home (Riverside, Calif.) and having his family here in town with him, including his wife and three young children.
On the field, Ochoa is enjoying his reunion with Lights FC Technical Director Chelís, who coached him back in 2011 when the two were both at Estudientes Tecos in Mexico – a familiarity that he believes is bringing the best out of him as a player, goals or no goals.
“He has a different way of working, compared to other coaches in the United States,” Ochoa said. “It feels like when I was back playing in Mexico. I’m enjoying it, and a lot of guys are enjoying it, especially since we’re winning.”
GUILLEN-TORRES NEARING HIS LIGHTS FC DEBUT
An intriguing young talent is getting closer and closer to making his Lights FC debut.
Defender Jorge “Alex” Guillen-Torres, who suffered a lower body injury before the club’s first preseason match, has resumed full contact training this week.
The 23-year-old San Diego, Calif., native could potentially bring plenty of strength and versatility to the club. The timing of his injury, coming ahead of a 4-game preseason schedule, which also featured multiple scrimmages, was unfortunate for Guillen-Torres. However, the assurance from the coaching staff that he would get a fair look helped make the rehab process easier.
“Thankfully, Chelís gave me the opportunity to stay during the preseason – He had faith in me, and I appreciated that,” Guillen-Torres said. “He told me right away (after getting injured), so that was what kept me going, kept me having that patience and wanting to come back even stronger.”
Meanwhile, still working their way back to full strength from various lower body injuries are forward Juan Jose Calderon, who has missed each of the club’s four regular season matches, Isaac Diaz, who has been out of the last two contests and Daigo Kobayashi, who left the March 24 home opener against Reno 1868 FC with his injury.
MANAGING ANOTHER BYE WEEK
Going two of three weeks without a match is a rarity on any club’s schedule. And it will likely be the only such stretch Lights FC has all season.
The team is maintaining a regular training schedule this week ahead of its next match – Friday, April 27 at home against San Antonio FC. The next time it will have more than a standard week to prepare for a match during the USL regular season will be between matches on Saturday, June 2 at home vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, then Wednesday, June 13 at Phoenix Rising FC.
During the previous bye week, the team took Monday and Tuesday off from training, then built its practice intensity back up steadily heading into the match week. This time, the team had a light strength session on Monday, then was back on the pitch at full speed Tuesday morning.
“”It was an uncommon beginning (to our season schedule), now we have another week off – The last week off, we handled it very, very bad,” Sánchez said. “We need to try new things in this week off, because after this, we have a lot of games continuously, and this is the last time in the season we’ll have an (extended) rest period.”
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Head coach Isidro Sánchez pointed out following Saturday’s draw vs. Sacramento Republic FC that the team’s intense style and nature has translated to the club leading the league in yellow cards. The club is tied with Orange County SC with 18 – though Orange County has played six games to Las Vegas’s four.
But in terms of positive numbers, Lights FC has made its mark there so far, as well, through five weeks of USL play:
- As a team, Lights FC’s five goals conceded is tied for the fourth-fewest in the USL.
- Ricardo Ferriño’s 16 goalkeeper saves are tied for the second-most in the league.
- Midfielder Carlos Alvarez has had a well-documented strong start to the 2018 campaign, and his 12 offensive chances created are tied for the fourth-most in the league.
