The last time Las Vegas Lights FC took its home pitch at Cashman Field, what unfolded was the club’s most impressive offensive showing of its inaugural season.
Saturday night’s goal is to raise the bar even higher, when Lights FC welcomes Seattle Sounders 2 to Downtown Las Vegas for the first of two regular season meetings between the teams. Tickets for the 8 p.m. match are available, starting at just $15, at LightsFC.com.
Saturday’s experience will also feature tributes to the dads in attendance on the eve of Father’s Day. At the Zappos Tailgate, which begins at 5:30 p.m., it’s “Hops for Pops” – all dads in attendance receive a free beer with proof of fatherhood. Following the match, families are welcomed onto the pitch with their kids to kick the soccer ball around.
The match will give some fans their first glimpses at a handful of newcomers to the roster, who have added plenty to the mix to start a key mid-season stretch.
Midfielders Zach Mathers and Raul Mendiola each tallied an assist as second half subs in the 4-1 victory over Colorado Springs on June 2. Fellow midfielder Eric Avila has added a jolt on the right side of the attack through three USL matches as a member of Lights FC. Plus, newly acquired defender Nico Samayoa will be making his Cashman Field debut after recording his first minutes for the club as a second half sub in Wednesday’s tough road loss at Phoenix Rising FC.
The influx of mid-season acquisitions has shown dividends not only on Match Day, but also in the club’s preparations.
“Bringing in new guys always makes guys work harder,” Mathers said. “I think our practices have shown that. The energy has been really high, and everyone really wants to get back into a playoff spot.”
Added Head Coach Isidro Sánchez: “We have a really good competition going. As a coaching staff, it’s about choosing who are the best players in the moment. But it’s more dynamic, there’s more continuity in our training.”
In the chase to get back into the USL Western Conference’s Top 8, getting three points from Sounders 2 could be crucial.
According to Sánchez, don’t let Sounders 2’s record (3-7-2, 11 points) fool you. As a developmental side for a Major League Soccer club, Sánchez sees similarities between Sounders 2 and LA Galaxy II, who handed Lights FC (3-5-4, 13 points) a tough road defeat a couple of weeks back.
Following a tough stretch on its schedule, Sounders 2 enters Saturday’s match off of a big 2-1 home victory last Sunday over OKC Energy. In that match, captain David Estrada scored two goals – in the 83rd & 85th minutes – to snap the club’s drought.
“They’re a young team, kind of like (Galaxy II), and are more unpredictable,” Sánchez said. “But playing at home, I think there are many fans here in Vegas who are sad because they didn’t see the 4-1 win (on June 2). Now, there will be maybe 2,000 or 3,000 more to see us again.
“It’s a very good opportunity.”
LIGHTS FC NOTES HEADING INTO SATURDAY NIGHT:
MATHERS EXCITED TO FACE FORMER TEAM: The third match with Lights FC for Zach Mathers holds a little bit of added personal meaning.
A second round pick of Seattle Sounders FC in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, he scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for Sounders 2 from 2016-17. The former Duke University standout has shown his midfield prowess through two appearances with his new club, as well.
“I respect the coaching staff and all the players there, I maintain a good relationship with all of them,” Mathers said. “But it’ll be a really exciting game and fun to see some familiar faces. Knowing them and the way they play for two years, it’ll give us a good edge against them.”
ANOTHER CASHMAN FIELD DEBUT: Mathers and other recent signees have raved about their first experiences playing in the unique home atmosphere at Cashman Field, and now defender Nico Samayoa gets his chance.
After joining Lights FC on loan from MLS club New England Revolution late last week, Samayoa debuted in the second half of Wednesday’s match in Phoenix.
“I’m just happy and motivated with the opportunity to come help a team that’s doing well and doing things different,” Samayoa said. “I followed the team on Instagram, and I’ve seen the things that they’re doing, getting out in the community, taking the culture of Las Vegas and putting it into the team. It looks like it’s gonna be fun to be a part of.”
INJURY UPDATES: Out of Saturday’s match while recovering from a lower body injury is forward Juan Carlos Garcia. A handful of his teammates, also battling varying lower body injuries, are listed as questionable heading into the Sounders 2 showdown – defender Miguel Garduño, plus midfielders Juan Jose Calderon, Raul Mendiola, Matt Thomas and Eric Avila.
DISCIPLINE UPDATES: Lights FC will be without starting goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño for the first time this USL season, as he acquired his fifth yellow card on Wednesday night, triggering an automatic 1-match accumulation suspension. In his place, making their first career USL start will be one of two Las Vegas natives – Angel Alvarez or Thomas Olsen. Meanwhile, two more Lights FC players are one yellow away from earning a 1-game accumulation suspension – midfielder Carlos Alvarez and defender Miguel Garduño.
WHO TO KNOW FOR LIGHTS FC
Midfielder Carlos Alvarez (#7) continues to do it all in the middle of the field, leading the offensive attack for Lights FC. With four goals and three assists to his credit in USL play, he’s been the team’s top creator and finisher to this point in 2018. He’s looked even more dangerous in recent matches, as the midfield and attack has continued to gel. Alvarez was inches away – twice – from notching his fifth goal of the season in Wednesday’s loss in Phoenix.
Forward Sammy Ochoa (#9) saw his confidence spike following his first goal of the 2018 season in Lights FC’s last home match. As one of three Lights FC players to stay on the pitch for every minute of the 2018 season to date, Ochoa provides a big presence and commands attention in the front of the attack – a role which has also opened up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Defender Joel Huiqui (#3) has been one of Lights FC’s premier defenders this season, and also a true leader, earning his captaincy. While also leading by example, the Mexican National Team and LigaMX veteran is currently second on the team with 53 defensive clearances this season.
HERE IS EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF SATURDAY’S MATCH VS. SOUNDERS 2:
– Saturday’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 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. Saturday’s Zappos Tailgate will also feature “Hops for Pops” – all dads in attendance get a free beer.
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
– Sauturday’s match will air locally on myLVTV, and is streaming nationwide on the new ESPN+ app.
– The Spanish-language radio broadcast takes place on ESPN Deportes 1460 AM, and can be streamed live at LVSportsNetwork.com.
