
Las Vegas Lights FC is visiting Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday in their second and final meeting of the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised locally on SSSEN and streamed nationally on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.
2024 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Lights: 11-8-10 (43 points 5th West), Phoenix: 9-10-9 (36 points, 7th West)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Las Vegas: WDDWW, Phoenix: LWLWW
PREVIOUS MEETING: Las Vegas Lights FC and Phoenix played to a scoreless draw at Cashman Field on June 1.
MAGIC NUMBER: The Lights’ magic number to reach their first playoff appearance in club history is down to just seven points. Entering this weekend, the USL Championship has Las Vegas’s playoff odds at 92%.
SEASON SWEEP: With the Lights victory over Sacramento Republic last week, they recorded their third home-and-home sweep of an opponent in their history and second this season (El Paso Locomotive).
NEW COACH: Phoenix parted ways with Head Coach Danny Stone on June 29. Stone’s assistant Diego Gómez is the new interim manager.
SHORT REST: Prior to hosting the Lights on Saturday, Phoenix travels to southern California to take on Orange County SC on Wednesday.
DEFENSIVELY SOUND: While Phoenix has had some troubles in the attacking end this season — the club is tied for the fourth-fewest goals scored with just 27 — it has more than made up for on the defensive side. Rising have conceded just 27 times, tied for the fewest in the league, and have recorded 12 clean sheets, one off the league-lead.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Dariusz Formella, F
The Polish attacker is second on the team with five goals this season and has added two assists. He’s also coming off a goalscoring effort in last week’s 4-0 rout of San Antonio FC.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Lights FC Head Coach Dennis Sanchez
On the matchup with Phoenix this weekend…
Phoenix is a team that’s well-organized and well-coached. Since they brought in their new coach halfway through the year, they’ve found some stability and consistency. They’re up near the top in points over the last six games. They’re a group that also likes to have the ball, so we know it’s going to be important to take care of the ball as well and make sure that we’re defensively organized. They pose some different questions with the ball, so we spent time working on that. At this point in the season, everyone is battling for their lives whether it’s to get into the playoffs or solidify their position and/or build momentum, so we know that every game from here on out is going to have a playoff feel to it.
Lights FC attacker Valentin Noël
On his success in the attacking third this season…
It’s related to the team and being part of a group that knows what we’re doing. From the coaching staff, we have a plan, and then it’s all about executing it. I’ve been able to arrive in good areas and finish goals and be involved. I still think I left some [goals] on the table and could have been better, but there’s always room for improvement.
Lights FC defender Shawn Smart
On the mixture of young and veteran talent in the group…
We have a pretty clear difference between the young guys and older guys. We all kind of know our place. [Us younger players] are good listeners, but we’re also not afraid to make mistakes and get our hands dirty when it comes to learning new things. Just having that respect for the older guys, everything falls into place with that.