Lights FC vs. FC Golden State Force to stream live at 7 p.m. at LightsFC.com/USOC3rdRound.
FC Golden State Force already proved last week that it is more than capable of defeating a professional USL club.
Last Wednesday, while Las Vegas Lights FC was playing a rare home match at UNLV and advancing to the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by defeating FC Tucson, 4-2, Golden State Force was upending USL’s Orange County SC by the same score.
Now, due to the result of a coin flip, Lights FC is hitting the road for tonight’s 7 p.m. showdown with the USL Premier Development League club, with a trip to the U.S. Open Cup’s fourth round – and a likely match-up with a Major League Soccer opponent – on the line.
The third round match-up, which will stream live at LightsFC.com/USOC3rdRound, is the first of two during an extended road trip in Southern California this week for Lights FC, who continues USL league play Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. against LA Galaxy II. Tonight’s game takes place at Allen Layne Stadium in Downey, Calif.
Lights FC will also get a significant emotional boost this week while on the road, as Technical Director Chelís brings his fire and passion back to the sidelines following the conclusion of his 4-match USL suspension. Chelís has had a presence at each Lights FC match during the suspension, though from afar. Tonight, he returns to lead the team from his normal spot alongside Head Coach Isidro Sánchez.
But before facing Galaxy II, before getting another potential crack at MLS competition, first things first – The focus is strictly on a hungry USL PDL side, which won the league’s Western Conference championship just a year ago.
“Last Wednesday’s mentality is the same for this game,” Sánchez said. “It’s going to be the most important game of the year. We need to face it exactly with the same idea.
“When you’re facing those kinds of games, the underdog has big dreams and a big desire. In the beginning, you need to demonstrate, play by play, who is the more experienced team. It’s not just about talking. You have to demonstrate it. If you demonstrate it right away, it will be easier.”
Last week against another USL PDL opponent, Lights FC came out firing with that mentality, scoring twice in the first nine minutes of the match. But then, what Sánchez would later label a ‘mental’ lapse set in, and FC Tucson equalized the score, striking both just before and just after halftime. It took two late scores from forward Sammy Ochoa to push Lights FC into the third round.
Despite following last Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup triumph with a 2-0 loss to first place Real Monarchs SLC in USL play on Saturday night, the club carried its offensive momentum through the game, out-shooting Monarchs 26-8 in one of the team’s most aggressive offensive outputs of the season.
“The confidence level right now is high – Obviously, Saturday we didn’t get the result we wanted, but I think we played really well,” Lights FC midfielder Carlos Alvarez said. “We’re getting better chemistry, this thing is getting closer and we’re going to start getting the results we want.”
That trend needs to continue Wednesday night against a formidable foe.
“They are a very disciplined team, and they have quality players,” Sánchez added. “They have those kinds of players who need just one opportunity to score. We need to score and to be aware. They counter-attack very fast and accurately with their quality. We have to take advantage of any offensive play we have. Orange County is a good team in our conference. For Golden State to score four times against a good team like that, you need to be aware.”
The winner likely draws a showdown with Major League Soccer competition in the fourth round, which takes place on Wednesday, June 6. That round will feature 12 third round winners, and 20 MLS clubs entering the field. The fourth round draws – and hosts, determined via coin flip – will be announced at 8 a.m. PT on Thursday morning. The draw will be streamed live at ussoccer.com.
Lights FC faced a trio of MLS clubs at Cashman Field in February as part of Soccer Spring Training. Those were the club’s first three official matches playing together. Now with more than 10 matches under its belt, getting another crack at an MLS opponent would be significant, and not just for the Lights FC players and coaching staff.
“Much more than an opportunity to face an MLS team is the sense that our fans deserve it,” Sánchez said. “Hopefully we can win on Wednesday, then win the coin toss and play at home. It will be a very demanding game on Wednesday, but one of our main motivations is to return a party to the fans by hosting an MLS team.”
CALDERON & AVILA AVAILABLE: Noteworthy tonight will be two key additions to the Lights FC offensive attack – midfielders Juan Jose Calderon and Eric Avila. Calderon returned as a late sub Saturday night to make his regular season debut. He suffered a lower body injury just before the start of the USL schedule in March after leading Lights FC in scoring in the preseason with three goals. Meanwhile, Avila officially signed with Lights FC this week, and brings years of high-level MLS and USL experience to the fold, including having played for Chelís and Isidro Sánchez with MLS club Chivas USA in 2013.
