WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO LIGHTS FC AT OCSC:
– Wednesday night’s match will air locally on myLVTV and stream nationwide on ESPN+.
– The Spanish-language radio broadcast takes place on ESPN Deportes 1460 AM, and can be streamed live at LVSportsNetwork.com.
IRVINE, Calif. – Las Vegas Lights FC hits the road for its second away match in five days, and after coming away from Saturday’s showdown with Saint Louis FC empty-handed, the challenge now only gets tougher.
But the club doesn’t necessarily look at that as a bad thing.
Still within striking range of the Top 8 in the USL Western Conference playoff race, Lights FC (7-10-5, 26 points) now heads west for its first of two 2018 meetings with Orange County SC (13-6-5, 44 points).
The two will square off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, with the match airing locally on myLVTV and streaming nationwide on ESPN+.
Against a team currently sitting in second place on the Western Conference table, the sense of urgency has never been higher.
On the horizon immediately after Wednesday’s showdown will be a home date with Phoenix Rising FC (12-6-5, 41 points) Saturday night at 8 p.m. back at Cashman Field, where Lights FC has won four straight matches.
It’s a daunting task for a club still looking to string consecutive wins together for the first time in 2018, but there wouldn’t be any better time than this week to get over that hump.
“These are the kinds of games we like to play – When you’re in a bad moment, the best thing that can happen sometimes is playing in that moment against the best teams,” Lights FC Technical Director Chelís said. “These are big opportunities. We have to take advantage.”
Lights FC fell Saturday night at Saint Louis FC, 4-1, and now must rebound quickly. It currently finds itself sitting seven points outside of the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, and has a couple of games in hand at its disposal. But wins will need to pile up in a hurry, no matter the opponent.
Orange County SC enters Wednesday’s showdown riding a six-match unbeaten streak, most recently notching a 4-3 victory on its home pitch against Phoenix last Saturday night. More than two-thirds of the way through the 2018 season, OCSC is the only team Lights FC has yet to face in regular season play.
However, the two did meet in each club’s preseason finale back on March 9, battling to a 1-1 draw.
The two teams have traveled different paths since then, and Lights FC’s has been inconsistent – Something the technical staff is looking to correct during a crucial closing stretch to the season with goals still within reach.
“Consistency is discipline,” Chelís added. “The only way to find consistency is to be disciplined.”
LIGHTS FC NOTES HEADING INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
UFC NIGHT ON TAP AT CASHMAN FIELD: Saturday night, when Lights FC welcomes Phoenix Rising FC to Cashman Field, will be “UFC Night” in DTLV. UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez and UFC women’s strawweight Claudia Gedalha will be in attendance, beginning the night by hanging out at the pregame Zappos Tailgate, meeting and greeting fans beginning at 6 p.m. The trio will also take part in events inside Cashman Field throughout the night. Tickets for Saturday night’s match start at just $15 at LightsFC.com, and also available throughout August is the “Ticket and Grub” combo, which features a $10 food voucher with each ticket purchased when buying four or more in the Supporter, Corner or Midfield Upper sections. For a full rundown of August “Saturday Night Lights” promotions and ticket specials, visit LightsFC.com/August.
PLAYOFF CHASE UPDATE: While Orange County SC is firmly entrenched in one of the top spots in the Western Conference playoff picture, Lights FC has some ground to begin making up. Following Saturday’s loss at Saint Louis FC, Lights FC remained in 13th place in the 17-team conference, and is still seven points outside of the Top 8. Lights FC currently has matches at home remaining with the two teams directly above it on the table – Fresno FC and OKC Energy FC. If Lights FC is to climb its way into a playoff spot, it will be done so with authority, as nine of the club’s 12 remaining matches come against teams currently in the Top 8.
SALGADO THE SNIPER: Scoring his second goal in five matches with the club Saturday night was forward Omar Salgado, who is proving to be a threat all around on set pieces for Lights FC. Saturday’s goal came on a laser penalty kick attempt, while his first was on a straight-on free kick that split the Portland Timbers 2 defensive wall back on July 22. Salgado also assisted on the lone goal in a 1-0 victory at Cashman Field on July 14 over Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, sending in a beautiful corner kick to captain Joel Huiqui, who headed in the game-winner in the 82nd minute.
FERRIÑO CONTINUES TO CREATE HIGHLIGHTS: In many ways, goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño has embodied the spirit of Lights FC on the pitch in 2018. That was on display in particular early in the second half of Saturday’s loss, when Ferriño had one of his best individual efforts of the season. Facing a 1-on-1 counter attack coming down the right side, Ferriño charged from his post to make a diving stab at a Saint Louis FC shot from distance. Then, he collected himself and sprinted back across the box to knock away a rebound attempt. The effort was nominated as a USL Save of the Week candidate. On the season, Ferriño is sixth in the 33-team league with 63 goalkeeper saves.
DISCIPLINE UPDATES: Lights FC will be without three key pieces on Wednesday night. Midfielder Carlos Alvarez is serving the final leg of a 3-match suspension following a red card in a July 26 match at Seattle Sounders 2. Meanwhile, defender Miguel Garduño is also suspended for the match following a red card issued during the second half of Saturday’s match in St. Louis. Finally, defender Joel Huiqui will miss both matches this week, earning an automatic 2-match suspension due to his 11th yellow card of the season being accumulated last weekend.
INJURY UPDATES: For the third straight match, Lights FC enters play on Wednesday night with an empty injury report.
WHO TO KNOW FOR LIGHTS FC
Forward Raul Mendiola (#40) has quickly become a fan favorite with Lights FC as a midseason signee. The former LA Galaxy fixture scored his second goal of the season on Saturday, July 7 – the deciding score in a 1-0 home victory over Saint Louis FC – then followed it up with the first Hat Trick in club history at OKC Energy FC four nights later. He’s proven to be an aggressive, speedy force within the attack, and others are feeding off of his energy and hunger.
Midfielder Rafael Garcia (#25) drew a start on Saturday night in his first match with Lights FC after signing with the club late last week. Garcia played previously with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy (2012-17) and helped the club to two MLS Cup championships (2012 & 2014). An aggressive midfielder, Garcia figures to play a big role late in the season for his new club.
Midfielder Matt Thomas (#21) has returned from a lower body injury that sidelined him for the better part of six weeks, and in his first two matches back has been used as a spark plug-type of sub in the second half. A hard-working attacker who never slows down, his return adds another dimension to the team’s offensive attack in the final third of the season.
