SD Loyal SC match preview vs Las Vegas Lights FC
San Diego Loyal
San Diego Loyal SC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Torero Stadium – University of San Diego
The kickoff is Wednesday, August 18, at 7:30 p.m.
TV – ESPN+, Cox Channel 4, Azteca America
San Diego is coming off four losses in their last five matches, looking to bounce back against familiar Las Vegas.
The San Diego Loyal fall to fourth in the Pacific Division after their loss this past weekend. Their record is (7-8-3) with 24 points and a (-3) goal difference. Las Vegas sits near the bottom in seventh place with 17 points and a (-12) goal difference. Their record is (5-10-2), and they have the most losses in the division so far this season.
Last Time Out
The Loyal was 30 minutes away from a much-needed three points this past Saturday night. Instead, for the second time this season, they concede two goals (65′, 71′) in under six minutes and miss out on the win.
Corey Hertzog scored in the 21st minute to take the early lead, but the Loyal couldn’t hold on.
16-year-old Ian Mai debuted for San Diego and became the youngest player to play in a match for the Loyal this season.
“I was happy to be on the field and try to do my best to help the team win,” Mai said. “I couldn’t do that, but we move onto the next game and keep working.”
The Tacoma Defiance win their third straight against the Loyal this season, moving their way up in the division and taking over third place.
Expectations for the match against Vegas
Wednesday night’s meeting will be the third of the season, and the Loyal have their number with two wins. Manager Landon Donovan and the Loyal find a way to win these matchups, even dating back to their inaugural season.
The Loyal offense has found success setting up and creating opportunities to score, and often. They have scored two goals in each of the last two meetings, and it’s a good time to continue that run. The Loyal would love nothing more than to turn their (-3) goal difference into a positive number.
Vegas has yet to beat San Diego at all but has shown signs of improvement over the course of the season. They will face each other one more time late in September on the 25th. The all-time series is (3-0-2) in favor of SD.
The end of the season is starting to come faster and faster. With just 12 matches left this season, the Loyal sit in playoff contention. But if you ask Donovan and the team, they are certainly not satisfied.
“The little moments that matter we’re not doing and that’s costing us points.”
Landon Donovan on the club’s recent skid, the debut of 16-year-old Ian Mai and the ‘excellent’ performance from 19-year-old Oliver Larraz. #SDLoyal pic.twitter.com/pBkVtzpeeG
— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) August 16, 2021
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Additional News
- Defender Callum Montgomery and midfielder Collin Martin did not appear on the injury report this week. They could return Wednesday night or Saturday against Orange County SC.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris is also an athlete and is huge fan of San Diego sports. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and contributes regularly about the Padres.