Las Vegas Lights secured a 2-0 victory over Orange County at Championship Soccer Stadium at the Orange County Great Park on Saturday evening. The result puts them further from the group leaders and leaves the hosts sixth in the table on 36 points after 24 games. Orange County have won nine, drawn nine and lost six in the competition so far.
J. Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 13th minute, giving the visitors an early foothold. The match grew tense as Orange County pushed for an equaliser, and the home side paid for a sloppy opening with a deficit they could not overturn. To be fair, the visitors had the deeper squad, and that showed when the game opened up.
The second half brought a flurry of activity. O. Anderson sealed the win in the 96th minute, ending a barren spell for his side after a string of poor results. By then, both managers had turned to their bench, with substitutions coming thick and fast in the final quarter.
Statistically, the visitors were the more efficient side. They registered five shots on target with 50 per cent accuracy, while Orange County managed three on target at 30 per cent. Both teams won 18 aerial duels, but the difference lay in conversion, not creation.
The result extends a difficult run for Las Vegas, who have not won since their 2-1 victory over Brooklyn on 16 August. Orange County, by contrast, have drawn their last two league games and now face a decisive period in the group stage.
