Lights’ opener gives fans a draw and a free ticket

Guaranteeing a victory vs. Austin Bold FC, Las Vegas Lights FC played to a scoreless draw in their season opener.

Year 2 for Las Vegas Lights FC got underway over the weekend at Cashman Field. The Eric Wynalda-led club hosted expansion side Austin Bold FC, in a match Lights owner Brett Lashbrook guaranteed a victory in. If his club lost or finished level with Bold FC, every fan in attendance got a free ticket to the club’s home match on 3/30. A 0-0 draw on Saturday night earned each fan a ticket and a point for Lights FC. Let’s take a deeper look at that scoreline.

Key Stats

⚽ 55% possession. There were not many matches last season that the Lights led in possession. This was the biggest indicator for me that this was an entirely new club.

⚽ 74% passing accuracy. The Lights did well to move the ball effectively and build their attack.

⚽ Two yellow cards. In arguably the biggest shocker, the Lights received less yellow cards than their opponent. We will see how this impacts their title defense of most cards in the USL Championship.

⚽ Eight shots from outside the box. This stat shows that the attacking players have confidence in their ability. Clubs that rely on getting easy chances inside the box to score don’t often score a ton of goals.

Three Brightest Lights

💡💡💡 Christian “Tripa” Hernandez: He was dangerous on free kicks and a crucial passer in the midfield. In total, he finished with two shots on target, one off frame, and two blocked. He also completed 75% of his 48 passes.

💡💡 Thomas Olsen: The Las Vegas native came up with three saves and a clean sheet to start the season.

💡 Alex Harlley: One of the players to watch this season, Harlley showcased his danger in the attacking third. He had two successful crosses and three chances created.

Quick Kicks

⚽ It isn’t the worst result, but Las Vegas probably deserved the win. Diego Restrepo had a monster performance, which he’s been known to do, and the Lights weren’t clinical when they needed to be.

⚽ Well, we will see how the bet pays off. The Lights handed out vouchers to every fan in attendance. Will they all use them and pack the house on 3/30? If they win that match, will fans buy tickets moving forward? We shall see!

⚽ Harlley and Irvin Parra are a fun pair to watch. They worked well together in the preseason and I think they each have potential to get to double-digit goal totals.

⚽ I’ll be honest, I miss the flair of Ricardo Ferrino. But, it’s nice to have a steady, skilled goalkeeper in Thomas Olsen. He will help to secure some points this season for Las Vegas.

Okay, What’s Next?

Lights FC will travel to the Sooner State to face OKC Energy FC on Saturday. Deshorn Brown scored a brace to give OKC a 3-1 win over El Paso Locomotive FC on opening weekend.

 

Top photo credit: Las Vegas Lights FC