A big win keeps the playoff hopes alive for Lights FC

Playing the side occupying the last playoff position, Las Vegas Lights FC handled business vs. San Antonio FC and only sit a point below the playoff cut line.

Last night was one of the most entertaining and action-filled matches I can remember for Las Vegas Lights FC. In a crucial match, Las Vegas got a brace from Irvin Parra and a goal apiece from Tabort Etaka Preston and Cristian Martinez in a 4-2 win over San Antonio FC.

Key Stats

🔑 19 shots. The Lights managed to fire 19 shots last night against a pretty stout defensive unit in San Antonio. They put seven of those efforts on frame and they were really dangerous in the final third.

🔑 12 interceptions. Playing with tempo and aggression, Las Vegas did not just sit back at allow the visitors to move the ball around the pitch. They made plays on the ball and one interception led directly to a goal.

Three Brightest Lights

💡💡💡 Irvin Parra: The club’s all-time leading scorer added two more goals to his tally and had three successful crosses and two changes created.

💡💡 Tabort Etaka Preston: He created four chances on the night and scored the second goal of the match for Las Vegas.

💡 Ferrety Sousa: I’ve mentioned it before, but he has been a gamechanger for Eric Wynalda’s side. He had an assist, three tackles, and an interception for Lights FC.

Quick Kicks

⚽ Huge honorable mention shoutout to Thomas Olsen. The homegrown goalkeeper made five saves, one of which was a point-blank range header from a top-10 scorer in the league, Frank Lopez.

⚽ Speaking of Lopez, I thought the penalty he drew was a fair call, but I wouldn’t have found it an egregious miss if they had not awarded it. Now, he absolutely deserved a yellow card for his stoppage-time tackle, but I don’t think his follow-up exchange with a diving Irvin Parra was red-card worthy. But, in hindsight, his antics afterward of not leaving the field immediately and giving a two-finger salute to the Vegas crowd makes the decision much more acceptable for me.

⚽ I love Mobi Fehr playing in the middle of the pitch for Las Vegas. He is surrounded by pace and physical prowess and just continues to spread the ball around and control the tempo. He connected on over 90% of his passes yesterday.

⚽ The Lights will want to tighten up their set-piece defense moving forward. There were some quality chances for San Antonio to be had, simply because of poor marking in the box.

⚽ It was very nice to see the Lights honor those that have battled with breast cancer. Cashman Field looked lovely covered in pink from the nets to the lines on the pitch.

What’s Next?

📅 When you talk about rivalries in sports, a lot of the best memories come from games with major significance. Well, next weekend the Lights will be battling for their playoff lives against their in-state rival, Reno 1868 FC. Reno sits in third and could overtake second-place Fresno FC, who have lost three straight. The atmosphere at Cashman Field will be rocking.