The Lights return to Cashman Field to play Charleston Battery in a promising cross-conference showdown
Match: Las Vegas Lights FC (8-8-5, 8th in Western Conference) vs Charleston Battery (11-7-3, 2nd in Eastern Conference)
When: Saturday, August 29
Where: Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Watch: SSSEN, ESPN+
Things are heating up in the USL Championship.
The Lights are set to host Charleston Battery in what promises to be one of the most electric matches of the final stretch of the regular season.
Vegas just cut their seven-match unbeaten streak short in Kentucky following a 2-0 defeat against Lexington SC. Despite the loss, the team showed hunger and a positive mentality, going forward after falling behind early in the second half.
Meanwhile, Charleston has been hot all season. The Black and Yellow are second in the Eastern Conference and just bulldozed conference rivals Miami FC in a 5-0 routing last Monday.
Both teams come to Cashman with positive momentum and the desire to win.
This should be a good one.
Unpleasant Memories…
The last time the Lights faced Charleston, things didn’t quite go as expected…
Vegas visited Charleston’s Patriots Point Soccer Complex on April 27th, 2024, losing 6-0 in one of the worst defeats in club history. Forward Nick Markanich scored four goals that day, with MD Myers and Aaron Molloy getting on the scoresheet as well.
It was a difficult match to digest for the Lights, but it served the team as a valuable wake-up call in what would turn out to be the best season in club history.
Keys to the Match
Here are the keys to an important victory at Cashman Field.
The Most Dangerous Attack in the League
No team in the USL Championship has scored more goals than Charleston Battery this season.
The Black and Yellow have netted 44 goals in twenty-one matches for an average of 2.1 goals scored per game with an xG of 1.59 (sixth highest in the East). They are even ahead Eastern Conference leaders and Players’ Shield contenders Tampa Bay Rowdies (1.8) in that department.
What makes the Battery even more dangerous is that they have no main force up front that the opposition can pinpoint. Their goals are somewhat evenly distributed across their attacking players: Colton Swan (seven), Maalique Foster (seven), Emilio Ycaza (six), Miguel Cabrera (five) and Wilmer Cabrera (four). On top of that, only three goals have come from penalty kicks.
The Lights must intelligently contain Charleston’s formidable attack if they are to keep the three points on Cashman on Saturday night.
Struggling out West
That being said, Charleston have shown some fragility when traveling on the road to the Western Conference, losing both of their matches on this side of the country.
On Saturday, May 23rd, the Battery lost to New Mexico United in Albuquerque. Kipp Keller scored the only goal of the night.
On July 25th, Charleston traveled to Colorado Springs to face the Switchbacks. The match almost ended in a 1-1 draw, but Jonas Fjeldberg appeared to save the day for the home team, scoring a winner five minutes into stoppage time.
Traveling to this side of the country from the Southeast usually entails long flights, time zone changes, and fatigue. It’s not easy.
The Lights must take advantage of the privilege of playing at home.
Time to Bounce Back
The Lights’ seven-match unbeaten streak ended last Saturday in Lexington.
It hurts when you feel invincible and then have to face the inevitable reality of defeat.
But soccer is a sport where sometimes you win, sometimes you draw… and sometimes you lose. There’s no such thing as a team that has remained undefeated forever.
The Lights’ streak ended in Kentucky, but the odds of making it to the next round of the USL Championship competition are alive and well.
The team must continue moving forward with the same fighting spirit as during the streak. The show must go on.
