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Lights drop 3-1 at New Mexico as road points slip again
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Lights drop 3-1 at New Mexico as road points slip again

Originally posted on Dice City Sports  |  By Mark Hebert  |  Last updated May 10, 2026 9:28 AM ET
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Las Vegas Lights FC could not carry its home momentum onto the road Saturday night, dropping a 3-1 decision to New Mexico United at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. The loss moved the Lights to 2-2-5 and 8 points, while New Mexico improved to 3-1-3 and 10 points.

New Mexico controlled long stretches and turned that control into cleaner looks. United finished with 59.6% possession and an 18-12 advantage in shots, putting seven on goal to the Lights’ four. Charlie Lanphier made four saves for Las Vegas, but the hosts kept the match tilted in their favor.

New Mexico strikes first, Vegas answers before the break

The match tightened quickly, and Las Vegas picked up an early booking when Carson Locker saw yellow in the 31st minute. A minute later, Niall Reid-Stephen broke through in the 32nd to give New Mexico a 1-0 lead.

Las Vegas responded with one of its better moments in transition. Oalex Anderson scored in the 40th minute to level the match 1-1, giving the Lights a lifeline heading into halftime.

Second half swings hard toward United

New Mexico came out of the locker room with sharper intent and reclaimed the lead in the 53rd minute when Ousman Jabang scored to make it 2-1. Las Vegas stayed competitive on restarts, matching United with five corner kicks, but it could not find the equalizer as the match wore on.

The separation came in the 73rd minute. Zico Bailey scored to push New Mexico ahead 3-1, and United managed the final stretch without letting the match reopen.

Cards and absences show up

The Lights finished with three yellow cards, adding cautions to Giorgio Probo in the 77th minute and Manuel Arteaga in the 79th. New Mexico drew two yellows, including one to Bailey in the 68th and one to Gedion Zelalem in stoppage time at 90+2. Neither team saw a red card.

Las Vegas entered the match shorthanded, and that matters as the schedule compresses. The club’s availability report listed Edison Azcona, Patrick Leal, Shawn Smart and Nykolas Sessock out with injuries. Kyle Scott was out with illness, and Marc Ybarra was out due to red card suspension.

Standings snapshot

New Mexico’s win moved it to 10 points and eighth in the West, while Las Vegas stayed on 8 points in 11th as the middle of the table tightens behind the top tier.

Attendance was 8,655.

Up next

The Lights head back into USL Cup group play, traveling to face Spokane Velocity FC at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17 at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Washington. The match will stream on ESPN+.

Las Vegas carries 1 point in the group after the 1-1 draw with Athletic Club Boise, while Spokane sits 0-0-1 with 0 points. The early group numbers make the angle clear: Spokane has not scored yet and has allowed four goals for a minus-4 goal difference, while the Lights have scored once and allowed once for an even goal difference.

Nighte Pickering is already on the board in the competition, leading Las Vegas with one goal in one USL Cup match. Recent history also leans toward the Lights. Las Vegas beat Spokane 2-0 in USL Cup play on June 28, 2025, and knocked off Spokane 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup on April 17, 2024.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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