The tumultuous noise from both the Electric Company and Luz y Fuerza will be needed now more than ever to rally the Las Vegas Lights towards a potential playoff push. As of September 10th, there will be exactly seven more games (four home games and three away games) for the Lights to decide whether or not they are cut for the playoffs. That includes a home game against the best team in the USL, the Phoenix Rising (65 pts), a home game against in-state rivals Reno 1868 (44pts) and their final regular season game away against New Mexico United (37pts).
The Lights currently sit in 14th place with 32 points in a Western conference that consists of 18 teams. At face value, that may look like a terrible statistic. The reality, however, is the fact that the Western Conference has proven to be extremely competitive this season. Just seven points separate the 14th place Las Vegas Lights with 5th place Orange County SC. The beauty behind all of this is that, in order to qualify for a position in the playoffs, the Lights would have to at least finish in 10th place. The current holders of that position are the Oklahoma City Energy with 37 points.
So the reality of the Las Vegas Lights making the playoffs for the first time in the clubs history is more than plausible. If the Lights are capable of getting at least five more points than just four other teams that are ahead of them in the conference, then Vegas will once again be host to professional post-season sports.
But, who said this next seven games would be easy?
Although the Lights will have four out of the last seven games at Cashman Field, every opponent the Lights will size up against hold a better record in the Western conference than them (except for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks who hold 17th place with 23 points). It’s an uphill battle for the Las Vegas Lights and they cannot use their current run of form to dictate the outcomes of their season-closing matches.
Between August 3rd and September 7th, the Lights have registered six points from seven games. This sort of statistic could be due to the mix of new signings the Lights made from the MLS (chemistry is important, unless you have a world-class player joining) or it could be due to end-of-season fatigue.
But those are just excuses. The Lights cannot lean on excuses to push them to the end of the season with nothing to show for it. This season marked a new era in the Lights juvenile existence. Hope was injected in the hearts of old and new Lights fans alike, especially after going an astonishing nine games undefeated at home in all competitions to get the new season kicked-off. If the season were to end without a playoff berth, some would deem the season a failure, including head coach Eric Wynalda. If anyone, Wynalda has been the man to rile up his team and speak highly of the team's potential.
So what’s next? On Wednesday, September 11th the best team in the USL, Phoenix Rising, is next. An opportunity to grab three more points is next. A chance to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the USL this season is next.
The hope of getting ever so closer to the Lights first ever playoff appearance, is next.
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