Lights FC looking for quality button
In Lights technical director Jose Luis Sanchez Sola’s unique view of human anatomy, everyone is programmed with a series of buttons.
There’s one for hunger, one for love, one for just about everything. But he’s searching for one that will get his team to play better in the final third of matches.
“The button to quality, I don’t know where is,” Sola said. “One of the questions in the morning to the players (is to find) this button because all the players have quality. You look at the training and they’re making a lot of passes and a lot of good plays. But in the games, no. In the (final third), the quality is very, very short.”
The Lights (2-0-2) are struggling to generate chances during the run of play, as they’ve only gotten on the board twice this season without a stoppage. Of the team’s other five goals, three have come off corner kicks and two have come off throw-ins.
“We are the team with the most goals off set pieces,” defender Joel Huiqui said.
Starting Freddy Adu last Saturday against Sacramento didn’t lift the Lights’ offense, and he was subbed out in the 51st minute because Sola thought he was spent physically. The team’s attack has also been hurt by injuries, as midfielder Juan Jose Calderon (knee) has only played about 45 minutes this season and forward Isaac Diaz (lower-body) has logged about 20.
Calderon played in all four of the Lights preseason matches and led the club with three goals, while Diaz started four times in the same span.
Still, Sola knows the team has to start playing better with the players it has available so he’s planning a more intense schedule for his team’s second bye in three weeks.
“Last (bye week), garbage. Garbage. More relaxed, more parties, more celebrations,” Sola said. “The principal idea for this week is the quality. Remember your quality. Show me your quality.”
Injuries
Speaking of Calderon, the midfielder was in street clothes at the Lights’ training sessions on Tuesday and Sola said it may be another six weeks until he sees the field.
Midfielder Daigo Kobayashi (hamstring) and forward Juan Carlos Garcia (knee) were not at training at all, while Diaz was working off to the side with a trainer. That’s a good sign that the forward may be available when the Lights play again on April 27.
New trialist
Former LA Galaxy midfielder Rafael Garcia is practicing with the Lights this week as a trialist. The 29-year-old, who has made 45 appearances for the Galaxy and another 27 for the United Soccer League’s LA Galaxy II, has also played defender during his career.
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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.