After two wins in the USL Jägermeister Cup, the Lights are riding the momentum into Saturday’s USL Championship regular season clash against league-leading Loudoun United FC.
Read on for the keys of the match as the Lights take on elite competition in a cross-conference match-up at Cashman.
Match: Las Vegas Lights FC vs Loudoun United FC
When: Saturday, May 3
Dónde: Cashman Field
Inicio: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Watch: ESPN+, SSSEN
Entradas: Compre ya sus entradas
A Surprising League Leader
No one was expecting much from Loudoun United FC heading into the 2025 season. After missing the playoffs in 2024 with an 11th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference, there weren’t many changes in the offseason to lead pundits to believe anything would change this year.
It turns out, none of that mattered as the USL Championship continues to be one of the most wildly unpredictable leagues in the world. Loudoun have stormed out to a 6-1 record to start the season and top the overall table with 18 points.
Let’s check in on the USL Championship’s official Preseason Power Rankings, shall we?
Loudoun debuted in the first edition of the 2025 Power Rankings as the 21st out of 24 clubs. “There’s a really solid core returning for Loudoun, but we’re a little worried they haven’t added enough this offseason to step forward.”
So far, that preseason take hasn’t aged well (no shade to the incredible editorial staff at the league – as mentioned, this league is wildly chaotic!).
It still took until Week 5 for the team to crack the top 10, and they’ve been sitting in the top five ever since. There truly isn’t a hotter team in the league right now.
The Lights, fresh off a two-game win streak in the USL Jägermeister Cup, will need to be at the top of their game to achieve an important league result.
Claves del partido
He aquí tres claves a tener en cuenta el sábado por la noche:
Breaking Down Loudoun’s Defensive Block
Loudoun United FC have, for the most part this season, played in a classic 4-4-2 formation. However, while they are extremely pragmatic, they are not a team that bunkers defensively as is common with that formation in modern soccer.
Rather, Loudoun are the second best team in the league at winning possession in the final third per 90 minutes. This means that they successfully press and intercept buildup play very often in order to create quality chances for their attack.
For the Lights to see success on Saturday night, the team’s buildup play from the back will need to be spot-on.
Head Coach Antonio Nocerino likes his team to build play from the defensive line through midfield, rarely going long on goal kicks. If the team can slice through the first line of Loudoun’s 4-4-2, they will be able to find great chances. Otherwise, the tactic will play right into Loudoun’s hands.
Aboukoura: Attacking Centerpiece
Abdellatif Aboukoura must be stopped. The USL Championship top scorer has 6 goals in the league. In total, he has 7 goals and 2 assists in 11 matches across all competitions.
At just 20 years old, the Egyptian youth international is a major reason for Loudoun’s huge step forward in 2025 after joining officially late in the 2024 campaign. He’s been a real bright spot for the team in his first full professional season.
Aboukoura can be deployed as a winger, but he also has top finishing skills to play anywhere across the front line. He’s a skillful forward with the 6th highest successful dribbles per match in the league, so he has the ability to create his own chances.
Defensively, the Lights will need to be keyed in on Aboukoura’s movements to shut down Loudoun’s main attacking threat.
Harnessing the Momentum
Las Vegas Lights FC enters this match riding high on their USL Jägermeister Cup momentum with two wins in their last two matches.
After the first choice eleven put on a dominant display away at Orange County last Saturday, Nocerino rotated the team in the midweek against AV Alta to give opportunities across the full squad. Only midfielder Patrick Leal started both games.
Momentum? Check. Key players well rested? Check.
Now, as the team returns to league play, they need to harness that momentum and turn this into an extended run of form.
In a long, grueling season, extended runs of momentum like this can make a huge difference in the final league standings. It is inevitable that any team will go through patches of unfortunate results, so the Lights need to take advantage of a time when everything seems to be clicking.
What better opportunity than to take down the first-placed team in the league at Cashman Field?