Beyond the War Memorial Stadium scoreboard streamed a rainbow, pure and clear, lasting just minutes during a weather delay as if to lend hope to two franchises that are attempting to solidify soccer as a professional sport in Arkansas.
As the colors faded, so did the Little Rock Rangers' chances of hosting a playoff game after a 2-1 loss Saturday night to Ozark FC -- the National Premier Soccer League's newest team that plays its home games at John Brown University in Siloam Springs.
The Rangers (4-1-4) had beaten Ozark FC (2-8-0) at John Brown 3-1 the week before, and another victory would have solidified second place in the Heartland Division, which would have given the Rangers home-field advantage against the Heartland's No. 3 seed in the first round of the playoffs. Instead, Little Rock will head into its final game at Tulsa Athletic on Saturday needing a victory and some help from other teams within the division.
"It's a tough loss, a humbling experience," Rangers Coach Will Montgomery said. "But it lets us know that we're vulnerable."
Ozark FC scored first, 14 minutes into the game, when midfielder TJ Rodriguez drove a free kick into the lower left corner of the goal. Little Rock tied it in the 41st minute when forward Robel Dent received a pass within the box and tapped in a score. Then in the 66th, Ozark FC's Matheus Alves broke open downfield and delivered a pass to open forward Corey Ferguson, who scored the game-winning goal.
Little Rock's Trevor Reed had a curving shot scrape the top crossbar beyond the 90th minute, but it was the Rangers' last chance of the game.
"I think we let them get behind us real quick with quick plays, and we were unprepared for that in some instances," Montgomery said. "If you're not concentrating, you're going to get exposed."
It was the Rangers' final home game of the season, which drew a season-high crowd of 2,556, which included former Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey. The Rangers rank fifth out of the 91 NPSL teams in average attendance (2,158) -- a promising figure for a market that hadn't had a professional soccer team since the Arkansas A's of the United States Interregional Soccer League folded in 1995.
"We've got the city's attention," Rangers owner Jonathan Wardlaw said. "I think the city is itching to get behind something. They want something to call their own. And if we can put some success together and make a run through the playoffs, I think we really could be on to something here."
An hour before kickoff, the parking lot held a small contingent of tailgaters while children played soccer in the adjacent field among the food trucks and live music. One group reclined in lawn chairs with plates of brisket and potato chips while watching the USA-Ghana friendly on a TV propped in the back of a car.
The game-day experience impressed former Major League Soccer player and current Canadian U-15 Coach Ante Jazic, who moved to Little Rock shortly after marrying Annemarie Dillard in 2013, whose family started the Little Rock-based department store company Dillard's. Jazic met Wardlaw through a mutual friend, and the former defender for the LA Galaxy and the Canadian national team is now a technical adviser for the Rangers -- which entails attending practices and lending advice.
"I think the Rangers are on the right path; their game-day experience is actually very professional," Jazic said. "Starting out this small, building the fan base, with a growing product on the field, there's no reason why Little Rock couldn't support a team in the future at a higher level."
The Rangers' on-field success, Wardlaw believes, along with their attendance figures and game-day experience are indications a higher level soccer franchise could work in Arkansas' capital.
Wardlaw said potential leagues in USA Soccer's vacant Division III level have expressed interest in Little Rock, but the team is not prepared to make the necessary financial commitment, which includes a buy-in range from $300,000 to $500,000 and an owner worth $10 million owning at least 35 percent of the team.
Sports on 07/02/2017