The Las Vegas Lights are hosting Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday in their first and only meeting of the season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at Cashman Field. Tickets to the Lights’ Pride Night are available at www.lasvegaslightsfc.com/tickets or by clicking here.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch locally on SSSEN and FOX5 and streamed nationally on ESPN+ (subscription required).
2024 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Lights: 4-7-6 (18 points, 9th West), Riverhounds: 3-7-6 (15 points, 10th East)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Las Vegas: DDDWD, Pittsburgh: DLLDL
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Riverhounds defeated the Lights 4-1 on May 20, 2023, at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. Edward Kizza recorded a brace and Arturo Ordoñez and Daniel Griffin each scored for the Riverhounds before the Lights’ Marcelo Lage pulled back a late consolation goal.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Las Vegas Lights forward Khori Bennett is coming off a Week 16 USL Championship Team of the Week honor after scoring in back-to-back matches.
SARGIS BACK TO D.C.: Major League Soccer club D.C. United recalled on-loan defender Hayden Sargis on Wednesday. Sargis made eight regular-season appearances (four starts) and played 353 minutes since joining Las Vegas ahead of the 2024 campaign.
UNBEATEN RUN: The Lights are unbeaten in their last five matches and have lost just once in their last eight games. Halfway through the 2024 season, they are just one point shy of matching last year’s entire point total.
TROUBLE SCORING: Pittsburgh has failed to score in its last four matches and has tallied just once in its last six. The Riverhounds are last in the USL Championship in goals scored this season with just 11 in 16 games.
WINLESS STREAK: The Riverhounds are winless in their last nine matches. Their last victory came in a 1-0 home win over Miami FC on May 4.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Pat Hogan, D
Hogan anchors a back line with three center backs in Bob Lilley’s 5-3-2 formation. The former Charleston Battery defender has helped lead a stalwart Riverhounds defense that has conceded just 17 goals in 16 matches this year and pitched six clean sheets.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Lights FC defender Joe Hafferty
On being unbeaten in seven of their last eight matches…
We have a talented side, a lot of very skilled and experience people on the team. We have a collective buy-in. We’ve proven that we can score goals — Khori Bennett, Valentin Nöel, a bunch of people putting the ball in the back of the net — so that always helps. Everyone commits to defense and having a stretch of home games helps as well.
Lights FC midfielder Edison Azcona
On the importance of getting three points at home this weekend before four straight away matches…
We love the fan support and we love playing in front of our fans. Since it’s going to be the last home game for the next month, we definitely want to leave them with a win.
Lights FC Head Coach Dennis Sanchez
On what he expects from the matchup with the Riverhounds on Saturday…
Bob Lilley is a notoriously known manager, very organized, hasn’t missed the playoffs in his entire career. Regardless of what their record has been, we know that it’s going to be a hard game. They’re going to be a difficult opponent that’s going to give everything. We have to continue to focus on ourselves, but at the same time not overlook Pittsburgh by any means.