Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Lights fall behind early in defeat to first-place Salt Lake

Las Vegas Lights FC Suffer First USL Season Loss

Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

Las Vegas Lights fans light smoke bombs at the start of their game against San Antonio FC Friday, April 27, 2018, at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Lights FC held an edge in shots on Saturday against the visiting Real Monarchs SLC — 26-8. The Lights also controlled possession of the ball for nearly 60 percent of the game.

Yet, it was the first-place Monarchs who prevailed 2-0, using a pair of breakaway goals in the first half to drop the Lights’ record to 2-3-4, 10 points.

“I won’t sleep all night thinking about the game, thinking about every play, thinking about when we almost scored,” Lights defender Miguel Garduño said in a statement. “We have to keep working. But the sensation right now is frustration, it’s that we gave everything in the field. If you saw the game, you know we had the ball, we tried, we were there.”

The Monarchs (8-1-1, 25 points) scored in the game’s third minute and 22nd minute.

The Lights’ next two games are away from Las Vegas in Southern California. Wednesday, it plays FC Golden State Force in a U.S. Open Cup third round game.

Saturday, it returns to league action against LA Galaxy II.

“I want the group to be honest with their efforts. Today, they were honest,” coach Isidro Sánchez said. “Especially today, all of my players and the coaching staff, we can turn off the lights tonight in our rooms, get in the bed, pray and know we were fair.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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