Away vs Las Vegas Lights Preview

Date: Saturday July 1, 2023

Kickoff Time: 10:30 pm EST at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, NV

Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (28pt 8W-4D-4L); Las Vegas Lights (9pts 1W-6D-8L)

Standings: The Rowdies are 4th in the East and Las Vegas are 12th in the West (last overall)

After what proved to be a tougher win than fans expected, the Tampa Bay Rowdies now travel out west to take on Las Vegas Lights in the middle of the season. Known as a hotbed of sin and debauchery, the Green and Gold will be going out there strictly for business; no little chapel house weddings or black jack allowed. Tune in late on Saturday to ESPN+ to watch!

How did the Rowdies almost lose to Loudoun?

The Rowdies made tougher work of their outing last weekend than this column predicted. Despite winning 4-2, Tampa Bay was losing at two different periods during the game and only scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute. Their opponents were spirited and feisty, never believing the game was out of their hands. All due credit to Loudoun: they are playing for their professional futures and did themselves proud. 

But what should Rowdies fans take from this? Their boys had fought through several tougher games recently and came out on top. Why was it such a struggle against seemingly lesser opposition? From this perspective, in a word, it was really down to desire. 

As a rule, I hate using the phrase “wanting to win more,” and I especially hate hearing it. When it comes to professional coaches and players, you don’t get to that level without having some unnatural desire to win everything you do (for the most part). Additionally, when you’ve reached that level, you can understand tactical trends and patterns that might float right past my novice head. While soccer is a relatively simple game, there is more to it than just what meets the eye. 

However, on Saturday night, it seemed pretty clear that this common aphorism about simply wanting it more actually did apply. While the Rowdies didn’t necessarily come out flat, it is safe to say the usual intensity fans saw in May and June wasn’t there. DC United’s reserve team had something to prove and their hunger was evident.

In a way this all makes sense: Loudoun United are not a great team. With all due respect to generally very young players, their ability to compete with grown men hasn’t bloomed yet. They are playing these games to get the experience that will – hopefully – show them what they need to do to make it at the highest level of soccer in America. As highlighted last week, Matai Akinmboni is only 16-years-old. He likely hasn’t even finished growing, let alone honing his soccer skills. 

While Akinmboni missed out due to injury, several DCU academy teammates were working away at showing themselves to a coaching staff that wasn’t even in Leesburg that night: Wayne Rooney and co. in MLS. Rather than sign a former teammate of his from Everton with a sketchy personal record – not a topic of discussion for this column, I guess – why not sign Zach Ryan to a first team deal or stick Nanan Houssou in the center of that midfield. (Please don’t sign Gylfi Sigurdsson to a deal, guys. Come on.)

These players and others had all the desire they could muster against Tampa Bay. Unfortunately for them, the Rowdies’ quality showed through on the evening. They approached this game with less focus and care than they have prior games. Ultimately, it wasn’t quite needed to overcome Loudoun. This is not what coaches will want to see, to be sure. However, another soccer aphorism is important to remember: good teams win even when they’re not playing well. 

Likely the best example is the third Rowdies goal, which put them ahead for the first time. JJ Williams started with the ball on the left side near the endline. Without much of a fuss, he was able to round the defender standing in the way of him and Loudoun’s six yard box. As another player closed on him, he found a simple pass to Cal Jennings, who slotted it home with ease. One good thing for Floridian fans: their boys were never flustered. They knew they had it in them.   

Why are Las Vegas only sitting on one win?

It seems that this upcoming weekend may prove to offer a similar opportunity for the Rowdies roster to test themselves. While Las Vegas are no longer in an active partnership with LAFC in MLS, the team certainly still seems to be run like a reserve outfit. It’s entirely possible the staff intended for this year to be a more competitive one for their club; but, it has not played out like that on the field. 

The Lights’ roster is mostly made up of USL has beens or never weres. Zach Carroll, Justin Ingram, and Pato Faz have all been with multiple teams across the USL, with mixed results across the board, too. As of February 28th, Las Vegas didn’t have any players listed at all. The squad they’ve built seems to have been cobbled together with those guys formerly in USL, but without a current home. I don’t know what background owner Brett Lashbrook has; but, soccer seems like an afterthought at times. 

All of this is unfortunate for fans of the Beautiful Game who live in Las Vegas. While the city has its reputation, it also has a lot of permanent residents who live and work there, often in the service industry for visitors to the many local attractions. Some number of them will enjoy the sport of soccer and some number of those will want to attend local professional games. 

In this writer’s opinion, they deserve more from this organization. I attended a Lights game in late 2021, traveling out there to take in the last Rowdies game of the regular season. The amenities are actually pretty great, including the in-stadium gimmicks. Pitchside inflatable pools and very distinctive iconography are all fun parts of the game day experience. It also happens to take place in an area of Las Vegas many visitors will rarely see (though they certainly should). 

There’s a lot to like about the Lights. Their on field play is not a part of that. Las Vegas have just one win all year, surprisingly enough, away to Phoenix Rising. Former MLS and Mexico rising star Erick “Cubo” Torres got the lone goal of the game. It was one of three clean sheets they’ve kept all year, one of which came in the Open Cup. Their 2023 stats are just grim. 

Despite Cubo Torres and Argentine journeyman Emmanuel Ledesma being on the team, there are very few players to have earned multiple goals or assists. At this point, turning the keys over to any and all academy players seems smart. You could at least build a base for next year that you won’t have to worry about losing in the offseason. But, with that not looking likely, there could be one possible standout player for the Lights.

Lucas Stauffer is a former Creighton University Bluejay who was drafted by Vancouver of MLS in 2018. After not signing with the club, Stauffer stuck with it and had a quick stint in the USL before joining a lower division German club. A couple years later and he’s back in the USL a stronger player. Despite everything written above, he has two goals and three assists on the season. From his right back position, he will look to get forward into the attack. 

Getting someone on the end of his passes or crosses is another matter entirely. Other USL journeymen, like Tabort Etaka Preston and the aforementioned Pato, will be his most obvious targets in the box. Infamous former US youth national teamer Andrew Carleton will also be up for selection. His playing career has seemingly been derailed by multiple disciplinary issues. While most everyone deserves a second chance, this may not be the best place to take it. 

The Rowdies should expect a win here and, with a tough start to the season, every possible point is precious in the table. The three available to them here must be taken home. 

Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:

Carlos: 3-1 Rowdies

James: 4-1 Rowdies

Yurika: 2-1 Rowdies

Guest: Tom De Pinto (13thirty on discord) 2-0 Rowdies