Lights FC Head Coach Dennis Sanchez
On his overall impression of the match…
It’s never easy coming on the road. We talked all week how we want to play our way, we want to play with our identity, respect the opponent, but we also felt confident in where we were with the steps we’ve taken as a group to go in there and get three points. Really happy for the guys, who continue to use their effort and work rate to really create a winning culture here.
On what he said at halftime to spark second-half success…
There were just a few small adjustments. There’s always a reminder of going back to what has gotten us here, what is our foundation, what is our identity. Then just a couple tactical details of how we utilize our fullbacks and the spaces we can look to exploit.
On performances from Valentin Nöel and Gaoussou Samaké…
We play a very collective game, so any time we’re successful in our build-out and advancing into the final third, it gives more opportunities to our most dangerous players. Goals change games, and they had some really timely goals. They did fantastic tonight.
On back-to-back clean sheets…
We challenged them to take another step forward after the Memphis and Tulsa games to really try and control space and think about how we can be compact and be more aggressive in the right moments so we can win duels. When you play against a direct team like Oakland tonight, I thought we did a really good job of controlling space, winning second balls and when we’re around our own goal, putting our bodies on the line to protect and deny many goalscoring opportunities.
On the team’s vision and identity forming early on with back-to-back wins…
My message to the guys after the game was, ‘Well done, but we can still play a lot better.’ We talk about not getting too high, not getting too low and being even-keeled but enjoying the moment. It was a deserved win, but I know this group can continue to play even better. We just have to keep making progress, keep thinking about the things that we’re in control of and working hard and progressing every day.
On carrying momentum into next week against San Antonio FC…
It’s going to be a good challenge for us. Every time you play against a good side, it’s an opportunity to see where you are and an opportunity to grow. We’re going to come in full of confidence. We want to make it very difficult for teams to come into Vegas, and it’s going to be a great game.
