NOTICIAS

LAS VEGAS, NV – It’s no secret, playing at Cashman Field makes Lights FC a team with an edge. Las Vegas dug themselves out of being down on the scoreboard for the first time at home this season, finishing off with a 4-2 win over Sacramento Republic FC in front of 7,478 fans in attendance.

Facing a dangerous Sacramento side who had the best defense in USL Championship’s Western Conference, Lights FC got into a strategic battle in the first half that saw both teams fighting to keep possession and try to attack the opposing side of the pitch, going into the halftime break with a 0-0 tie.

Las Vegas was forced to change their solid back-line due to injuries suffered by right-back Kevin Garcia Lopez and left-back Christian Torres against Los Angeles Galaxy II. Despite taking care of business in the first 45 minutes of play, a long cross by Republic FC’s Elliot Hord found Hayden Partain in the back post who with a left-footed strike put the ball past Thomas Olsen and got Sacramento up 1-0. This was the first time Lights FC was scored on at home this season, stopping Olsen’s streak without conceding a goal at Cashman Field at 368 minutes.

“I think clearly we got it wrong from the start, we just had to make an adjustment on that right side because it was too much of an ask. Number 11 (Sam Werner), what a player he was,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “And when they got the goal, we really just had to change our mentality, switch the way they were playing”.

Trailing for the first time on their pitch in 2019 USL Championship action forced Lights FC to make changes, bringing in experienced midfielder Cristhian Hernandez to replace Lucas Scaglia shortly after Sacramento took the lead. Another player who was subbed in was Santiago Echavarría, who made his professional debut by stepping on the field in the 65th minute.

Both were difference makers at the end of the game, with “Tripa” changing the complexity of the match by giving Lights FC’s offense a new dimension and furthering their opportunities deep into their opponent’s side of the field. While Echavarría was a force inside the box that obligated Sacramento to put extra attention on him.

In the 67th minute, Hernandez heeled the ball behind him, finding Irvin Raul Parra to his right, where he ended up taking a low shot that found the back of the net to tie the game with his team-leading fifth goal of the season.

Shortly afterward, Las Vegas had a golden opportunity with a corner kick by “Tripa” that went through the goalkeeper Josh Cohen’s hands  and fell right in front of Gabe Robinson’s feet inside the 6-yard box where he simply tapped it in to put the home team in front 2-1 in the 71st minute of play.

A one-goal lead wasn’t enough for the Wynalda-led Lights, who kept pushing forward and scored for the third time in less than 10 minutes when a perfectly placed pass by Irvin Raul Parra landed behind the debuting Santiago Echavarria, who turned around to place the ball out of Cohen’s reach and put the cherry on top for his first game as a pro by scoring a goal on his mother’s birthday.

With a comfortable multiple goal lead, Las Vegas was still able to put a fourth one past the defense that before this match had only allowed five goals in seven games. Parra was credited with his second assist of the match when he served Junior Sandoval, who unleashed a rocket that sent Cashman Field into a frenzy in the 90th minute of the match.

“The fans brought us back into it. We got a goal which gave us a little bit of confidence and we went from there,” stated Wynalda. “I don’t want to use too big of words, but it was a monumental win for this club, and that was a great team in Sacramento. We were able to put four past them. To score four times on those guys means we’re doing something right.”

Sacramento was able to get one last score in added time before traveling back to California’s capital. Republic FC got 3 headers on the ball inside the 6-yard box, with the final one destined to leave the final score at 4-2.

“Look, we can’t get too ahead of ourselves. We’re going to take a couple of days and really digest this first, then we have to figure out how we’re going to adjust for the game against Colorado Springs, but I couldn’t be happier with the group with the way they reacted,” said Wynalda. “The first part of the game was really not what we’re used to for the guys at home. But at some point … they flipped that switch, turned the lights on and then we were good”.

The victory pushes Las Vegas up to 11th place in USL Championship’s Western Conference standings with 11 points, only 4 points away from Tulsa Roughnecks and Portland Timbers 2 who are tied in the top of the table.

Lights FC will play their second consecutive match at Cashman Field on Saturday, May 11 as they host Colorado Springs Switchbacks at 7:30 p.m.Tickets for this game and all Lights FC 2019 regular season home matches can be purchased at LightsFC.com/Tix or at any La Bonita Supermarket in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas, NV – After playing five out of their last seven matches on the road, now it’s Lights FC’s turn to take advantage of playing at home as five of their next seven USL Championship matches will be played at Cashman Field, including Saturday’s duel against Sacramento Republic FC who is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference.

“Sacramento is one of the better teams that you’re gonna play no matter what, whether you’re playing them at home or on the road, either way, Simon Elliott’s gonna have his team prepared to play,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda on his next opponent. “But coming here is a different animal for them, We like to turn up the heat in front of our fans and there’s no fear in our group, we are gonna be the aggressor. Hopefully, we’ll be able to prove that they’re not as difficult as they like to believe at getting scored on … because we’d like to put a few pass them”.

Playing in front of their fans is where Lights FC has felt most comfortable this season, staying undefeated in the three matches they’ve had at Cashman Field so far and having a two-game win streak at home.

“At home, we just play different, we have a more aggressive style and I think our guys gravitate to that a little bit more,” stated Wynalda. “Having five out of the next seven in our house gives us a comfort level that allows us to really get after games, as opposed to being as tentative as we have been at times on the road. I’m looking forward to being back at Cashman in front of our fans”.

Lights FC’s Starting XI will be impacted due to two injuries that the team suffered on Monday’s scoreless draw on the road against L.A. Galaxy II, as defenders Kevin Garcia Lopez and Christian Torres have been ruled out for Saturday’s matchup versus Sacramento Republic FC. “These are forced changes, ones that you don’t want to make,” said head coach Eric Wynalda. “We’ll have to make some adjustments, but we were very pleased with (Tabort Etaka) Preston and (Panzani) Sousa. The way they fit in because that was a tough task for a guy to go into the game unexpected to play that specific position and giving a pretty good performance. We’ll make changes, but our attitude will remain the same”.

SATURDAY’S OPPONENT: SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC F.C.

This will be Sacramento’s second USL Championship game in 21 days after having a bye in week 7 of the season. Republic FC has only played three road games in 2019, with the first of them being a win over Colorado Springs 1-0, but losing their last two matches outside of California’s capital against Tacoma (2-1) and Portland (1-0). Sacramento has only been able to score multiple goals once out of their first seven games of the season, being shutout in their last two matches.

Second-year head coach Simon Elliott led Sacramento to a 20-win regular season in 2018, before losing in the USL Western Conference Quarterfinals to Swope Park. Republic FC’s top scorer is Cameron Iwasa, who is credited for 5 of the team’s 8 goals this season. Goalkeeper Josh Cohen leads USL’s Western Conference by only conceding 5 goals, having clean sheets in 3 matches.

NOTAS DEL LIGHTS FC DE CARA AL PARTIDO DEL SÁBADO:

STELLAR DEFENSIVE EFFORT

By not allowing goals against Austin Bold FC, Real Monarchs SLC, Tacoma Defiance, and L.A. Galaxy II, Lights FC has surpassed in their first eight matches of the 2019 USL Championship season the number of clean sheets the team had in the full 34-game schedule they had in their inaugural year. On their road match against “Los Dos”, Lights FC didn’t allow a shot on goal.

THOMAS OLSEN

‘TKO’ is tied for the USL Championship lead with 4 clean sheets, while having a total of 18 saves. The Bishop Gorman grad has an active streak of 317 minutes without allowing a goal at Cashman Field (going back to Lights FC’s home finale in 2018 against Phoenix Rising FC).

CABALLOS DE HIERRO

A total of seven Lights FC players have been in the team’s starting lineup for every USL Championship game in the 2019 season: Thomas Olsen, Kevin Garcia Lopez, Gabe Robinson, Javan Torre, Christian Torres, Pablo Cruz, and Irvin Parra.

Only two of them have been on the pitch for every minute the team has played: Thomas Olsen and Gabe Robinson. Kevin Garcia-Lopez was subbed out due to injury against L.A. Galaxy II, being the first time where he didn’t play a full game this season.

JUNIOR SANDOVAL

Midfielder Junior Sandoval joined Las Vegas after being transferred from Memphis 901 FC, starting to practice with the team on April 16. Since then, he has been a part of Lights FC’s starting lineups against RGV FC and LA Galaxy II, playing the full match in both.

Sandoval became the third Honduran in history to play in the Colombian top flight when he was part of Jaguares de Córdoba. He had a stint with 9-time Honduras title holders C.D. Marathón, where he had the opportunity to play in the CONCACAF Champions League against MLS opponent Seattle Sounders.

SAMMY OCHOA

Offseason surgery for an upper-body injury he played through in the 2018 season forced Ochoa to miss Lights FC’s preseason slate of games in 2019 and the beginning of the regular season. But he played for the first time in 6 months on April 13 as he was subbed in against Tacoma in a 5-0 victory. He followed it up by scoring a goal against RGV FC and being a starter versus LA Galaxy II.

IRVIN PARRA

Irvin leads USL Championship with 28 shots taken, with 4 of them ending in the back of the net. Parra scored the second hat trick in Lights FC history, by doing so against Tacoma Defiance on April 13, 2019.

In 2017 Parra became the first player in USL Championship history to finish a season with a “double-double”, as he scored 11 goals and recorded 10 assists when he split time between Seattle Sounders 2 and Orange County SC.

OPERACIÓN DE REGISTRO

Lights FC added Santiago Echavarria to the team’s roster this week. The 20-year-old forward born in Medellin, Colombia will make his professional debut when he gets his first minutes of action with Las Vegas. Echavarria is a product of the prestigious Academy of Colombia’s Atletico Nacional of Medellin, where he played in their youth squads starting with the U-15 team all the way up to U-20. He describes himself as a player who will leave it all on the line, as he’s eager to keep growing his career.

PARTE DE LESIONES

Edwin Rivas - CUESTIONABLE - Lesión en la parte inferior del cuerpo

Kevin García López - OUT - Lesión en la parte inferior del cuerpo

Christian Torres – OUT – Lower Body Injury

Bryan de la Fuente - OUT - Lesión en la parte inferior del cuerpo

HERE IS EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF SATURDAY’S MATCH VS. SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC:

Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:30 p.m., new start time for Lights FC regular season matches in 2019. For on-site ticket purchase at Cashman Field, both the box office and will call open at 2:00 p.m. on gameday. Tickets are available at LightsFC.com/Tix and at every La Bonita Supermarket in Las Vegas.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN TO LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC VS. SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC:

Las Vegas Lights FC fans will be able to follow-up along with every match of the 2019 USL Championship season via national & local media outlets.

Saturday’s game (7:30 p.m. kickoff) will be aired locally on MyLVTV with broadcasters Jeff Radcliffe and Lori Lindsey announcing the action.

The match will also be aired on ESPN+, while the Spanish-language radio broadcast with Alvaro Puentes & Alejandro Romo on the call can be listened at ESPN Deportes 1460 AM & online on LVSportsNetwork.com.

CARSON, CA – Lights FC won’t return home empty-handed after they closed out a 2 game road trip with a scoreless draw against L.A. Galaxy II, in which Las Vegas didn’t allow a shot on goal from their opponents and out-shot them in a greater than 3:1 ratio (17 to 5).

“The commitment to the defensive part of the game was clearly there tonight, we did have a couple of hiccups … but when the opposition at home fails to record a shot on goal, you have to be happy with that,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “For us, a team that is still always in the double digits for chances created, you’re gonna have disappointing nights when you don’t find the back of the net, but I’m really proud of the boys for their commitment on the defensive side.“

Wynalda showed his coaching aggressiveness by starting off the match with his players pushing the pace of the game onto their opponents box, with Irvin Raul Parra and Pablo Cruz powering menacing shots that forced ‘Los Dos’ goalkeeper Justin vom Steeg to come up with great saves to avoid the ball going into the back of the net.

Unfortunately for Lights FC, the gameplan had to be adjusted in the 35th minute with right-back Kevin Garcia Lopez suffering an injury that forced him to leave the match. Cristhian ‘Tripa’ Hernandez was subbed in, having midfielder Mobi Fehr cover the spot left by Garcia Lopez in the Las Vegas defensive line.

In the first half, Lights FC was the only team to make the opposing goalkeeper work, and that continued when 10 seconds into the second half a great cross from Christian Torres caught Galaxy II’s defense off guard and almost found a streaking Sammy Ochoa before vom Steeg went off his line to intercept the ball.

Unfortunately for Las Vegas, the injury suffered by Garcia Lopez wasn’t the only one that forced a substitution in the game. Left-back Christian Torres had to leave the pitch in the 55th minute, with manager Eric Wynalda having to use his third sub of the game by bringing in Tabort Etaka Preston. At halftime, Panzani Sousa replaced Lucas Scaglia, who had been booked with a yellow card in the first half.

“We had to change our plan several times, and that’s the reason why I’m so proud of them tonight,” stated Wynalda. “We always knew that there was going to be the possibility of having to change on the fly the way that we did tonight. But for our guys to come in and understand their roles the way they did, that was really encouraging for me.”

‘Ferrety’ Sousa ended up covering the left-back position that was left by the injured Torres. While Preston, a natural forward, was the team’s right-back for the final 35 minutes of the match. Neither of them missed a beat and that left coach Wynalda very satisfied with their performances. “I’m really proud of both of those guys. It’s never easy to make two changes at halftime, to make as many adjustments as we made through the game and still come away with a zero in the back. It’s more of a compliment on the players than anything else.”

After only playing in Las Vegas once during the month of April, Lights FC will have 4 matches at Cashman Field in May. The action returns to Downtown Las Vegas this Saturday, May 4 as Lights FC hosts

With the scoreless tie, Las Vegas now has 4 clean sheets this season, surpassing the 3 that the team had in 34 games of the 2018 season. Thomas Olsen is now tied for the league-lead of games without allowing their opponents to score.

With Armel-Don Tchilao being sent off for a second yellow card in the final stretch of the game, Las Vegas played with a man up against Galaxy II and closed the game trying to finally open the score, but close opportunities weren’t good enough, despite out-shooting their ninth straight opponent in USL Championship action this year.Sacramento Republic with kick off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a free Luchador Wrestling cape to celebrate of Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Tickets for this game and all Lights FC 2019 regular season home matches can be purchased at LightsFC.com/Tix or at any La Bonita Supermarket in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas, NV – Before returning to Cashman Field where they’ll have back to back home games for the first time in the 2019 season, Lights FC will face a rough road test as they take on LA Galaxy II at the Track & Field Stadium; part of the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

With their next game being on Monday, Las Vegas will have an extra day of preparation than the usual six days in-between games. “We’ll take advantage of this extended week, we’re utilizing it to do some physical testing,” stated Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “Considering we have an extra day of preparation, we’re going to utilize it to challenge our players physically as we did at the beginning of the preseason”.

Lights FC has been a force to be reckoned with at home, where they haven’t trailed a single minute in USL Championship action. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case on the road, as the team hasn’t been able to take the lead in any of their four matches outside of Las Vegas so far. “You learn a lot about your team the way you perform on the road and clearly we’ve had our issues,” stated Wynalda. “Our defensive woes on the road are what’s really killing us. Some of the goals that we’re conceding are just mental mistakes. But the reality is that we have a lot of things to fix, I think it’s a big part of the mentality of this group to understand that there’s a long way to go and a lot of learning to happen.”

Forward Sammy Ochoa has returned from offseason surgery to repair an upper-body injury he played through in the 2018 season and he’s making the most of the time of play he’s receiving. Sammy has been subbed in on the last two Lights FC matches, scoring his first goal of the year against RGV FC Toros last Saturday. “Being able to come in and score helps me and my morale,” said Ochoa. “I’m going to continue being prepared for whenever coach Wynalda tells me to go back in. We have an intense battle in the striker position with very good guys that are scoring goals, I’m here to fight for a spot and if I’m needed off the bench, then I’ll do it with the best attitude for when my number is called”.

MONDAY’S OPPONENT: L.A. GALAXY II

After having ten days off from April 14 through April 23, L.A. Galaxy II’s match against Lights FC will be their second game in six days after an exhilarating 4-4 draw at home versus RGV FC Toros on Wednesday, April 24.

This will be the second match of a four-game homestand for Galaxy II, who has been a strong team while playing at Dignity Health Sports Park’s Track & Field Stadium. After losing their season opener at home against Colorado Springs, Los Angeles has a streak of three games without being defeated on their pitch with two wins and a tie.

Mike Muñoz is in his second season as the head coach of Galaxy II, where he has a balanced attack with Kai Koreniuk featured as their leading scorer with four goals, but followed by four players that have each found the back of the net twice in 2019: Geoffrey Acheampong and Augustine Williams, plus MLS Galaxy roster members Ethan Zubak and Tomas Hilliard-Arce.

The most used goalkeeper by Galaxy II is Justin Vom Steeg, third goalkeeper of their parent MLS Club L.A. Galaxy. In 4 matches, Vom Steeg has one clean sheet but has allowed at least a pair of goals in the other three. Los Angeles started Abraham Romero in their last match, where he was scored on four times against RGV FC to bring his season total up to nine goals conceded.

NOTAS DEL LIGHTS FC DE CARA AL PARTIDO DEL SÁBADO:

JUNIOR SANDOVAL

Less than a week after being transferred from Memphis 901 FC to Lights FC, midfielder Junior Sandoval made his debut with Las Vegas as part of the team’s Starting XI at RGV FC where he played the full match.

“Junior is a player that understands multiple positions, he’s a great asset to us because you can throw him in anywhere,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “I have no concerns with him, he fits right in and it’s like he’s been here for a long time.”

Sandoval became the third Honduran in history to play in the Colombian top flight when he was part of Jaguares de Córdoba. He had a stint with 9-time Honduras title holders C.D. Marathón, where he had the opportunity to play in the CONCACAF Champions League against MLS opponent Seattle Sounders.

SAMMY OCHOA

Ochoa made his 2019 debut on April 13 against Tacoma Defiance, playing 20 minutes as a substitute. This marked his first game in 6 months after he required offseason surgery for an upper-body injury he played through in the 2018 season.

Sammy received another opportunity to get on the pitch against RGV FC on the road, where despite only playing 5 minutes he scored with a header off of a Cristhian Hernandez free kick. This was his 43rd goal in the league, ninth with Las Vegas.

CHRISTIAN TORRES

His versatility to play as a left back and as a midfielder is one that Eric Wynalda has taken advantage of by using Torres as a starter in each of Lights FC’s 7 regular season games.

The Tijuana, Mexico native scored his first USL Championship goal versus RGV FC Toros in a match where he had a total of five shots, three of which were shots on goal.

CABALLOS DE HIERRO

A total of six Lights FC players have been in the team’s starting lineup for every USL Championship game in the 2019 season: Thomas Olsen, Kevin Garcia Lopez, Gabe Robinson, Javan Torre, Christian Torres, and Irvin Parra.

Only three of them have been on the pitch for every minute the team has played: Thomas Olsen, Gabe Robinson, and Kevin Garcia-Lopez.

THOMAS "TKO" OLSEN

Las Vegas native Thomas Olsen has already matched the number of clean sheets that Lights FC had in their full 34-game inaugural 2018 campaign by not allowing goals against Austin Bold FC, Real Monarchs SLC, and Tacoma Defiance.

‘TKO’ is tied for second best in USL Championship with 3 clean sheets, while he’s eight best in the league with a total of 18 saves.

The Bishop Gorman grad has an active streak of 317 minutes without allowing a goal at Cashman Field (going back to Lights FC’s home finale in 2018 against Phoenix Rising FC).

IRVIN PARRA

Irvin leads USL Championship with 24 shots taken, and he’s tied for the eight best in the league with 4 goals scored.

Parra scored the second hat trick in Lights FC history by sending the ball to the back of the net three times against Tacoma Defiance on April 13, 2019.

In 2017 Parra became the first player in USL Championship history to finish a season with a “double-double”, as he scored 11 goals and recorded 10 assists when he split time between Seattle Sounders 2 and Orange County SC.

OPERACIONES DE LISTA

Lights FC added 2 players to its roster this week by welcoming defender Jonathan Levin and midfielder Victor Rojas.

Levin arrives to Las Vegas with USL Championship experience after being a part of the Tulsa Roughnecks the past two seasons, where he played in the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 2017. He can play as a center back or as a holding midfielder.

Rojas becomes the first Venezuela native in Lights FC history. The offensive-minded midfielder played in Europe for UD Sampedrense and Nogueirense in Portugal.

PARTE DE LESIONES

Bryan de la Fuente - OUT - Lesión en la parte inferior del cuerpo

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN TO LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC @ LA GALAXY II:

Los aficionados de Las Vegas Lights FC podrán seguir todos los partidos de la temporada 2019 de la USL Championship a través de los medios de comunicación nacionales y locales.

Monday’s game (7:30 p.m. kickoff) will be streamed nationwide on ESPN+, while the Spanish-language radio broadcast can be heard locally on ESPN Deportes 1460 AM & online on LVSportsNetwork.com, with Alvaro Puentes & Alejandro Romo on the call.

Las Vegas (NV) - Las Vegas Lights FC y Cashman Field, el emblemático estadio de fútbol del centro de la ciudad, en la Capital Mundial del Entretenimiento, han anunciado hoy que Jarritos y la marca de refrescos Novamex han llegado a un acuerdo exclusivo de tres años sobre los derechos de vertido. 

"Esta asociación rompe el dominio de las marcas de refrescos de cola en los recintos deportivos de Estados Unidos", ha declarado el propietario del Lights FC, Brett Lashbrook. "Jarritos es el refresco que adoran nuestros aficionados. Están cansados de los mismos sabores que se les imponen constantemente a los aficionados al deporte. Jarritos es el único socio que ofrece un arco iris de sabores para todos los gustos". El objetivo de Jarritos de sacudir el estático panorama estadounidense de los refrescos refleja las ambiciones del Lights FC de convertirse en la próxima gran historia de éxito del fútbol estadounidense."

Además de los derechos de servicio en cada puesto de concesión, restaurante del estadio y zona de asientos VIP, Jarritos aparecerá en un parche en las camisetas del equipo, y recibirá señalización prominente, acceso a las marcas y logotipos del Lights FC, oportunidades de hospitalidad, activaciones de venta al por menor, programas comunitarios y mucho, mucho más.

Las Vegas será el centro de las promociones de Jarritos durante todo el año. Los populares refrescos premiarán a los afortunados consumidores con viajes a Las Vegas, que incluirán experiencias VIP con las Luces.

ACERCA DE JARRITOS
Hace más de sesenta años, Jarritos se introdujo como el primer refresco nacional de México. Hoy en día, Jarritos es la marca líder en EE.UU. en la categoría de refrescos mexicanos y se ha convertido en un icono cultural mexicano. Ya sea por su distintiva botella de cristal o por sus diversos sabores de fruta, únicos y deliciosos, Jarritos se puede encontrar en todo EE.UU. en grandes tiendas de comestibles e independientes, restaurantes mexicanos, taquerías, camiones de catering, y tiendas de conveniencia. Los sabores de Jarritos son un reflejo de México en su variedad de sabores mexicanos tradicionales hechos con azúcar real y sabores 100% naturales incluyendo Tamarindo, Mandarina, Ponche de Frutas, Jamaica, Lima, Toronja, Guayaba, Piña, Fresa, Mango, Maracuyá y Cola MXCN.

SOBRE LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC

Las Vegas Lights FC irrumpió en el panorama futbolístico de Estados Unidos en 2018 con una experiencia para los aficionados por todo lo alto que recuerda un poco a Madrid, Manchester o Ciudad de México, con la energía única de Las Vegas. En su campaña inaugural en el Cashman Field, en el centro de Las Vegas, los Lights fueron uno de los seis equipos de la United Soccer League con una media de más de 7.000 aficionados por partido. Por segunda temporada en la historia del equipo, la leyenda del fútbol estadounidense Eric Wynalda fue contratado como nuevo entrenador del equipo. Nombrado "el equipo más interesante de Estados Unidos" por Sports Illustrated, el Lights FC ha cosechado un éxito sin precedentes fuera del terreno de juego a través de asociaciones innovadoras y trascendentales en los sectores de las bebidas, los juegos, la ropa y otros.

Edinburg, TX – Eric Wynalda wanted his team to not chase the game by scoring before his opponent for the first time on the road in 2019, but they weren’t able to do so and a comeback wasn’t possible after having a three-goal deficit for the first time this season in what ended up being a 5-2 defeat against RGV FC Toros.

An early penalty kick was called on Las Vegas when Lucas Scaglia was ruled to have committed a hand ball inside the box, a golden opportunity that the Toros capitalized with Wilmer Cabrera cashing in on the 15th minute.

Only 4 minutes later, Maalique Foster served a pass in between two defenders to find a streaking Isidro Martinez that put the ball in the back of the net to extend RGV’s lead.

Unfortunately for Lights FC, the best opportunity on cutting their deficit in the first half wasn’t meant to be. Irvin Parra delivered a cross that ended at the top of the 6-yard box, but Tabort Etaka Preston wasn’t able to connect it cleanly and it ended up going wide left.

“Our defensive woes continue on the road,” stated Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “We gifted them a good start, we had to chase the game again.”

With a two-goal lead, RGV FC surprisingly kicked off the second half with an intensity that caught Las Vegas off guard. With two defenders on top of him, Jesus Enriquez passed the ball to a wide open Miguel Salazar who fired a powerful shot that deflected off of Christian Torres towards Gabe Robinson, who couldn’t clear the chance and finished with the ball in the back of the net with an own goal.

“The opening minute in the second half was one of the most embarrassing moments we’ve had, it was a combination of lack of discipline, lack of concentration and bad luck,” stated Wynalda.

Trailing by 3 goals for the first time in the USL Championship season, Eric Wynalda immediately made substitutions focused on helping his offense to create more opportunities by sending Cristhian Hernandez and Pablo Cruz onto the field.

Lights FC put their first goal on the board with a long throw-in by Gabe Robinson that Christian Torres knocked inside the box, getting Las Vegas within 2 goals 25 minutes before the end of regulation.

Las Vegas pushed the tempo, forcing RGV onto their half of the field by firing a season-high 20 shots. But bringing forward most of its pieces left open spaces on their back line, which the Toros took advantage of with counterattacks that Maalique Foster and Carlos Smalls capitalized on to put RGV FC ahead 5-1.

For the second match in a row after recovering from an upper body injury that required offseason surgery, Sammy Ochoa was used as a substitute and this time he made the most out of his time on the pitch by heading home a free kick by “Tripa” Hernandez to close the score at 5-2.

Wynalda’s squad was superior in the stat sheet by outshooting RGV FC 20 to 8, doubling the Toros on shots on target by 8 to 4 and by dominating the possession of the ball with 63.7%. But at the end of the day, the scoreboard is what matters. “It’s very difficult to get scored on five times with the opposition having 4 shots on goal and one of them was a penalty kick,” said Eric Wynalda. “All things included, it wasn’t our night. But the reality is that it wasn’t good enough.”

This match started a two-game road trip for Lights FC, who will have 9 days to prepare for their next match on Monday, April 29 when they visit LA Galaxy 2 in Carson, California.

Las Vegas returns to Cashman Field on Saturday, May 4 when they host Sacramento Republic at 7:30 p.m. on “Cinco de Mayo Capes Night”. Last season Lights FC gave away free Luchador wrestling masks in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. In what is now a club tradition that Lights FC will continue, now the team will give away to fans in attendance on May 4 a free Luchador wrestling cape. Tickets for this game and all Lights FC 2019 regular season home matches can be purchased at LightsFC.com/Tix or at any La Bonita Supermarket in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas, NV – Riding the wave of momentum after a 5-0 win against Tacoma, the largest margin of victory in franchise history, Lights FC (2-3-1) seeks to add their first points on the road as they face the RGV FC Toros (1-3-2) at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas on Saturday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m.

“This team right now is in the right mindset to go into a place like RGV and get a result,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda. “This is an important game for us, but it might be the most important game this year because we could turn the page and turn the corner.”

Despite RGV FC being in eighteenth place out of 18 teams in the Western Conference, Lights FC isn’t going into this match relying on their opponents not having a good start. “We know how difficult this league is, every team is stronger at home,” said veteran midfielder Lucas Scaglia. “RGV is a good team, they’re coming off a win and they’re motivated just like we are. We know how to play against them, we have a clear objective in mind. We’re always going for the win, either at home or on the road.”

After not scoring a goal in the run of play during their first five matches, Las Vegas got four of them in that fashion against Tacoma on Saturday, April 13. Cameroon Youth National Team star Tabort Etaka Preston shot left-footed strikes from inside the box to get his first two goals of the season against Defiance.

Taking advantage of his first start at home this season by having his best performance as a member of Lights FC. “Putting in the hard work allowed me to get the start for the game and I’m happy for that,” stated Preston. “I have to continue working hard to keep getting better every day. We’re working together as a team, and that’s the way we have to do it to keep improving.”

The defensive effort Las Vegas has shown in 2019 hasn’t gone unnoticed, with goalkeeper Thomas Olsen tied for second best in USL Championship with 3 clean sheets through 6 games. ‘TKO’ is also tied for fifth best in the league with a total of 18 saves. Defenders Kevin Garcia Lopez and Gabe Robinson join Olsen as the only Lights FC players to have played in every minute of the 2019 regular season.

SATURDAY’S OPPONENT: RGV FC TOROS

RGV FC Toros will close a three-game homestand by hosting Las Vegas.  In their last two matches, they’ve earned 4 of the 5 points they have in the 2019 season.

The Toros have had a hard time finding the back of the net this season, as they’ve only scored 5 goals through 6 games (third worst in the Western Conference). They’ve also been shutout three times so far.

Gerson Echeverry is in his second season as RGV FC’s manager, failing to advance to the playoffs in his first year with the team. Jesús Enríquez leads the Toros with two goals, while Isidro Martinez has a pair of assists.

In six matches, Rio Grande Valley FC has played a total of 4 different goalkeepers, none of them getting back to back starts. Houston Dynamo goalies Michael Nelson and Tyler Deric have seen action this season with the Toros, as they have a hybrid affiliation with their in-state MLS neighbor. RGV’s Ben Willis played in their first match back on March 8 in a 1-0 loss against Tacoma and hasn’t been on the field since.  Nico Corti has defended the Toros goal twice, including in the team’s first win of the season (2-1 against OKC Energy) this past Saturday.

NOTAS DEL LIGHTS FC DE CARA AL PARTIDO DEL SÁBADO:

IRVIN “DANGER” PARRA

Parra scored the second hat trick in Lights FC history by sending the ball to the back of the net twice in the first half and once in the second half against Tacoma Defiance. After not getting any goals in Lights FC’s first four regular season games, “Danger” has scored four times in the last two games.

Irvin leads USL Championship with 21 shots taken, and he’s tied for the sixth best in the league with 4 goals scored.

In 2017 Parra became the first player in USL Championship history to finish a season with a “double-double”, as he scored 11 goals and recorded 10 assists when he split time between Seattle Sounders 2 and Orange County SC.

TKO THIRD CLEAN SHEET

Las Vegas native Thomas Olsen has shutout half of the opponents Las Vegas has faced in the 2019 USL Championship season (Austin Bold FC, Real Monarchs SLC and Tacoma Defiance), matching in the team’s first 6 matches of the year the number of clean sheets that Lights FC had in its full 34-game inaugural 2018 campaign.

‘TKO’ is tied for second best in USL Championship with 3 clean sheets through 6 games. ‘TKO’ is also tied for fifth best in the league with a total of 18 saves.

The Bishop Gorman grad has an active streak of 317 minutes without allowing a goal at Cashman Field (going back to Lights FC’s home finale in 2018 against Phoenix Rising FC).

NEW FACE IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Lights FC agreed to terms with Memphis 901 FC for the transfer of midfielder Junior Sandoval, who joined team practices this week and is available to play.

Sandoval became the third Honduran in history to play in the Colombian top flight when he was part of Jaguares de Córdoba. He had a stint with 9-time Honduras title holders C.D. Marathón, where he had the opportunity to play in the CONCACAF Champions League against MLS opponent Seattle Sounders.

“It was a great move for the club, he’s a very versatile player, he can play several positions for us,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda on Sandoval joining his team. “More so than anything, he’s a winner, he has a lot of heart. We were fighting through a lot of adversity right now, his insertion into this team and eventually into the lineup is going to help us immensely.”

U.S. OPEN CUP

Lights FC is set to play in their second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, as U.S. Soccer revealed the Second Round pairings and host scenarios for the 106th edition of the tournament. Las Vegas will host the winner of the First Round matchup between amateur side Cal FC and NPSL squad FC Mulhouse Portland.

The Second Round game between Lights FC and either Cal FC or FC Mulhouse Portland will be played at Cashman Field on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Every game of the tournament will be aired live on ESPN+ after U.S. Soccer and ESPN+ reached an exclusive agreement for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup that will run through 2022.

PARTE DE LESIONES

Bryan de la Fuente - OUT - Lesión en la parte inferior del cuerpo

U.S. Soccer announced the dates and times for the second round pairings of the 106th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where Lights FC will host the winner of the first-round matchup between amateur club Cal F.C. and NPSL member FC Mulhouse Portland on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first time a U.S. Open Cup match will be played at Cashman Field.

Tickets for Lights FC’s Second Round game in the U.S. Open Cup at Cashman Field are priced at only $10 each and are available at LightsFC.com/OpenCup, seating for this match will be general admission. Fans can also receive free tickets to this game by purchasing merchandise in the Cashman Field gift shop during the team’s next two home games on May 4th and May 11th. For every $25 spent at the store, fans will get a complimentary ticket for the US Open Cup game to be played on May 14.

U.S. Open Cup tickets are included in all Lights FC Season Ticket packages. Season Ticket Members will have their tickets available in their TicketReturn account in the next 48 hours. With all seating being general admission, Season Ticket Members will have the opportunity to enter Cashman Field 15 minutes before the general public at 6:30 p.m., that way they’ll be able to pick the seats they prefer.

Eric Wynalda is boosting his roster six weeks into a long 2019 USL Championship season by agreeing to terms with Memphis 901 FC for the transfer of midfielder Junior Sandoval.

The 28-year-old Honduras native made four appearances with Memphis 901 FC this season. Sandoval was credited with an assist on the first goal in history for the USL Championship franchise owned by legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard.

“He’s someone I’ve known about for a long time, he’s a player I’m very familiar with,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda about his new player. “When we made an assessment of what the needs of this team were, he really fit the bill. We’re fortunate to get him, we’re very thankful with the cooperation from Memphis throughout the process.”

His nearly 10-year career as a professional player is highlighted by his stints with Jaguares de Córdoba and C.D. Marathón, first division teams in Honduras and Colombia, respectively.

Sandoval became the third Honduran in history to play in the Colombian top flight during his time with Jaguares de Córdoba. In his stint with 9-time Honduran title holders Marathón, Junior received the opportunity to play in the CONCACAF Champions League against MLS opponent Seattle Sounders, facing now teammate Sammy Ochoa in a match that Seattle won in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

“It was a great move for the club, he’s a very versatile player, he can play several positions for us,” stated Wynalda. “More so than anything, he’s a winner, he has a lot of heart. We were fighting through a lot of adversity right now, his insertion into this team and eventually into the lineup is going to help us immensely.”

Sandoval has joined the Lights at practice this week and is eligible to play immediately.