The Las Vegas Lights and Loudoun United played to a thrilling 1-1, weather-delayed draw at Segra Field in Leesburg, Va., on Friday night. Coleman Gannon scored for Vegas in the second minute before Tommy McCabe’s equalizer in the 52nd minute split the points. The teams combined for 37 total shots and 15 on target.
Gannon opened the scoring just 62 seconds into the match when Solomon Asante picked up a Loudoun turnover and drove down the left flank. Asante cut inside, dragged the ball behind him to leave it for Gannon and the 21-year-old fired home a powerful left-footed strike that beat goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux up high.
Loudoun had a great chance to equalize in the sixth minute, but Vegas goalkeeper Nicholas Ammeter made a great save to deny a header from Drew Skundrich.
Ammeter made an even better save a minute later when he dove to his right after a dangerous cross into the box went untouched and looked destined for the far post.
Ammeter made another great save in the 22nd minute when he kept out a Zach Ryan effort by getting down and sitting on the first-timed redirection to keep it out of the net.
Fauroux made a brilliant stop of his own in the 25th minute when J.C. Ngando played a lovely incisive through ball to Shawn Smart, whose one-timed effort was kicked away by Fauroux.
Maliek Howell nearly pulled off an incredible bicycle kick goal in the 36th minute, but Fauroux got just a fingertip to it to push it off the post and keep it out before Jacob Erlandson cleared it off the goal line.
Loudoun nearly equalized a minute before halftime when Florian Valot’s header rattled off the near post. The ricochet fell to Zach Ryan, but he dragged his close-range effort wide.
Play was halted at halftime due to lightning in the area and resumed after a nearly two-hour break.
Loudoun was inches away from tying the match two minutes after the restart when Skundrich’s shot was saved off the line by Fabien Garcia.
McCabe found the leveler in the 52nd minute when he struck a half-volley from 20 yards out off an attempted clearance and rifled it into the net.
Ammeter kept the match at 1-1 in the 59th minute when he stonewalled a gilt-edge chance from Ryan 12 yards from goal by getting down to his right and kicking away the shot.
Vegas had a chance to take the lead in the 69th minute when Edison Azcona picked out Valentin Nöel, but his shot from the top of the box was blocked and cleared away to safety.
Ammeter made yet another brilliant stop in the 72nd minute when he dove to deny a Wesley Leggett attempt off a Loudoun corner kick.
Fauroux made an acrobatic stop of his own in the 76th minute when Joe Gyau unleashed a shot at the top of the box that Fauroux managed to get a hand to and send over the crossbar.
Khori Bennett had a great chance to score the winner in the second minute of stoppage time, but an onrushing Fauroux denied him.
Fauroux may have saved his best for last in the sixth minute of stoppage time when he pushed an Ngando effort that was headed into the top corner up and over the crossbar.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Ammeter stands on his head
It was a performance to remember for Ammeter. The 23-year-old Swiss goalkeeper made seven saves on the evening, including several highlight-worthy stops to stifle Loudoun’s attack.
Unbeaten in five of six
Following a stretch of four consecutive losses in all competitions, Las Vegas is now unbeaten in five of its last six USL Championship contests.
Three straight at home await
The Lights will return to Vegas for a crucial three-game homestand starting with a Tuesday evening matchup against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks (7:30 p.m. PT | TICKETS). The Lights will then welcome Memphis 901 FC and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to Cashman Field over the next couple weeks.
SCORING SUMMARY
LV – Coleman Gannon 2’ (Assist: Solomon Asante)
LDN – Tommy McCabe 52’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
LDN – Tommy McCabe 24’
LV – Khori Bennett 36’
LV – Maliek Howell 43’
LDN – Zach Ryan 45’+6’
LINEUPS AND STATS
Las Vegas Lights FC – Nicholas Ammeter; Joe Hafferty, Maliek Howell (Hayden Sargis 86’), Fabien Garcia, Gennaro Nigro; Valentin Noël, J.C. Ngando, Coleman Gannon (Edison Azcona 62’); Solomon Asante (Christian Pinzón 62’), Khori Bennett, Shawn Smart (Joe Gyau 62’, Emrah Klimenta 83’)
Substitutes not used: Raiko Arozarena, Zander Romero
Total shots: 19
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 12
Corner kicks: 9
Offside: 1
Saves: 7
Loudoun United – Hugo Fauroux; Robby Dambrot, Jacob Erlandson (Yanis Leerman 77’), Keegan Hughes; Kwame Awuah, Drew Skundrich, Tommy McCabe, Keegan Tingey; Riley Bidois (Wesley Leggett 67’), Zach Ryan (Abdellatif Aboukoura 83’), Florian Valot
Substitutes not used: Dane Jacomen, Justin Melly, Cole Turner, Pape Amadou Wane, Christiano François
Total shots: 18
Shots on goal: 9
Fouls: 9
Corner kicks: 6
Offside: 1
Saves: 5
