Las Vegas Lights FC spent most of Saturday night with the ball at ONEOK Field. Still, FC Tulsa made its moments count, handing the Lights a 3-2 loss in the final match of Las Vegas’ season-opening road swing.
The Lights dropped to 0-1-2 with 1 point through three matches. Tulsa improved to 1-1-1 with 4 points.
Fast start, familiar problem
Las Vegas opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Johnny Rodriguez finished to put the Lights ahead 1-0. Marc Ybarra earned the assist as Las Vegas rewarded its early control with a clean look and a calm finish.
However, Tulsa hit back before the half and flipped the tone. Kalil ElMedkhar scored in the 41st minute to make it 1-1, and the Lights headed to the break with a lead that never got to breathe.
Tulsa turns it, Okyere answers again
Tulsa came out sharper after halftime and grabbed the lead in the 61st minute through Rémi Cabral, pushing the match to 2-1. Las Vegas responded with the kind of punch it has shown all month, and it came through Abraham Okyere again.
Okyere leveled it 2-2 in the 66th minute off an assist from Rodriguez. It was Okyere’s third goal in two matches, and it kept the Lights alive in another back-and-forth road game.
The late goal that decided it
Tulsa found the winner in the 82nd minute when Owen Damm finished to make it 3-2, with Delentz Pierre credited with the assist. Las Vegas pushed late, but the third equalizer never arrived.
The stat line shows why the result stings. Las Vegas owned 64.8% possession and won the corner count 6-4. Yet Tulsa created the more dangerous looks, edging shots on goal 5-3 and finishing with a 12-10 advantage in total attempts.
Discipline stayed even, too, with both teams drawing two yellow cards and no reds.
Up next
The Lights return home for the 2026 home opener against Monterey Bay FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Cashman Field. The match will stream on ESPN+.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
