Lights FC hit road to face Sacramento Republic FC

Who: Lights FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC

What: USL Championship – Western Conference matchup

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Heart Health Park – Sacramento, Calif.

How to Watch: Streaming live on ESPN+

Fan Attendance: Around 2,300 fans will be able to attend the match per California’s COVID-19 mandates.

Lights FC outlook: This will be the Lights’ second road matchup of the season after falling to LA Galaxy II 5-0 last week. The Lights fell apart defensively in the second half after holding Galaxy II scoreless through the first 45 minutes.

This is the Lights’ first season with LAFC as its MLS affiliate. Five LAFC players started for the Lights in their season opener while two others came off the bench. The Lights’ coaching staff and management expressed their excitement about being able to get LAFC players on loan, stating it will lead to a better product on the field.

This is a Lights roster full of young talent that has just recently come together, so look for them to continue to make small strides as the season rolls on.

Sacramento Republic FC outlook: This will be Sacramento’s home opener after a 1-0 road win over LA Galaxy II in their first match of the season. Sacramento finished the 2020 season with an 8-2-6 record before being bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix Rising FC.

Something to watch will be who the club opts to start at goalkeeper. Tomas Gomez held Galaxy II scoreless in the opener. Rafael Diaz, who started in 2020, has been dealing with injury but should be ready to go Wednesday night.

Contact Aidan Subira at asubira@reviewjournal.com