Saturday’s tough match in the desert closed out Republic FC’s regular season fixtures with Las Vegas Lights FC. The club got off to a good start, taking a 1-0 lead less than 10 minutes in from the penalty spot, but a pair of opportunities for the hosts in transition took their advantage away – and gave Vegas all the points. All night, Sacramento had Las Vegas against the wall, but just couldn’t make the right final action happen as they searched for the equalizer.
Need to Keep It Going
Playing at Cashman Field often changes how teams play. The short pitch creates opportunity for clubs able to move the ball quickly and create a vertical threat. Sacramento got off the line well doing just that, sending balls along the touchline to Jack Gurr and over the top to Maalique Foster. Nine minutes in that aggression was rewarded with a penalty that Douglas Martinez converted with ease, but after that Sacramento’s urgency fell allowing for the hosts to score twice in transition before the break.
“I thought that the group started off well, we showed good intensity, we showed good ball movement,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “…But then after we scored the goal, we stopped playing at that intensity we had played at and we stopped doing the things off the ball and being nasty.”
Just Inches Away
In Sacramento’s first matchup with Las Vegas in April, the club brought the offensive pressure all night to the tune of 20 shots and 10 on target – both season highs that still stand. This time around, the effort in the build-up was similar, but much like last week’s match against Monterey Bay getting a touch on frame proved difficult. Sacramento’s best looks all night either were kept out by good defending or came inches from going over the line, keeping the club searching. Douglas Martinez came close to an equalizer in first-half stoppage time with a shot that went just a hair above the bar, before a full-extension save from Las Vegas’ goalkeeper and the ball going off the right post kept Sacramento out of net just before the final whistle sounded.
Behind the Ball
With an advantage in tow after the break, Lights FC began prioritizing their defensive effort. Throughout the second half, the hosts were incredibly compact, and closed down attackers quickly before they could penetrate. The strategy was effective, leaving Mark Briggs’ Men with little space to work as they almost constantly put pressure on hosts in the second half. Three of the club’s nine shots were blocked in traffic, while their expected goals rating dropped from over 1 down to 0.6 and just one shot went on target.
