LAS VEGAS, NV – Lights FC needed to defeat San Antonio to keep their playoff push alive and they delivered by obtaining a 4-2 win in front of 7,765 fans at Cashman Field. The results in other games favored Las Vegas, who finish the day only one point out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference and three points away from ninth place.
A fantastic cross by Panzani Sousa found Javan Torre in the box who put it in the six-yard box with a header, and a bad clearance by Joshua Yaro allowed Irvin Raul Parra to strike it with his head. The assistant referee signaled the ball crossed the goal line before being unsuccessfully blocked by Yaro, giving Lights FC the lead 1-0.
“We’re working hard day in and day out and we’re busting our butts off because we’re trying to prove to so many people that we want to be in the playoffs,” stated Parra. “You guys can see from the way we played tonight we want to be in the playoffs. It’s marvelous, you know, we never gave up.”
San Antonio struck back immediately after the Lights FC first goal. A long ball from midfield by Rafa Castillo found Brian Gomez inside the box. After beating Bryan De La Fuente, he took a low-shot that slipped past Thomas Olsen to tie the score.
The aggressiveness from Las Vegas was at an all-time high with the team’s playoffs hopes on the line and it paid off in the 22nd minute. Once again “Ferrety” Sousa was key in a Lights score, with his pass to Tabort Etaka Preston being slightly deflected by a San Antonio FC player but the ball still landed in front of the Cameroonian striker who scored to put the home team ahead once again.
With everything pointing to a 2-1 halftime lead, Las Vegas got on the scoreboard once again 5 minutes into added time. A brilliant play on the right side of the field initiated by Panzani Sousa left Kevin Garcia Lopez in an ideal position to serve Irvin Raul Parra, who with a one-time shot that went off the post and into the back of the net to extend the Lights lead to 3-1.
“To get that goal, we knew what we had to do going into halftime up 3-1,” stated Wynalda. “We had to be smart, manage the game, make sure that we got to the end of this thing and make sure we have more goals than they did. And that ended up being the case.”
San Antonio FC got dangerously close to taking a positive result back to Texas after a penalty kick was called for a foul from Gabe Robinson in the box. Frank Lopez took the shot and kicked it to the opposite side of Thomas Olsen to put the visitors one goal away from the tie with 20 minutes to go in the second half.
Las Vegas retreated their lines to protect the score and despite the offensive onslaught from San Antonio, they were able to protect their goal. The visitors ended up playing a man down after a red card was shown to Frank Lopez in added time.
In the eighth-minute of added time, a counterattack by Las Vegas sealed the Lights FC victory, as “Ferrety” Sousa once again a contributing factor in a scoring play. This time he was credited with an assist to Cristian Martinez, with the Panamanian National Team member getting his second goal with Lights FC to close out a 4-2 win.
“This victory was everything, it was exactly what we needed,” said Panzani Sousa, who was involved in every Lights FC goal against San Antonio. “We needed three points, and we got them. Everybody put in a great effort and I’m just happy that I was able to help out. Right now we can focus on ourselves and do what we can do. If we can come away with another three points next Saturday, we’ll be another step closer to the playoffs.”
Lights FC will host their last regular-season home game on Saturday, October 12 by facing the team from that city up north in the second round of the Silver State Cup. The playoff push by Las Vegas has added even more importance to this rivalry game, with it being key for the Lights aspirations to jump into the tenth spot. Tickets are available at LightsFC.com/Tix or by calling 702-728-GOAL. The best ticket prices in town for Lights FC games can be found at every La Bonita Supermarket in the Valley.
