The Lights return to Cashman to face Brooklyn FC in a key matchup to continue climbing the Western Conference standings.
Match: Las Vegas Lights FC (7-7-5, 8th in Western Conference) vs Brooklyn FC (3-7-4, 12th in Eastern Conference)
When: Saturday, August 15
Where: Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Watch: SSSEN, ESPN+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
May the force be with us.
The Lights are set for an epic showdown against Eastern Conference foes Brooklyn FC at Cashman Field for Galactic Night.
Riding high on a six-match unbeaten streak, Vegas is entering the final third of regular season competition operating at full strength.
Last Saturday, the Lights earned three valuable points at Pitbull Stadium following a 1-0 win, with Venezuelan striker Manuel Arteaga scoring his first goal for the team.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s last match took place more than two weeks ago: a 5-0 pummeling courtesy of Charleston Battery at Patriots Point Soccer Complex in South Carolina.
Both sides arrive at this match under very different circumstances. But this is the USL Championship and all teams are competitive.
It’s time to play the game.
The New Kids on the Block
Announced back in 2023, Brooklyn FC is playing their first USL Championship season ever.
Brooklyn currently stands second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points after three wins, four draws, and ten defeats.
The New York-based team has not been able to win away from Maimonides Park, earning only three points on the road.
Brooklyn are nine points behind eighth-placed Miami FC, and a win at Cashman Field could send them closer to a playoff spot at a crucial moment of the season.
The stakes are high.
Keys to the Match
Here are the keys to three points at Cashman Field.
Manuel Arteaga: Confidence boosted
Venezuelan forward Manuel Arteaga scored his first goal for the Lights against Miami FC last Saturday, helping the team earn three essential points in a difficult venue.
It had been a complicated season for Arteaga leading up to that match. The forward was third in possession earned in the final third and led the team in shots on target per match but had been unable to convert his efforts up front to goals.
That changed in Miami. Arteaga finally broke his goalscoring drought and led the team to victory, boosting his confidence for what remains of the regular season. Never underestimate a forward who has scored 58 goals across six seasons in the Championship. Especially when he’s finding his form
No need to fear, Charlie Lanphier is here
It doesn’t seem as if goalkeeper Charlie Lanphier is playing his first season as a pro.
Lanphier kept two clean sheets in his last two matches, got nominated to Save of the Week twice, and broke into the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 23 after a tremendous performance in Miami, where he made four vital saves.
At only 23, Lanphier has cemented himself as a trustworthy guardian to the Lights’ goal. If he keeps performing at this level, it will be hard for Brooklyn to get past him and score.
A Very Philly Team
Guided by former Philadelphia Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc, most of Brooklyn’s offensive output is coincidentally produced by two former Union players: CJ Olney Jr. and Markus Anderson.
Olney, who is usually deployed as a winger, has scored two goals and given out four assists in 17 matches, leading the team in chances created (26).
Forward Markus Anderson, a more traditional striker, is Brooklyn’s top scorer this season with five goals. He has also contributed three assists.
Brooklyn’s attacking productivity is the second lowest in the East, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. Olney Jr. and Anderson represent a threat to every USL Championship team, including Vegas.
The team must prepare accordingly.
