The odometer on Las Vegas Lights Football Club’s inaugural USL regular season is about to rack up miles in a hurry after a steady start.
Entering Friday night at 2-0-2 (8 points), the club is coming into its 8 p.m. showdown with San Antonio FC (1-2-3, 6 points) off of its second week in the last three without a match on the schedule. Friday’s game will be will be the first of at least six in a 30-day stretch, including competition in the upcoming Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
“To compare (Monday) to the same day two weeks ago, there’s a big difference,” Lights FC Head Coach Isidro Sánchez said. “We feel a bigger desire, bigger commitment in the players. Maybe we aren’t so shiny or at our best point, but we feel we are more committed to the next game. It’s a good thing, because it’s a short week. I prefer short weeks.”
Finding short weeks on the schedule moving forward won’t be a problem, and the Lights FC staff feels its team overall managed the week away from competition better this time than the 2-week stretch heading into its last match – a 1-1 draw with Sacramento Republic FC on April 14.
The team will also be showcased on a bigger stage this week, in its first of three regular season appearances in the USL “Game of the Week,” available nationwide on ESPN3, while also airing locally on myLVTV and streaming on the ESPN+ app.
Weather forecasts are calling for warm temperatures once again Friday night in Downtown Las Vegas, and single-match tickets are available, starting at just $15. To purchase, visit LightsFC.com/SingleTix. The Zappos Tailgate begins at 5:30 p.m., and will feature $3 Soccer Happy Hour beer selections until 8 p.m.
“We believe that this is the game where we’re going to take off,” defender and captain Joel Huiqui said. “We’ve won and tied games, but we believe that we can be even better on the field because of the quality of our players and because of the work we’ve done. Friday is the day we can do it and show the nation what Las Vegas Lights is about.”
A key area of continued focus for the club in training over the last two weeks has been the continued effort to build offense from the back and create a relentless, dangerous offensive attack.
The club has unveiled several creative approaches to set pieces through four regular season matches, several of which have caught opponents off-gaurd and led to spectacular goals. Now, the aim is to do the same in the flow of play.
“I think our offense is getting better,” said midfielder Carlos Alvarez. “We’re building chemistry, and it’s getting better. We’re scoring goals, and the goals are going to continue to come. It’s just keeping the zero in the back, and the first thing we have to focus on is defending, then attacking.”
An offensive explosion of sorts would also help spark some momentum heading into the first truly busy stretch of match play this season. Despite being unbeaten, Lights FC finds itself in the lower half of the Western Conference table, simply due to having played fewer games than every other team in the conference.
Out of the gates, Lights FC stirred up national attention through results, style of play and several other factors which make Match Day at Cashman Field one of the most unique experiences in the USL.
Now, picking up where the team left off before a dormant stretch on national television would be a great spark heading into a busy 1-month run.
“If you analyze professional football, its core business is entertainment,” Sánchez said. “If we are on national TV, we are putting on a show, a spectacle that many people will watch. We are making the same effort, training the same as always, but the result, more people will see it.
“I like playing high-limit bets – I prefer it. If we win (Friday), we will win a lot.”
LIGHTS FC NOTES HEADING INTO FRIDAY NIGHT:
DISCIPLINE UPDATES: San Antonio FC will be without midfielder Kris Tyrpak, who has started five of the club’s 2018 matches. He was ejected from the team’s previous match via red card for violent conduct, and will serve his 1-game suspension Friday night. Meanwhile, Lights FC’s Joel Huiqui has accumulated four yellow cards in four matches. With one more, he will earn a 1-game yellow card accumulation suspension. Lights FC’s Miguel Garduño and Sammy Ochoa each have three yellow cards on the season.
FERRIÑO SET FOR A BIG WEEKEND: Goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño has been a steady force between the posts this season for Lights FC. Manning the goal Friday night will only be the start of a hectic weekend for him. Saturday morning, he’ll fly to Mexico for his wedding. After swapping vows, he’ll travel back to the United States on Sunday in order to join the team for its trip to Utah to face Real Monarchs on Monday.
FACING A FORMER TEAM: Friday’s match will mark a reunion between Lights FC midfielder Carlos Alvarez and his former club, as he became the first signing in San Antonio FC history on Feb. 2, 2016. Alvarez scored four goals in 30 appearances in his first and only season with the club. “It’s an organization that opened new doors for me,” he said. “It was a good feeling, because they believed in me and I did real well there. But at the end of the day, my main focus right now is Las Vegas Lights. I just want to win another game at home and protect our home turf.”
INJURY UPDATES: Still out heading into Friday night’s match is forward Juan Jose Calderon, who continues to work his way back from a lower body injury suffered in the preseason. Back to full training this week from various lower body injuries are midfielder Daigo Kobayashi, forward Isaac Diaz and defender Jorge Guillen-Torres.
Defender Joel Huiqui (#3) has established himself as Lights FC’s captain and one of the club’s genuine leaders. The steadying force on a stout, productive back line, the Mexican National Team veteran has provided great guidance for young defenders such as Miguel Garduño, Marco Cesar Jaime Jr. and others. He also scored his second goal of the season on a beautiful header in the second minute of the 1-1 draw with Sacramento Republic FC on April 14.
Midfielder Carlos Alvarez (#7) has been one of the club’s top performers to start its inaugural season, with a goal and two assists in four matches. Especially with midfielder Daigo Kobayashi missing the team’s last two games due to injury, Alvarez has provided consistency within the team’s attack while flashing play-making abilities of all kinds.
Goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño (#1) continues to steady his overall play in goal, balancing skill with calculated aggression when charging from the box to make plays and stymie offensive chances. His 16 goalkeeper saves through four matches are tied for the third-highest total in the USL.
WHO TO KNOW FOR SAN ANTONIO FC
Midfielder Sonny Guadarrama (#33) and forward Ever Guzman (#99) are players with lengthy, successful playing backgrounds in Mexico, making them very familiar to both the Lights FC coaching staff and several Lights FC players. Both are key on the San Antonio FC offensive attack.
Midfielder Mikey Lopez (#5) was a first-round pick of Sporting Kansas City in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, and after playing with New York City FC last season, he has two goals scored in his first two matches with San Antonio FC.
HERE IS EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF FRIDAY’S MATCH VS. SAN ANTONIO FC:
- Friday’s match kicks off at 8 p.m. For on-site ticket purchase at Cashman Field, the box office will open at 12 p.m., and Will Call opens at 4:30 p.m.
- The expanded Zappos Tailgate Party, featuring Lights FC’s own “Cash the Soccer Rocker,” live music, a variety of food trucks, an experiential beer garden from Motley Brews featuring $3 Soccer Happy Hour beer selections and tailgate games for both kids and adults begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Cashman parking lot. The Zappos Tailgate is FREE for fans to attend.
- Gates to the stadium for general public entry open at 7 p.m., with three available entrances at Cashman Field: The Main Gate, the Zappos Gate and the Stadium Corner Gate.
WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN
- The match will air locally on myLVTV. myLVTV is available locally over the air (Channel 21), on COX (Channel 12, 1012 in HD), on Centurylink (Channel 21) and on DirecTV (Channel 21). It will be seen nationally on ESPN3, and also stream live on the ESPN+ app.
- The Spanish-language radio broadcast takes place on ESPN Deportes 1460 AM, and can be streamed live at LVSportsNetwork.com.
